There has been much written about the new law banning the teaching of Ethnic Studies in Arizona. This short diary is intended only to explain the "framing" technique being used by the AZholes who passed and support the bill. Just as in SB 1070 (the anti-Mexican bill), this bill throws in some red meat for a distraction, plus some more subtle shit in other locations that actually does the work. I'll explain below the fold.
In all of the discussion of the law, the supporters claim that it applies only to classes that promote the overthrow of the US government or resentment toward a particular race. They omit several other criteria that make Ethnic Studies classes illegal. Below I detail the four criteria that can lead to a class being banned.
[the law] bans classes that
1. might promote an overthrow of the U.S. government;
2. that promote resentment toward a particular race or class;
3. are designed for students of a particular ethnic group,
4. or which advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.
The AZholes will only talk about about criteria 1 and 2--who could oppose them? Do you support the overthrow of the government? Do you think that Javier should be taught to hate John and Sanjay?
But here is the trick. The AZholes will shut the TUSD Ethnic Studies program using the very loose criteria in 3 and 4. Criteria 3 and 4 are basically empty and can be applied at whim. They will then claim the ethnic studies program was shut down because it broke the law, and was thus violating rules 1 and 2.
So, when its all done, the AZholes will ask innocently, "oh, do you support the teaching of the overthrow of the US Government?" When in fact the ethnic studies program in Tucson never did any such thing.
This is how they will do it. It mirrors what they are doing with the anti-immigration bill. Next time you hear anyone make that claim, bring up criteria 3 and 4--and ask them what those criteria specifically mean.
Finally, as an AZ resident, I ask that everyone boycott this state. The place is run by business interests, and a boycott is the only way to change things.