# Critical Race Theory Boogeyman **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 21, 2021, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754 "2021-06-21T12:24:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/61 "2021-06-22T14:42:26Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > In my opinion, the only thing a white American who isn’t racist can do about the situation is to vote Democrat. If every White American who considered themselves to not be racist voted for Democrats, we would indeed be a lot closer to resolving our racial inequities. There’s a lot more we can actually do, but getting into that would be a serious derailment. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/62 "2021-06-22T23:49:44Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > it seems to say that facially neutral and color blind laws are nonetheless still hurting minorities and people of color. Is that fair? This is a story not of laws, but of machine learning. Where supposedly colorblind or neutral algorithms are not so much. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Ok5sKLXqynQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Are We Automating Racism?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok5sKLXqynQ) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/63 "2021-06-23T05:34:21Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > In my opinion, the only thing a white American who isn’t racist can do about the situation is to vote Democrat. There’s a lot more you can do than that. You can give money to anti-racist causes. You can physically protest injustices. You can be vocally, visibly anti-racist both IRL and on the internet. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/64 "2021-06-23T05:42:19Z")
Lovely post! Although I should mention that that link seems broken. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/65 "2021-06-23T06:26:47Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Although I should mention that that link seems broken. Fixed. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/66 "2021-06-23T07:33:50Z")
Thanks ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/67 "2021-06-23T14:35:29Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > Why should they feel bad just because great great grandpa was in the Klan back in the day? It seems to be really important for a lot of people to think that not only they, but also their ancestors, were Good People; and also to think that the historical figures whose actions they were taught led to the existence of the country they live in must have been Good People. It’s maybe a reversal of the principle that one mustn’t use bad means to try to accomplish good ends? the thought process is maybe something like ‘if I’m a good person, then what led up to me must have been good; so if anybody’s saying that some of what led up to me was bad, then they must be saying that I’m bad!’ – which, of course, would mean that improvement isn’t possible. > [@Akaj](#): > > IOW: You’re not racist? Great! But what have you done to combat the consequences of past racism? Some of it’s probably also that. People are afraid that doing anything about this will make their lives worse, and they don’t want their lives made worse. The idea that fixing or at least making progress toward fixing this problem will make their lives better, even if in some cases it’s making some portions of their lives better by making others more difficult, doesn’t come through. They only see, for instance, that they’ll have to compete with more people for a given job or place in college; not that they’ll benefit from having all sorts of work done better because more of it’s being done by those best suited to do it. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/68 "2021-06-23T15:16:34Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > They only see, for instance, that they’ll have to compete with more people for a given job or place in college Maybe they are afraid of government policies that actively discriminate against them on the basis of race and gender: > **[Biden Is Prioritizing Billions Of COVID Funds By Race And Gender. Is That...](https://www.forbes.com/sites/evangerstmann/2021/05/11/biden-is-prioritizing-billions-of-covid-funds-by-race-and-gender-is-that-constitutional/)** > > Joe Biden’s COVID relief plan, the “American Rescue Plan,” is a sprawling program that allocates $1.9 Trillion for a broad variety of purposes. It is unusual not only in its size and scope, but because it allocates portions of that money on the basis... ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/69 "2021-06-23T15:32:45Z")
Oh for FOX’s sake! We had that conversation before when in Vermont the government decided to then give vaccines to minorities, the ones complaining also missed what had already taken place, that almost all the at risk people, first responders and essential workers got their shots first, and then priority was given to minorities that were not getting vaccines as other groups already did. It was because of the lack of context that I and many others saw that line or an argument as ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/70 "2021-06-23T15:52:57Z")
I don’t think it’s helpful to claim there is a significant number of people who are worried about competing on equal terms for jobs or college places. But there are plenty who object to ‘reverse discrimination’ by the government or institutions - and whether it’s inspired by CRT or not, they are not wrong to think it is becoming more popular. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/71 "2021-06-23T16:20:15Z")
And that shows a bit of ignorance of what CRT looks at and why. Just as Asians can use the CRT framework to analyze and criticize what Chinese are doing to other Chinese, just because they have different ethnicity, whites will be also able to use the framework to look and analyze the disparities that you or others claim are there. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/72 "2021-06-23T16:29:23Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > they are not wrong to think it is becoming more popular Can you provide a cite that reverse discrimination is becoming more popular? Because it’s my impression that various lawsuits have forced schools and government employers to move away from such affirmative action policies. Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/73 "2021-06-23T16:30:00Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Fixed. Yes–thanks! ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/74 "2021-06-23T18:19:03Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Can you provide a cite that reverse discrimination is becoming more popular? Because it’s my impression that various lawsuits have forced schools and government employers to move away from such affirmative action policies. Thanks in advance. Not sure how I’d show that. What sort of cites were you thinking of? Also there’s the question of timescale. Over a longer timescale you might be correct, but looking at recent years it’s unlikely that Trump was distributing funds according to race like Biden is. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/75 "2021-06-23T18:22:05Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > Not sure how I’d show that. What sort of cites were you thinking of? I don’t know, it’s your claim: > [@DemonTree](#): > > But there are plenty who object to ‘reverse discrimination’ by the government or institutions - and whether it’s inspired by CRT or not, **they are not wrong to think it is becoming more popular.** (highlighting is mine) ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/76 "2021-06-23T18:44:03Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > But there are plenty who object to ‘reverse discrimination’ by the government or institutions The example you gave of prioritizing certain groups for vaccines is not discrimination. It’s favoritism. One actively or passively seeks to harm a group or groups. While the other seeks to benefit a group or groups. I’m sure you can see how one harms society (which I s bad) while the other benefits (which is good). We prioritized vaccines to all kinds of groups. Was prioritizing the elderly “reverse discrimination” against the young? Was prioritizing frontline workers “reverse discrimination” against non frontline workers? No. In all cases prioritizing the most vulnerable of society benefits all of society. But, I’m sure you can see that for yourself. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/77 "2021-06-23T20:13:23Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > The example you gave of prioritizing certain groups for vaccines is not discrimination. It’s favoritism. One actively or passively seeks to harm a group or groups. While the other seeks to benefit a group or groups. I’m sure you can see how one harms society (which I s bad) while the other benefits (which is good). This distinction appears to be merely semantics. And the example I gave was primarily about Covid relief funds. If you prioritise certain groups for funds then other groups will inevitably miss out. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/78 "2021-06-23T20:16:03Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > This distinction appears to be merely semantics. And the example I gave was primarily about Covid relief funds. If you prioritise certain groups for funds then other groups will inevitably miss out. As has been the case, most white folks did get the vaccine and other resources before what your cite came in complaining about. Now, here is a bit about what CRT researchers think about the way the right-wing media and politicians are misrepresenting CRT: > **[Academic Who Brought Critical Race Theory To Education Says Bills Are Misguided](https://www.npr.org/2021/06/22/1009182206/academic-who-brought-critical-race-theory-to-education-says-bills-are-misguided)** > > Legislators are calling Critical Race Theory divisive and pushing to ban it in classrooms. NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Gloria Ladson-Billings, one of the first to apply the theory in education. > CORNISH: What are some of the wildest things you’ve seen described as critical race theory that has made you just, like, gawk at your computer? > > LADSON-BILLINGS: The thing about saying one race is better than the other. I can’t find that anywhere in any of the literature that I’ve read. This notion that we’re trying to make people feel bad - you know, it boggles the mind, but I guess it tugs at the hearts of people. And so I am seeing, you know, examples of board meetings and, quote, “town halls” where people are giving testimony that their children feel bad about being white. And it just - where was all this furor about the way people feel back in the 1950s and '60s, you know? > > I think about someone like the Little Rock Nine. They were feeling bad, too. You know, I think about the young woman who integrated the New Orleans schools for us. You know, these brave people were willing to fight against racism in a very direct way, put their own bodies on the line. And yet what I’m hearing bears no resemblance to the work that I’ve been dedicated to studying for the past 30-plus years. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/79 "2021-06-23T20:19:42Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > As has been the case, most white folks did get the vaccine and other resources before what your cite came in complaining about. Are you actually looking at the cite I posted? The one with headline: _Biden Is Prioritizing Billions Of COVID Funds By Race And Gender_? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/80 "2021-06-23T20:22:36Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > Are you actually looking at the cite I posted? The one with headline: _Biden Is Prioritizing Billions Of COVID Funds By Race And Gender_ ? Yes, that was from May 11, as I said most of the folks that had priorities about the vaccine and other resources got them already, like in Vermont, now that it is noticeable that many minorities are missing resources and help he is looking at that issue. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754.md?page=5)