Wednesday, April 28, 2021

A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand: Oklahoma HB 1775 to Ban Critical Race Theory

On June 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln gave his famous House Divided Speech. Lincoln, running for the United States Senate against incumbent Senator Stephen A. Douglas, argued that the only way the United States could remain in union with each other was for there to be only one position on slavery - its abolishment. The southern States wished to keep slavery and the northern states wished to abolish it. The United States was divided. Lincoln famously said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." 

It is this Lincoln speech that is remembered most. Reflecting on it years later, Lincoln's law partner William Herndon  said:

"Lincoln as a statesman, and political philosopher, announced an eternal truth -- not only as broad as America, but one that covers the world."

Jesus, the Eternal truth-teller, originally taught us that "a house cannot be divided and stand" (Matthew 12:22-28; Mark 3:25 Luke 11:14-18). 

Critical Race Theory seeks to divide the United States of America. With the premise that "race is not biologically real but is socially constructed," CRT advocates wish to tear down all American institutions that were established by our Founding Fathers. This de-construction includes the judicial system (The Supreme Court), police and law enforcement agencies, religious institutions, and the Republic itself (e.g. the Electoral College, the separation of powers, etc.).

As Ben Shapiro recently tweeted

We no longer have a culture and a counter-culture. We have an anti-culture, designed at tearing down all traditions and institutions.

On April 20, 2021, members of the Oklahoma Senate, by a vote of 38-9, overwhelmingly approved House Bill 1775, which prevents schools in Oklahoma from "mandating coursework based on Marxist-derived critical race theory." 

Today, April 28, 2021, members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives will have an opportunity to vote on House Bill 1775 to make it law. However, Speaker of the House Charles McCall is receiving pressure to not let House Bill 1775 make it to the floor for a House vote. There's murmuring that McCall and other Oklahoma House Leadership may be caving to outside (of Oklahoma) forces.

This is a moral issue for the United States of America. Our nation's future is at stake. We cannot be the land of opportunity and the land of the free with Marxism being taught in our public schools. 

Contact Speaker Charles McCall and let your voice be heard - Speaker McCall's office number is (405) 557-7412

37 comments:

Scott Shaver said...

It's a crap theory.

Wade Burleson said...

That's probably too optimistic, Scott. :)

Debbie Kaufman said...

I have said this repeatedly but I think this post is a mistake. Ben Shaprio is not someone I personally listen to or respect. I believe CRT to point to problems with systemic racism in our society and think we are already divided because of race. CRT sheds a light on this problem and it's long past due to shine the light on the problem. I do not embrace all of CRT, but I do embrace it. Just being honest. I don't understand the objection although I am trying to. I just don't get it.

Debbie Kaufman said...

I say this with all due respect and love.

Rex Ray said...

Critical race theory - Wikipedia

“Critics of the Critical Race Theory argue that it relies on social constructionism, elevates storytelling over evidence and reason, rejects the concepts of truth and merit, and opposes liberalism.”

“Liberalism is a willingness to respect or accept behavior or opinions different from one's own; openness to new ideas, and a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.”

Debbie Kaufman said...

Rex: With all due respect have you actually read all of CRT? If not everyone needs to. I don't rely on critics views, I read for myself. Read it. All of it. It is long and tedious, but important to know what you are against and not just follow the leader.

Debbie Kaufman said...

It's not always if it is not Republican it's wrong. Democrats are right on some things to. Critical thinking is important. Find out for yourself. If you still think it's wrong, that is your right, but at least read and research it. I don't think most even know what CRT is. Wade I am sure does, as he feels as I do and researches carefully. But most just follow their favorite person and whatever they think they swallow. They are not always right.

Christiane said...

Hello DEBBIE,

I also am confused by the post but I shall make effort to comprehend it as best as I can from the viewpoint of all concerned.

Racism was alive and well at Charlottesville VA in the worst ways during that terrible 'rally' in that beloved town where my brother and his family have homes. We heard from our President his famous 'both sides' remark that shocked so many Americans to their core.

Maybe in another five hundred years, our nation will 'recover' from the terrible effects of slavery not only on the victims but also on those who engaged in it and believe me, you cannot engage in that kind of evil and not be injured to the depths of your own soul in the process, and I have seen in my mother's family the racism that came down through generations among the great aunts whose comments were sometimes openly racist in ways they seemed oblivious to. They had no idea. They did not understand.

Maybe in time, DEBBIE, if the Lord tarries, there will be healing.
But we know from the 'hate rallies' of the last four years and from the insurgence at the Capitol what 'racism' looks like in our land. Racism goes beyond black and white into open disrespect of many who have attacked our Asian communities and also our synogogues with violence.

We have a race problem. Best we confront it honestly and not deny it and not over-react to it. That will take a wisdom we need badly in a land that is wounded from a past where injuries to human souls continues in their descendants even now.

Thank you Debbie, I've always admired your courage to speak out.
I will try to learn more about all of this from all perspectives in hopes of finding what I can uncover and then I will try to make some sense of it. The important thing for me will be to listen. So much pain there is. So much pain.

Wade Burleson said...

Debbie,

I always take your disagreement with respect and love! Never any other way.

Critical Race Theory is devastating to our country, our culture, and Christians in general (in my opinion), but always respect and love those who disagree with me.

I've researched this thoroughly for myself, and it will be gentle persuasion based on research and scholarly dialogue that will cause me to change my mind.

In other words, it must be proven to me that Critical Race Theory is constructive for our society before I will change my mind.

Thanks, Debbie, for the dialogue!

Wade Burleson said...

Christiane,

Always appreciate your comments. Hang on tight. I'll be writing more on this subject.

Debbie Kaufman said...

Wade: I first of all challenge that CRT is Marxist in origin. I don't buy that and that has been the main selling point for anti-CRT writers and speakers such as Shapiro I believe it began during the Civil Right Movement by W.E.B. Du Bois, Fannie Lou Hamer and Pauli Murray. Some of the theories earliest origins can be traced to 1970. The reason it began was to combat racism. Period.

Basically CRT says that racism is the experience of every person of color, which is true, and society has a whole has no desire to get rid of it because it benefits white people and the working class, which is also true. There is really nothing to be against IMO. It's more something to be for. Again IMO.

Scott Shaver said...

"Nothing to be against" is exactly the reason CRT is bunk.

Scott Shaver said...

Debbie:

Your problem seems to be that you've bought wholesale into the lie of systemic racism.

Working with a lie as your foundational premise means that you will likely never "understand".

IMO

Scott Shaver said...

Wade:

Just call me Mr Optimism😜

Scott Shaver said...

CRT=Compounded Racist Taunting

Scott Shaver said...

"Critical thinking", Ms Kaufman" is exactly the reason so many reject the Marxist implications and racist influence of CRT.

It's garbage.

Scott Shaver said...

Debbie:

Ben Shapiro might feel the same way about you.

Scott Shaver said...

Christianne:

I was not shocked by Trump's "both sides" comment. He was telling the truth.

Rex Ray said...

Debbie Kaufman,

You said, “Basically CRT says that racism is the experience of every person of color, which is true, and society has a whole has no desire to get rid of it because it benefits white people and the working class, which is also true.”

Have you heard that sometimes it’s best to be Black? I retired from a Company (LTV) that was paid by Government contracts.

Several times I saw less experienced Blacks promoted over Whites because LTV had to have a certain percentage of Blacks in the higher paying jobs.

Rex Ray said...

Wade,

Rudy under fire: Former mayor’s New York home and office raided by the Feds - POLITICO

"Giuliani's son, Andrew, who is publicly mulling a run for governor of New York, told reporters that the moves against his father reeked of politics. "Anybody, any American, whether you're red or blue, should be extremely disturbed by what happened here today, by the continued politicization of the Justice Department," Andrew Giuliani said. "This is disgusting. This is absolutely absurd."

“Months after the first impeachment trial ended, Giuliani shared material purported to be from Hunter Biden’s laptop with The New York Post. And after Election Day, news broke that the FBI was investigating the president-elect’s son for possible financial crimes.”

Wade, Tucker Carlson went into further detail on his last TV show.

Debbie Kaufman said...

Scott Shaver: All you have done is answer with insults which I do not engage. Give a reasonable discussion and I will read and discuss. See Scott that is the problem, this is how discussion ends. Too many have trite insulting remarks instead of reasonable discussion. It shows lack of knowledge on the subject that you appear to be against. I think this subject is important as it involves human beings and their future destiny. It's not a game. It's not a contest of who can give the best insults, it's important to be aware of the true facts and sort out what is true and what is not. People who have been marginalized are no longer satisfied at being marginalized by a system that has favored color of skin for over 400 years.

Scott Shaver said...

Debbie:

What insults? People who have been "marginalized" should be the first to see the wrong in "marginalizing" others.

Not being able to distinguish facts from fallacies or insults from disagreements is your problem. Not mine.

Scott Shaver said...

Frankly Debbie, from what I've seen, if "insults" across the internet could be used as currency, you would have quite nest egg saved up.

Scott Shaver said...

Debbie:

There you go again pushing the lie of systemic racism in the most inclusive and color-blind nation on earth.

Sell it to the naive.

Christiane said...

Debbie, some of the ORIGINAL 'theorist' like W.E.B. Dubois did put the issue of oppression partially in economic terms, hence Wade's comment about 'Marxist origins';
HOWEVER,
when the issue was more fully developed into the current CRT theory, I noticed that one of the original developers, Derrick Bell, centered his studies of the issue of race on how it was/is treated by our American legal system. In THOSE terms, I believe Derrick Bell found a way to examine the issue of race in how our legal system has approached it historically through important cases such as 'Brown vs. Board of Ed.' and others;

so from THAT perspective, we can begin to see a 'progression' of CRT from the stage of social/economic theory into actual study of how a nation of laws has addressed 'race'.
To me, that change opens CRT into a valid area of study centered on the law, as studied in academic settings, but also, as you indicated, not ignoring the 'experiences' of our African American people in how they have 'coped' with discrimination over these many years.

No doubt 'oppression' and 'discrimination' are connected with economic theories such as capitalism and 'Marxism';
but once the subject of race was placed into the academic world as a close study of our American legal system's handling of racial issues,
we have a new framework that is 'American' historically, based on 'the law'.

That is a huge difference. In my own opinion, Derrick Bell moved the CRT into areas that can be examined in how OUR COUNTRY has dealt with race issues. It doesn't disconnect from economics, no; but the focus of evaluation of the issue of race was now placed on how it was handled in the courts of law all the way up to the Supreme Court: at this stage we are leaving 'Marxism' behind and entering a study of racism in America which WE OWN AS AN AMERICAN PHENOMENON. Politics aside, we are first and last a nation of laws. It is there we are revealed and it is there we must accept and own responsibility as a country.

How this is to be done? Hopefully in contemplative study that requires us to 'listen' to the people most directly affected by these laws and to hear from them in their own words about their experiences. That portion of CRT has merit going forward in my opinion, yes. That national 'dialogue' must happen.

Scott Shaver said...

"People who have been marginalized are no longer satisfied with being marginalized" says Ms Kaufman.

There's a flip side to that coin:

People who have been socially engineered to see themselves as victims based on race will NEVER be anything but victims.

Sad.

Scott Shaver said...

Christianne:

The "national dialogue" has contributed nothing but heightened tension and escalated outbreaks of violence.

Talk about that.

Christiane said...

'A RIOT IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE UNHEARD'
(MLK)

'the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, tenement halls'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAEppFUWLfc


"Three years later in 1966, in an interview with Mike Wallace, Dr. King continued to stress the path of non-violence, despite a summer of violence. Race riots were taking place across the country, and rifts in the civil rights movement were widening. Militant leaders - like Stokely Carmichael and his call for "black power" -- demanded that the movement part from Dr. King's gospel.

Despite such pressure, Dr. King would not budge. He told Mike:

I contend that the cry of "black power" is, at bottom, a reaction to the reluctance of white power to make the kind of changes necessary to make justice a reality for the Negro. I think that we've got to see that a riot is the language of the unheard.

Dr. King fought on, non-violently, for two more years. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, . . . "

Debbie Kaufman said...

Scott That is simply not true and those who you rightly call victims have been victims of racism for over 400 years. I pray your heart is softened to the plight of those who are indeed victims. It's getting better but we have gone 10 steps back in the last 4 years. It's time it stop.

Scott Shaver said...

Debbie:

My heart us "hardened" toward those who pervert truth, and promote racist social constructs to Marxist totalitarian ends in the name of "justice".

Whether they call themselves "Christian" or something other.

The whole human race, every creed, color, and tribe have been slaves at one point or another in history.

You claim to think "critically"? Try doing that in your approach to history rather than opting for culturally popular and politically driven narratives.

Scott Shaver said...

Christianne:

King was partially right about riots.

Were he alive today he might add that riots are also the stock and trade of anarchists and neosocialistAmerican politicians regardless of skin color.

Scott Shaver said...

Debbie:

Why must it stop? The narratives and rhetoric from the left that you are buying into are designed to foster and promote racial tension and antagonism.

People of all ethnicities are seeing that.

The arc of history does not bend simply because Debbie Kaufman says "it must stop"

Scott Shaver said...

The "last 4 years" have only brought to fruition what public schools, politicians and some preachers have been pushing down the pipeline for some 30 years now.

Jack Okie said...

Christiane and Debbie:

"Racism was alive and well at Charlottesville VA in the worst ways during that terrible 'rally' in that beloved town where my brother and his family have homes. We heard from our President his famous 'both sides' remark that shocked so many Americans to their core."

These days there is an enormous amount of propaganda we must deal with if we are to arrive at the truth, and it starts with realizing we are being propagandized. For example, President Trump's "very fine people remark". There were four main groups gathered at Charlottesville: Ordinary citizens who wanted to preserve the statues, white supremacists, ordinary citizens who wanted the statues gone, and leftist mischief makers. Trump's comment, which he clarified, and with which I agree, was directed at the ordinary citizens. The mainstream media's published account of Trump's famous Ukraine telephone call left out 500 words or so, the omission of which gutted the actual context of the conversation. Just the other day, NBC edited the video of the knife attack in Columbus, OH to hide the knife in Ma'Khia Bryant's hand. So if we want to arrive at the truth, and not be misled, we must seriously strive to gather ALL of the relevant information. Ben Shapiro is certainly not my cup of tea, but I'm not going to disregard something just because he happens to agree with it.

There are grave issues in parts of the Black community, and making excuses and pretending they don't exist does no favors. Ma'Khia Bryant's parents are exhibit A of this disfunction. Why was she living with a foster family? Are you aware of the parents' criminal background? Are you aware that the man in the video who kicked the girl in the head is Ma'Khia Bryant's father? Her parents are not outliers, they are all too representative. There might be a few white supremacists scattered around out there, but white supremacy is but a figment, a boogey man of the left, used to try to manipulate. Problems don't get solved until their true source is recognized; most people regardless of political affiliation want to see all Americans, including Blacks, do well. That won't happen unless the real issues are addressed, and most of that will have to be done by the Black community itself.

Scott Shaver said...

Where are these great swelling ranks of "white supremacists" outside of incarcerated inmate cliques?

They do an awfully good job of hiding.

Christiane said...

white supremacy is unAmerican

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o6-bi3jlxk

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GzXY902hbo

Scott Shaver said...

White Supremacy is a miniscule idealogy among the vast majority of approximately 300 million U.S. residents.

Very American is the will and rationale of the majority.😎