Take courage-Christians must speak against Critical Race Theory

 I am struggling with my own courage. To stand firm in my armor of God where I take the belt of truth and buckle it around my waist. I find my own weaknesses work against the voice God calls me to have. I struggle to take up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. I waiver, but I know words are valuable and what is said can influence others, especially if they are impressionable.

“Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Ephesians 6: 19-20).

This topic of value came up and my avoidance of writing about this is really about me making a decision to step outside of my box. I have not written to or spoke at a school board meeting even though I have been in education for 25 years. I’ve just had the attitude of going with the flow and the changes in academics really didn’t alter my life so what does it matter? But, the changes I am seeing is attacking the value of of all our students. I became a school counselor because I see value in every student. I work with families in their best moments and in their worst moments. The most difficult time I had was when a father called me to tell me his son had finally completed his mission of committing suicide. This grieving father took the time to thank me for all I had done to talk with their son and to care about his family. It is tragic when a young person believes their life has no value.

This walk down memory lane applies because I see a very dangerous theory that will invade our kids’ minds and have a drastic effect on their emotions and souls. Our kids are coming out of a pandemic and are already emotionally and psychologically fragile, so for the education system to create an environment of division will impact students socially which is not what kids need today. I think that if we continue on this path there are going to be more kids in crisis-borderline suicidal-even ending their lives before they really even start living. I see, as a counselor, a lot of students at my door trying to find value. I already have a hard time with student self-esteem to just keep adding obstacles for students seems like an uphill battle.

I listened to many parents speaking up and a couple quotes by parents that are worth repeating:

Schools have no right to teach that “an individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual’s race or sex” and “any individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.”

First time I contacted school board members. My first time writing into the school board and sending my outline to speak at a school board meeting. I believe this matters as it is our job as educators to nurture the hopes and dreams of our students. We should build hope for their futures and learn how to build trust with their classmates and the education which impacts their lives in school and beyond.

The bottom line is that Critical Race Theory serves as a prejudicial ideological tool that teaches students to judge individuals based on sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin. Just think of the impact when a student is taught to feel guilty or ashamed of the color of their skin. Is our culture going backwards?

I am at a point where I read a question “Does your faith or your race come first?” What do I value more? What do you value more? Sadly, this topic has come up with fellow Christians and it was not what I expected. It became a comparison of races and who was more oppressed and who were guilty of being the oppressors. Really? Jesus told the disciples to go and preach the good news that his death paid the price for all people. He didn’t send them to a this group or that group, but to all people. He said he would not return until his word spread to the whole world. Faith should be first and the response to this argument as Jesus did not come to divide as that already existed between the Jews and Gentiles. He came to break the division so I believe faith comes first. Nothing that brings back the divide that Jesus died to break should be called out and spoken against.

“For everything was, written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and encouragement they provide we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

“So that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).

“For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard” (Hebrews 4:2).

My prayer is protection over our kids this school session. I pray that we promote positive mental health and not strive to break their spirits this school year. Our kids are precious and I know parents love their kids and will fight to ensure their safety, so I pray for our campuses. May each family be blessed each day.

God bless you,

DreamsDontFade

Critical Race Theory-Breaks the spirit of your students

 I wrote this to our school board as I see how this theory will affect our students. It is important to get involved, learn the truth, and get your voice heard. The other side seems to yell louder-don't be intimidated. There is a difference between teaching the history of race in our country and teaching the so-called critical race theory. No one is denying that slavery occurred here in the U.S. The disagreement is on things such as all white people are inherently racist. All white people are the only ones that live under privilege just because of the color of their skin. It should not be punishing the skin color based on what happened to people hundreds of year before the kids were born. It is not the responsibility for our kids to bare for the actions of other people. This is unacceptable. 

To representative:

As an educator of twenty-five years, I am very alarmed that Nevada has adopted the ideology of Critical Race Theory. This curriculum divides students and affects the mental health of many students which is contradictory to “anti-bullying” laws already put into place to keep All students safe and secure on our CCSD campuses.

P-5137

Under NRS 388.122 prohibits the willful act or expression that is directed at a person or group of persons, or a single severe and willful act or expression that is directed at a person or group of persons:

A.1.b.1 states that “bullying” can’t interfere with the rights of a person by:

-Creating an intimidating or hostile educational environment for the person; or

-Substantially interfering with the academic performance of a student or the ability of the person to participate in or benefit from services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.

A.1.C.1 Actual or perceived age, race, color, nation origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, physical attributes, physical or mental disability of a person, sex, or any other distinguishing characteristic or background of a person.

It seems that CCSD may want to adopt a curriculum that should not be implemented when education is not a place to indoctrinate students and treat them in ways against the bullying rules in place to ensure all students are safe in our schools. The mental health of our students must be prominent and this curriculum has no place in their educational requirements.

Critical Race Theory (CRT) inhibits unity by segregating students into groups based on race and skin color. CRT advocates assigning levels of “privilege” and “oppression” to individuals/students; therefore, creating animosity from the perceived oppressors, and false sense of entitlement from the oppressed. This is a divisive ideology and separates our community.

A child should never be taught to feel guilty or ashamed of the color of their skin. CRT is a far left mentality that is opposite of what MLK fought for which is “don’t judge a person by the color of their skin but instead the content of their character.” Many students identify as multi-ethnic which means CCSD would be putting a student in opposition within the family causing harm as the student is expected to choose one parent as oppressor and the other as oppressed. This is not a safe space for students on a CCSD campus.

Schools have no right to teach that “an individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual’s race or sex.”

Schools have no right to teach that “an individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.”

Critical Race Theory serves as a prejudicial ideological tool, rather than an educational tool, and should not be taught in K–12 classrooms as a way to teach students to judge individuals based on sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.

I looked at a 5^th grade assignment where it states that the Constitution was only written for white men and that is not an accurate representation of the history of our Constitution. The assignment goes into making the white members of the student body should be ashamed of American history and includes assignments where they rewrite history that assumes everyone else is left out. This singles out a group that not only causes mental harm, but creates a divisive campus where one group is singled out as bad and all other groups as good. This would create a negative learning environment which is against policies already in place that are put into place to prevent division between students, teachers, and school staff.

The far-left wants Americans to believe that our nation is inherently racist and bad. They want to discredit the values America was founded on. They’re wrong.

There has already been a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Nevada accused of creating a “psychologically abusive dilemma” and “hostile educational environment” due to an assignment requiring the student to determine if privilege or oppression is attached to his identity. The problem is that the student looked white, but was actually bi-racial as his mother being black and his father white.

There should be no justifying racism against white people which puts them in emotional, psychological, and physical danger. This is a request to remove the destructive CRT curriculum. As CCSD is creating an Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion Task-force, I certainly hope they address the removal of Critical Race Theory from All Curriculum.

Tanya Attebery