What is hate? Webster says one definition is a wish to avoid. Why would you wish to avoid? Fear? Webster says it’s an emotional apprehension of something you would wish to avoid. So, hate is basically fear. Would you fear something if you understood it? 

Most of us have attended school where we were taught to read and to comprehend what we read. If we paid any attention at all to our teacher, we learned to critically think.

That brings me to a subject that has turned into a political issue; critical race theory. Why are we afraid of it? Could it be that we don’t understand it? All that we know about it is what we have heard from others.

It’s been around about 50 years. A group of legal and social scholars met in Madison, Wis., and put together a study to be offered as an elective class in law schools. It covers how race affects our courts and society.

The class involves actual court cases and judgments taken from our legal history. The students are told the facts of the case and the judgment handed down. The class then gets to discuss whether race played a part in the decision. We automatically assume black when we’re talking about race but CRT covers all races, religions, sexes and languages.

As for it being taught in our school system, as far as I know, this isn’t even a consideration. Now I admit this may be a little complex for grade school but I know some high school students who could handle it.

There are several books available on the subject. I believe there are many more resources at our public library.

So, are you going to read and critically think about CRT, or are you going to have some talking head or politician tell you what you think? 

Jim Hayden

Great Bend