Critical race theory opponents say it teaches children to judge people by skin color

Michael Bielawski/TNR

STANDING AGAINST CRT: From left to right are Ellie Martin of Vermont Grassroots, former military officer and educator Alice Flanders, and Gregory Thayer of Vermonters for Vermont.

BARRE, Vt. — Opponents of the social justice-themed curriculum known as critical race theory held a town hall meeting Wednesday night and said the theory teaches children to judge people by their skin color, not by the “content of their character” as preached by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Speakers at the event included former military officer and educator Alice Flanders, former educator Marth Hafner, Ellie Martin of Vermont Grassroots, and John Klar of the Vermont Liberty Network. The event was hosted by Vermonters for Vermont, a grassroots group founded by Gregory Thayer.

“This critical race theory was a solution waiting for a problem,” Flanders said, noting that drive and hard work allowed her to achieve success in the military space program, and also in managing the Pentagon’s multi-billion-dollar budget.

“There were people who were prejudiced, I’m sure there were,” Flanders said. “But by my sophomore year, because I’m so good, I became the captain of the junior math team at a predominantly white girls school.”

She said she worked to achieve at elite schools, and she mocked statements by Vice President Kamala Harris that “equitable treatment means we all end up at the same place.”

“BS, we’re not going to end up at the same place,” Flanders said. ” … It’s the same thing with our education; no, we are not going to end up at the same place, Kamala. When you stay up until 2 or 3 a.m. in the morning like I do, you might merit to be alongside me. And you’ve got to put that into your kids’ hearts.”

At his turn to speak, Klar shared that a bus his group uses to travel to events was recently vandalized and made to have the letters “KKK” on its side.

“It’s a heinous day in Vermont when I am labeled a KKK member,” he said. “This is what they have to do when they don’t have actual KKK members.”

Klar also tore into the core beliefs of critical race theory.

“All of you who are white, by definition, under critical race theory, are racists — you are subliminally racists, and all black people should hate you because you hate them,” he said.

“[If] you kowtow to this new religion and beg forgiveness, [then] now you are part of the elite, now you are part of people who get to, as white people, to invoke black people’s suffering as your weapon.”

Hafner shared data from a Wallethub study that indicates blacks in Vermont have higher education degrees.

“Somehow I think we missed the boat,” Hafner said. “Instead of raising a fist we should have figured out ways to celebrate what has transpired from the ’60s to today.”

Hafner praised Essex School Board member Elizabeth Cody for exposing CRT and inviting parents to see what is being taught to kids.

“She recognized what was happening at her school district and decided she was going to take a proactive stance,” Hafner said.

Martin said in addition to CRT, the COVID-19 lockdowns are an example of detrimental education policy.

“Did you ever think the day would come when you as parents would be forced to make your little kid wear a mask all day in school and be sitting 6 feet apart from one another?” she said. “Did you think that would happen in America? … Is that not what they are trying to do in America? To train the kids to obey the government over their parents?”

She added that CRT originates from non-American sources.

“It comes from communist, Marxist tactics, and that’s exactly what they do,” she said, adding a historical quote regarding the indoctrination of youth by Soviet Russian leader Vladimir Lenin: “Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.”

Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.

Image courtesy of Michael Bielawski/TNR

8 thoughts on “Critical race theory opponents say it teaches children to judge people by skin color

  1. Fomenting division by culture and race is just one of the necessary steps in establishing Communist rule. Others are:

    Eliminate faith in religions.
    Eliminate the Patriarchal Family Unit.
    Capture the upbringing of children.
    Eliminate historical records.
    Establish control of the Bureaucracy.
    Establish complete control of information.
    Disarm the citizenry.

    GAME OVER!

  2. I think we need the Hodge Twins to Vermont….

    https://rumble.com/vjy7tb-white-privilege-debunked.html

    Apparently the census kinda ruins the whole CRT argument with facts….so this teacher could be one of many in Vermont.

    Apparently the White population, comes in 14 or 15th in income based upon color. Facts are a stubborn thing. Tough to find the light of day in this God forsaken, marxist run state, but here it is.

    Enjoy….

  3. Yes, exactly………CRT is promoting racism by judging people by the color of their skin……….this is pure insanity and must be condemned now!

  4. CRT, just another liberal talking point, that all whites are racist, and all people of color
    have been downtrodden forever by whites……. what a crock.

    I don’t care what color your skin is if you want to make something of yourself you can,
    or at least you should try, what about the 44th President ?? Systemic Racism, is in the
    minds of fools only……………………..

  5. This sums it up nicely….from an Op-Ed recently….all happening right now… if the “Korrect Krowd” would open their eyes to what they do.:

    “”Americans are awakening to the reality that, for all their talk about diversity and inclusion, today’s progressives want to discriminate by race. If black and Latino children are not scoring high enough on competitive exams to get into the best public high schools, the progressive answer isn’t to lift their achievement, or improve K-8 schools. Their answer is to suppress merit elsewhere—and deny seats (to others)… Asian-Americans in particular. The main result is more bitterness, resentment and racial division.”

    Playwright David Mamet, who for decades kept a house in VT…used to be an uber liberal, now he is uber conservative. He “got woke” to the fallacies of liberalism:

    …”In order for democrats, liberals, progressives et al to continue their illogical belief systems they have to pretend not to know a lot of things’… By pretending “not to know’ – there is no guilt, no actual connection to conscience. Denial of truth allows easier trespass.”

  6. Racism is infiltrating every aspect of our culture. The NFL has just given some of us another reason not to watch pro football by announcing that the “Black National Anthem” will be played before the Star Spangled Banner at the games. What will be next, the “Himno Nacional Mexicano” or the “March Of The Volunteers” from China? It seems the more we hear “we are all Americans”, the more prejudices are promoted that divide us. This is an infection worse than any COVID-19 pandemic. There is hope, though. BY OUR OWN EXAMPLE, let’s teach our children and grandchildren to treat others in the same way that they would like to be treated. It’s not up to the schools, it’s up to us.

  7. CRT is throwing Martin Luther King under the bus by Marxist blacks and leftist whites.. and fanning the flames to keep racism going… appalling

  8. Thank you. You did a great job of reporting on this event and capturing Ms. Flanders’ thoughts. My grandfather, U.S. Sen. Ralph E. Flanders, was born in Barnet, birthplace of Thaddeus Stevens. He moved to Pennsylvania and ran for Congress. He was the spark that led to the Abolitionist Movement. And when Lincoln called for troops and money, Vermont gave generously, and fought valiantly. In fact Vermonters were a key factor in turning the Battle of Gettysburg. The shame isn’t “systemic racism”, it’s accusing the innocent! Who sacrificed more than Vermont to abolish slavery?

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