Multiculturalism

Here in Northern Virginia, I responded to an ad in the local paper. This ad was asking for volunteers to serve on the School Boards "Multicultural Advisory Committee." I responded and was appointed to the MAC. What an experience. A collection of the most un-democratic, un-patriotic and hostile people I have ever met--and all in the name of "tolerance." To get an idea of what I am talking about, below is the MAC statment of purpose. When I tried to suggest changes, to make the document less dogmatic and more inclusive (like letting people "celebrate" the American culture), I was attacked with all sorts of insults. The anger of these people knows no bounds. They are ANGRY. I was trying to drop all references to "must" in the document, as "must" does not allow for any freedom to think as we wish to think. A reasonable request, I thought. However, I was told the document needs to be even MORE strident and we must have more musts, that we MUST force children to "celebrate" our differences and insist they must honor all cultures, but must not honor the American culture.

We are a nation of immigrants. America has been continually challenged since its inception with integrating people with many backgrounds into one society. Looking towards the twenty-first century, we continue to search for ways to bring our people together.

We are a people with the freedom of expression to be as we wish to be and to think as we wish to think. We are not one national “melting pot” that our fathers and forefathers conceived and perceived. We are aware and proud of our heritage and prefer that we not be forced by society to conform to the melting pot theory. Diversity must be understood and celebrated.

In 1954 the Supreme Court eliminated the concept of “separate but equal” education, and since then, efforts by the public schools to accommodate racial and cultural diversity have had a profound impact on how we help children learn. We have the responsibility to teach students about global interdependence and co-existence because we are rapidly moving toward a global community where multiple perspectives and interdependent communities must live and work together harmoniously.

Educators across the country are experiencing first-hand the impact of ethically and culturally diverse students in their classrooms. In order for schools to accommodate these students and teach them to adapt to the many groups in which they find themselves now and in the future, school systems must change. In order for this change to occur, school boards must first become aware of and sensitive toward factors and issues related to ‘culture’ and must then set goals to move from monoculture to multicultural educational systems. They must establish a commitment for the implementation or expansion of multicultural education and set goals and objectives to ensure that all children have the opportunity to understand and appreciate all types of diversity.

Theory must become practical application before people are impacted. But staff must be further empowered if they are to move from an awareness of multiculturalism to implementation in the classrooms. They must learn new skills, adapt old ones, and develop a deeper understanding of how to prepare all students how to live in a global, interdependent world. District-wide, systematic professional development must occur and materials and other resources must be funded in order to infuse our program of studies with multiculturalism.

Moreover, staff with multi-ethnic heritages must be recruited and employed by school systems in order to provide role models for a rising number of multiethnic students and a truer reflection of the community at large. The community must be encouraged to participate in multicultural education in the schools. People with diverse backgrounds and experiences can enrich student’s experiences and enhance curriculum perspectives. The school is, after all, a microcosm of the community it serves.

Schools cannot be held responsible for solving the social issues facing our communities today. They can, however, promote sensitivity, tolerance, and respect by providing curricular and extracurricular opportunities for students to explore, understand, and appreciate the diversity of race, religion, and ethnicity that has shaped our country and the values that we share as Americans. Schools can also help students develop a global perspective that demands that citizens live and work in harmony regardless of color, creed, or culture.

The Northen Virginia area is Stafford.
I'd rather the Board be left alone at this time, as I am working within the system to effect a change.
If I am successful, I'll let you know.
If I am not, I will let you know and request assistance in fighting this politicalization of education.

To issue a statement that unilaterally rejects our founding fathers and American history is an insult to all those who worked so hard to form the single greatest nation in history. We should not do this. I have shared the Why Multiculturalism statement with many people and the reaction has ranged from stunning disbelief that we would say such a thing, to complete disgust that we would insult American heritage this way. By attacking American heritage in this way the Multicultural Advisory Committee places Stafford County schools on one side of a very political issue and does not allow for contrary opinion.

The current statement says we "must celebrate” other cultures—even cultures that do not have anything to celebrate. (The Nazi culture springs to mind, as does the culture of the Taliban.) There is no qualifier, there is no allowance to choose to celebrate or not celebrate.

The current Why Multiculturalism statement does not insist upon common civil behavior, or lawful behavior for that matter. Indeed, it clearly says we are a “people with the freedom of expression to be as we wish to be,” but makes no reference to social and legal constraints. Basically, it is telling students they can do their own thing, set their own rules, and behave as they wish to behave. As you know, we may think what we wish to think (even that freedom is under attack), but we may not act in any way we wish. Basically, the current statement establishes no requirement to behave civilly or legally.
Regardless of cultural practices, people must behave civilly, responsibly and legally. However, given the statement that we have the right to free expression without due consideration for the rules of civil behavior and the limitation of laws, the Multicultural Advisory Committee apparently believes otherwise.

Teaching students to “understand” other people and cultures is proper. However, demanding students “celebrate” (take delight in) and “appreciate” (to value or admire highly) all cultures without exception is wrongheaded. Students—and their families—have a right to think for themselves and choose if a culture is worthy of respect, let alone “celebration” and “appreciation.” We simply have no right to demand people celebrate and appreciate other cultures. Teach people to understand, that should be the goal.

The right NOT to celebrate another culture is based in the concept of individual freedom. The requirement that we celebrate all cultures is to trample on that freedom. Demanding we celebrate all cultures intrudes upon the families right to choose which cultures to celebrate. Indeed, many cultures engage in objectionable cultural practices (forced/arranged marriages, female genital mutilation, executing homosexuals, subjugating women, enslavement of Christians, forced abortions, etc.). And we demand celebration of these cultures? Are we to demand Muslims in the United States celebrate the Israeli culture? And vice versa? Understand and tolerate and treat civilly, of that we must insist, but to demand they "celebrate" is not appropriate.

Please note, Multicultural Advisory Committee demands from the School Board a number of “must” do’s.

1. The Multicultural Advisory Committee demands the School Board “must change” (as if the School Board is woefully lacking somehow).

2. The Multicultural Advisory Committee embraces a specific political multicultural agenda and demands the School Board must do the same.

3. The Multicultural Advisory Committee demands the School Board must set goals to attain their narrow version of a multicultural education.

4. The School Board is being told they lack goals and must improve.

As you know, an advisory committee is to offer advice, not make policy or place demands upon schools, let alone a School Board. As an advisory committee they have a duty to make recommendations on how best to implement policy, not impose demands. However, reading the Why Multiculturalism Statement of Purpose and the thirteen "must" statements, we can plainly see they are trying to make policy and impose demands, standards and practices that exceed their authority.

The present Why Multicultural document subjugates Stafford County employment policies by establishing “multi-ethnic” as the sole criteria for employment. Indeed, how else to interpret “staff with multi-ethnic heritages must be recruited and employed.” If you will note, there is no reference to established Stafford County employment guidelines—ethnicity is the defining standard, not skills and ability, just “multi-ethnic.” I suggested including a reference to EEOC guidelines and Stafford County policies. . .it was rejected.

In times of increased demands on the school budget, demanding the School Board “must” fund multicultural education is misplacing priorities. The School Board “must” do their best to ensure the best education possible for the students, that is for certain. What is not certain is the value of multicultural education.

Basically, the current Why Multiculturalism document is one-sided and demands ("must") a certain political perspective be embraced—it allows for no contrary or alternative opinions.

I'll keep you infoemd as things progress.

They want to maintain their own culture.
So, why didn't they stay in their own country?

Because they want to eat their cake, and have it too.
We simply must demand acceptance of the primary reason for our prosperity. Namely, our aggressive inclusionism for people as people.
Blacks who are reading this are snorting at a bitter joke, because they were the ones accepted last, still breaking through, will be all their lives. My only answer has to be, "Compared to what?" Whole books have been written, e.g. by Thomas Sowell, on that.
That is the meaning of the First Amendment as well as the Declaration of Independence, and that is American culture.
Multiculturalism is segregationism. Some of our ancestors, for profit, imported people on purpose to segrate from society, and their existence here as a segregated group ("slaves") occasioned greivious harm which still reverberates in our society hundreds of years later. There is no prospect of benefit commensurate with the harm implict in the new "liberal" (not a thing in the world truly dictionary-liberal about it) segregationism.
That harm is, simply, the rejection of America's highest--
not-fully-realized, but highest--value. America's only real danger; the Cold War would have been a relative walk in the park if we had had internal unity.

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