Why Are People Against Critical Race Theory?

Chip and Joanna Gaines, beloved stars of HGTV hit show Fixer Upper, are the latest to be burnt at the stake by the social media mob.

Their crime?

A $1,000 donation to Chip’s sister, Shannon Braun — who is running for her local school board. But (not surprisingly), news reports on the donation would have you thinking these two were far more politically charged.

You see, on the campaign trail, Shannon Braun committed the grave crime of publicly opposing critical race theory.

This placed her outside of the “woke” worldview in which children are to be separated into groups of “oppressed” and “oppressor”… And it placed those who support her—like Chip and Joanna—in danger of being smeared as racists.

And while there’s an issue with the media painting a small gift to a family member’s local race as a big donation to a highly politicized issue… that’s not the real problem here.

Let’s imagine Chip and Jo did donate to an issue campaign or organization against critical race theory. They’d be well within their rights, and hardly alone in their opinions. A recent poll found that 74% of Americans oppose teaching the core concepts of critical race theory in K-12 schools — ideas like “black lives matter,” “all minorities are oppressed,” and that “white privilege” exists.

All of that to say, it shouldn’t be the end of a couple’s career to weigh in on a matter of great importance to their own children—not to mention, our country’s future.

I can’t say for certain where the Gainses fall on the political spectrum, because they don’t discuss those matters publicly. Yet, thanks to the media’s prying eyes and social media busybodies, a politically neutral family business is being subjected to boycotts and loss of income.

Seriously, go read the replies to this tweet. It’s a long line of angry pearl-clutchers promising to boycott the couple’s show and home goods business… all over a school board donation.

This is a pretty good preview of what it’ll be like when normal people start getting “canceled.”

Chip and Joanna didn’t make some bold political claim before the world, or go looking to broadcast controversial opinions. They made a quiet donation to support a cause they believe in.

Each of us holds views on the way the world ought to be. Some we make public, some we keep to ourselves. So here’s the million-dollar question. Do you want the entire world—your employer, your customers, your neighbors—to judge your worth as a human based on the people you vote for, the money you donate, even the theology of the church you attend?

Because that’s already happening. And unless we all push back hard, it’s only going to keep getting worse.

Right now, it’s mostly high-profile people and celebrities like the Gainses who are subject to getting “canceled.” But if we continue on this trajectory, it won’t just be famous people whose livelihoods are threatened for wrongthink: it’ll be everyday folks like me and you.

But let’s think broader than “cancel culture.” Remember why we’re talking about critical race theory to begin with.

The cultural and political forces of today are already trying to tell your children what to think—and how to think—about racial, political, and cultural issues. Schools across the country have embraced curriculum rooted in Marxism, separating children from each other based on identities they cannot control.

Sitting out the battle isn’t going to work. We must engage with our children on these issues, before the cultural forces get to them first.

The ninth book in our children’s series is called The Tuttle Twins and the Fate of the Future. It’s a kid-friendly story about what happens when a society embraces coercion over persuasion — in other words, when a few people dictate how we ought to live, think, and speak.

Timely, no?

It can be easy to get discouraged by everything going on in the world today. As parents, we’re fighting a battle for the hearts and minds of our children… which is exactly why the Tuttle Twins team is here.

Our goal is to give parents the tools needed to start meaningful conversations with their children, and ultimately raise critical thinkers and freedom-lovers.

Join us… and let’s kick our dinner conversations into gear.

— Connor