Christopher F. Rufo  ⚔️

So how do we get the sort of toxic crap in the OP out of schools? I would favor an approach that stresses (1) reasonable transparency about curriculum (2) real and meaningful opportunities for community feedback (3) local control (4) parent protests. I love a good protest.

All of this fits with my general sensibility about education: the more local it is, the better, and the more parents are involved, the better. Parents, don't ask the government to do your job. Get involved!

We also need more and better public discourse about teaching race in school. The discourse is shamefully bad and yes I'm going to both sides this. Chris has publicly admitted to a cynical strategy of obfuscation and I'm completely against that. Words track reality not your ends.

In response the left has just denied reality from a defensive posture. All of this is bad and unnecessary--we have once again yoked our thought and deliberation away from truth and bent it to our political goals. This drives me nuts.

So there was truth to @thomaschattwill response to @realchrisrufo: Rufo is an activist in the sense that he's put practical ends above truth/reality. Always, always the wrong move, even when your ends are good. This political temptation should be resisted.

https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1413532427998294021 …

I missed this New Yorker piece, so I'll read it later. Public persuasion can be compatible with the truth but also stands in deep tension with it (see e.g., Plato). I think this strategy brings those tensions to the foreground.

But the deeper disagreement remains. I don't think it's democratic to ban ideas; I don't think it improves discourse to prevent people with certain theoretical/practical commitments from entering it. Plenty of folks would like to silence me.