Opinion by Mike Hobson
My hat is off today to our Governor Ivey for taking a stand and action against the pervasive war in education secretly launched to indoctrinate children with unapproved and controversial ideas and attitudes that lead to the divisiveness that we see all around us in the country today.
Yes, I used the word war. I know that you did not like history when you were in school. In fact, you probably disliked it a lot, as I admittedly did back then. But here you are now, reading a newspaper, an adult thing. And, as you have grown older maybe some of the relevant historical and troublesome facts of war have rubbed off on you after you took the plunge and read a book or two about the big wars of the last century. Most of my readers were born back then.
Those who have not studied history at all do not grasp the reality of how that evil nameless man who lit the fuse to start WWII gained his foothold over an entire population of a European nation after WWI.
Shortly after his first failed venture in politics after WWI (1918) he was thrown into prison. He used that time to write his evil book Mein Kampf, that became his manifesto. Step by step after prison he used his speech making skills to influence people all over Germany. He did it all with skilled rhetoric and powerful propaganda, becoming Chancellor at the end of 1932. He was soon in control of a nation and its military and he seemed unstoppable. By 1939 his reinforced army had invaded Poland and France. But you know how that turned out, and you should be able to fathom the cost in lives and dollars incurred.
What was he doing from 1932-39? Getting rich from the sale of his book, building weapons, assembling his army, and preparing for war while meeting with other world leaders and denying that he was preparing for war. Denying that he would attack any other country. He lied. He masterfully used the power of political propaganda to influence an entire nation to follow him down the road to world war.
I started with this war analogy for this reason. World War II ended in 1945 but the propaganda war marches on. It never stops. We went directly from the hot war with Germany and Japan in 1945 to a cold war with the Soviet Union that lasted (depending on your point of view) until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The cold war may be over but the propaganda war is global and continuous. China was welcomed to the party by Richard Nixon and in this century we have recognized something called the “new world order” and today we can’t stop talking about the “woke ideology”.
Over a period of at least 80 years Americans have smartened up to propaganda. After the 2016 & 2020 elections, we smell what’s up and it is odorous. Most of us actually believe that the election levers are being manipulated by external forces, the media is not telling the straight story and politicians speak with forked tongues.
Propagandists can’t trick us adults as easily anymore. They tried to convince the country that men can declare they are women and women can be men but that is not working very well so now it appears that the evil forces aligned against parents are going after our children.
A couple of years ago they started after text books. Now they are actually seeking to influence kindergarten teachers The kids in Pre-K don’t talk back to their teacher you know. It’s on us, the adults, to fight propaganda in our society everywhere that we find it, especially where it involves our children.
So here is where we salute Governor Ivey today for recognizing that evil is afoot and doing something about it.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday announced she replaced her director of early childhood education over the use of a teacher training book, written by a nationally recognized education group, that the Republican governor denounced as teaching “woke concepts” because of language about inclusion and structural racism.
Barbara Cooper was forced out as as head of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education after Ivey expressed concern over the distribution of the book to state-run pre-kindergartens. Ivey spokesperson Gina Maiola identified the book as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Developmentally Appropriate Practice Book, 4th edition. Maiola said she understands that the books have been removed from the state classrooms.
“The education of Alabama’s children is my top priority as governor, and there is absolutely no room to distract or take away from this mission. Let me be crystal clear: Woke concepts that have zero to do with a proper education and that are divisive at the core have no place in Alabama classrooms at any age level, let alone with our youngest learners,” Ivey said in a statement.
The book is a guide for early childhood educators. It is not a curriculum taught to children.
The governor’s office, in a press release, cited two examples from the book — one discussing white privilege and that “the United States is built on systemic and structural racism” and another that Ivey’s office claimed teaches LGBTQ+ inclusion to 4-year-olds. Those sections, according to a copy of the 881-page book obtained by The Associated Press, discuss combating bias and making sure that all children feel welcome.
“Early childhood programs also serve and welcome families that represent many compositions. Children from all families (e.g., single parent, grandparent-led, foster, LGBTQIA+) need to hear and see messages that promote equality, dignity, and worth,” the book states.
The section on structural racism states that “systemic and structural racism … has permeated every institution and system through policies and practices that position people of color in oppressive, repressive, and menial positions. The early education system is not immune to these forces.” It says preschool is one place where children “begin to see how they are represented in society” and that the classroom should be a place of “affirmation and healing.”
Hats off to you Governor Ivey! My grand children will thank you for taking a stand in the future. And I will do it today.
THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS OPINIONS OF THE AUTHOR THAT ARE HIS OWN. THE PUBLISHER NEITHER ENDORSES OR REJECTS THE OPINIONS OF THE AUTHOR . THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE CONSTITUTION OF THE U.S. INCLUDING THE BILL OF RIGHTS AND THE RIGHTS GIVEN TO FREE MEN AND JOURNALISTS UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT, TO EXERCISE CIVILIZED FREE SPEECH AND TO FREELY AND OPENLY DISCUSS VARYING OPINION IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE.
