The conversation around Critical Race Theory, misguided from the start, has become increasingly volatile on the Republican side of the fence in recent months.
Many state GOPs are wasting time and money to ban the teaching of CRT in grades K-12—something no school has been shown to teach or use in their curriculum.
Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri attempted to lend his voice to the growing chorus of politicians condemning the topic to gain support from a White supremacist, White nationalist base. In the speech Hawley gave against CRT, he attempted to invoke Martin Luther King, Jr.
It did not go well.
Critical race theory says America is oppressive and our future will be defined by racial division & strife. I rejec… https://t.co/p4EtcCSaE9— Josh Hawley (@Josh Hawley) 1624381630.0
His speech was against now-head of Biden's Office of Personnel Management, Kiran Ahuja, who was confirmed with a tie-breaking vote cast by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Hawley invoked a very famous line by Dr. King in his speech:
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
But many Twitter users called out the invoked phrase as a bad faith argument.
Josh Hawley said today he was worried that folks might have the belief this was a country founded in racism. Who wants to tell him?— NoelCaslerComedy (@NoelCaslerComedy) 1624402985.0
@therecount This guy let A SITTING PRESIDENT WALK FOR TREASON — A LITERAL ATTACK ON THE NATION’S CAPITOL TO OVERTHR… https://t.co/ly2JH23jtm— Luke Zaleski (@Luke Zaleski) 1624452021.0
@therecount He’s “worried”? No. We’re worried about him. Never forget January 6th. https://t.co/3NXSY16MqX— Millie Cassese 🇺🇸🇮🇹 (@Millie Cassese 🇺🇸🇮🇹) 1624385034.0
@therecount Um....Senator? @HawleyMO ? Is Wiki wrong? "In an effort to preserve the balance of power in Congress be… https://t.co/3vXH5EujDz— mike pod (@mike pod) 1624414799.0
Of course, teaching honestly about the less pleasant parts of United States history in schools is not teaching Critical Race Theory, which one user noted.
"It never ceases to amaze me how quickly conservatives can whip their base into a frenzy by creating a bogeyman out of an obscure academic theory, mostly taught in graduate and doctoral courses."
@HawleyMO Goodness of American people? Here are your “good” people. You are an insurrectionist and history will re… https://t.co/QWTBif55qN— Jim Snow (@Jim Snow) 1624381756.0
@HawleyMO What’s really oppressive is folks trying to overthrow the Republic and end American democracy.— AJBell (@AJBell) 1624382408.0
@HawleyMO @All100Senators 🤥🤥👖🔥Critical Race Theory is a graduate school elective course. It is not taught in K-12.… https://t.co/c7C32ZQGaZ— TAGOhio (@TAGOhio) 1624382023.0
@HawleyMO Man who rejects “racial division and strife” salutes white supremacist insurrectionists with raised fist… https://t.co/PMpwoLXnKT— Jeff Yang (@Jeff Yang) 1624394383.0
Senator Hawley, along with Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, were both cited as inciting insurrectionists during the January 6 riot at the Capitol in Washington, DC.
Several members of Congress publicly called for the resignation or expulsion of Republican Senators Hawley and Cruz.
@HawleyMO https://t.co/f4iLjh3cof— #RIPGOP ™ (@#RIPGOP ™) 1624393371.0
@HawleyMO Reminder that Josh Hawley tweeted this on 01/05/2021. Yes, he's left it up even though it's basically an… https://t.co/IvtdSriwZu— Jeanne Burch B.A.S., B.S., A.S. (@Jeanne Burch B.A.S., B.S., A.S.) 1624398473.0
Josh Hawley represents a state that was literally created as a slave state as a result of the Missouri Compromise o… https://t.co/Oar3OeAHEF— Michael Li 李之樸 (@Michael Li 李之樸) 1624451622.0
Josh Hawley wants everyone to know that he's a racist AND a traitor— Palmer Report (@Palmer Report) 1624398413.0
Josh Hawley said he puts his hope in the goodness of the American people. On Jan. 6th, I saw the type of people he… https://t.co/1DH5mF1Iu6— Brian O'Sullivan (@Brian O'Sullivan) 1624397574.0
As Republican rhetoric continues to dominate time and resources in the country's legislatures, Senator Hawley and his ilk continues to spin threads in bad faith while failing to address real issues facing their constituents.
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