To the Editor:
At my age, I do not have contact with or knowledge of what is being taught in the Owensville schools and I hope this letter does not apply to our local schools.
As a taxpayer and a concerned citizen, I am upset by what is being taught in many parts of our country and share the resistance of many parents across the country to misguided school boards that promote a misguided DEI “diversity, equity, inclusion” agenda instead of producing a student who can read, write, understand history and be able to think for themselves.
This is part of the Critical Race Theory movement that has saturated our educational system.
What is wrong with these innocent-sounding words:
EQUITY — This is fine as long as it means bringing everyone up to Learning Standards but Equity is wrong if it means lowering the standards so that everyone meets then in spite of lower ability or effort.
Equity must allow for some students to exceed the standards such as National Merit Semifinalists. In most subjects, and especially in Science and Math, progress is easily measured by testing and reflects the work put into it. There will always be differences. Poor performance in higher grades is usually a function of poor previous education which is a function of many factors that must be corrected if equity is to be achieved. In some cases a male claiming gender dysphoria could play female sports and use girls bathrooms in the name of equity.
INCLUSION — This is a sense of belonging and can never be achieved if people are separated into oppressors and oppressed based on race.
The great M.L. King had it right when he said that he wanted his children to be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Ideas like “white privilege,” “systemic racism,” “white supremacy” tend to increase the separation between races and make inclusion impossible. Forced “inclusion” never works.
True inclusion is only achieved by mutual respect, common values, earned friendship and shared experiences.
DIVERSITY — Almost the opposite of inclusion. It divides us by some arbitrary standard — usually by race or ethnicity.
America has always been a diverse nation of immigrants and they tended to settle among like people. There were Irish enclaves, German enclaves, Italian etc., — some still exist but there was always the desire to become Americans.
The second generation usually moved on and melded into the general population while retaining their sometimes split heritage. Diversity is fine and certain differences still remain but the desire to be called “Americans” was constant.
That unity still remains in all while appreciating and accepting differences in others. I hope this disease has not reached Owensville.
August Hoernschemeyer, Owensville
