Defund the police echoed in defund education
Robert A. Scott
President Emeritus and University Professor Emeritus of Adelphi University; President Emeritus of Ramapo College. Author, How University Boards Work, 2018, Co-Author, Letters to Students, Rowman & Littlefield, 2024
“Defund the Police” became a familiar slogan after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police in May 2020. The idea was not new but a long-standing argument that municipal police departments had become militarized with weapons and tactics borrowed from the Army. Advocates argued that a portion of police budgets should be diverted to community policing and social services. The cry became a focal point in the tensions between conservatives and liberals.
These tensions were further exaggerated by the current rallying cry from the right is to ban books about race and to defund schools and colleges for teaching about slavery. They claim that certain books and lessons make other students feel uncomfortable when discussing racism, colonialism, and slavery.
Further, they claim that certain authors, mostly Black or liberal in perspective, are anti-American and un-Christian. The Center for the American Way of Life in Washington, D.C., working with the Idaho Freedom Foundation, was successful in advocating for multi-million-dollar cuts to Idaho universities for teaching about social justice issues, i.e., racism and other forms of discrimination, in history and literature classes.
These and related issues are explored in this essay. Please click this link https://theisland360.com/opinions-100/my-turn-defund-the-police-echoed-in-defund-education/
Stay well. Bob
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations
2 年Nice to read a piece that mentions education’s role in creating informed citizens!
President Emeritus and University Professor Emeritus of Adelphi University; President Emeritus of Ramapo College. Author, How University Boards Work, 2018, Co-Author, Letters to Students, Rowman & Littlefield, 2024
2 年Thanks Dom
Founder/ Director Dom Scala Baseball Camps
2 年Great article Bob