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Did Dr. Seuss Lie to Our Kids?
New York Times ^ | August 1, 2019 | Philip Galanes

Posted on 08/05/2019 3:34:50 PM PDT by EdnaMode

A 12-year-old thinks the premise of “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” belies structural racism. What’s a parent to do?

My 12-year-old daughter had a sticker on her water bottle with a quote from Dr. Seuss: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” A classmate told her the sticker was racist because many people can’t choose what they want to do because of structural racism. My daughter peeled off the sticker and threw it away. When she told me about it, I was at a loss. I believe structural racism is real and pernicious, but I also think we should teach children that they have agency. And my daughter and I like the sticker’s message. Help!

M.P.

Twelve-year-olds are not famous for nuance. (Their greater claim may be making classmates feel bad about their water bottles.) But you are an adult. Start a conversation with your daughter that goes beyond slogans and stickers to a more thoughtful consideration of race.

She has surely learned about slavery in her history classes. But tell her about some of the subtler discrimination that makes up structural racism: our long history of inequality in housing and educational opportunities for people of color, for instance, and the modern-day hangover of those unfair policies.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Books/Literature; Chit/Chat; Society; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: drseuss; newyorkslimes; newyorktimes; nytimes
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Sure... a 12 year old was discussing structural racism at school. I'll Take Things That Never Happened for $1000 Alex.
1 posted on 08/05/2019 3:34:50 PM PDT by EdnaMode
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To: EdnaMode

“A classmate told her the sticker was racist because many people can’t choose what they want to do because of structural racism.”

Better answer would be your classmate is a liar.


2 posted on 08/05/2019 3:36:46 PM PDT by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
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To: EdnaMode

Yertle the Turtle bump


3 posted on 08/05/2019 3:38:02 PM PDT by foreverfree
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To: EdnaMode

What, he really did like green eggs and ham???


4 posted on 08/05/2019 3:38:55 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter (Ruth Bader Ginsburg doctor is a taxidermist.)
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To: EdnaMode

Unless your “daughter” is actually a guy you have nothing to worry about.

The only institutionalized bigotry in the US today is against white males.


5 posted on 08/05/2019 3:39:10 PM PDT by fruser1
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To: EdnaMode

No - just the socialists who lie that groups have no choices but what government gives them.


6 posted on 08/05/2019 3:39:23 PM PDT by Skywise
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To: EdnaMode

Complain to the school. These people (NYT) are insane. Wouldn’t the quote support full equality and even gender selection? What is controversial about having feet and a brain?


7 posted on 08/05/2019 3:41:02 PM PDT by Williams (Stop Tolerating The Intolerant.)
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To: EdnaMode

Democrats are evil.


8 posted on 08/05/2019 3:45:04 PM PDT by stinkerpot65 (Global warming is a Marxist lie.)
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To: EdnaMode
My daughter peeled off the sticker and threw it away.

I was hoping she'd peel it off and stick it over the stupid kid's mouth.

9 posted on 08/05/2019 3:45:50 PM PDT by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
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To: gov_bean_ counter

Dr. Seuss racist, better tell Jesse Jackson.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1mqg4C0awA


10 posted on 08/05/2019 3:48:17 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: All

The kid that said this is racist has been “BRAIN WASHED”! I have had many black friends that have succeeded. Education is needed but personal willingness to choose to succeed is needed. If one chooses to fail you will fail. Not everyone will be at the same point in life. There are easier roads for some. But, not all whites succeed. The biggest advantage is having at least one parent who seriously does their best to succeed. To inspire you to do better. That is what is needed. However we now have families with multiple generations only interested in welfare.


11 posted on 08/05/2019 3:49:35 PM PDT by Retvet (Retvet)
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To: Retvet

The biggest gap is the Ambition Gap.


12 posted on 08/05/2019 3:50:36 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: ifinnegan

Structural racism starts in the ghetto with submissive misery.


13 posted on 08/05/2019 3:50:47 PM PDT by Louis Foxwell (The denial of the authority of God is the central plank of the Progressive movement.)
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To: EdnaMode

She’ll learn about racism when she applies for college and discovers that admissions officers have different sets of standards for applicants depending on their race. She may need higher grades than her peers to get ‘acctepted’.


14 posted on 08/05/2019 3:53:10 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (Denounce DUAC - The Democrats Un-American Activists Committee)
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To: gov_bean_ counter

No! Green ham and eggs will make you sick as heck. Just don’t eat it.


15 posted on 08/05/2019 3:53:50 PM PDT by BipolarBob (Heaven has gates, walls and immigration policy but Hell has an open border policy. Food for thought.)
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To: EdnaMode
Structural racism? Forget cats in hats.

Before Dr. Suess, there was Dick and Jane. Dick and Jane is what was used for my education at school. Dr. Suess who was too controversial for public schools.


16 posted on 08/05/2019 3:53:57 PM PDT by Raycpa
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To: Williams

Cue the video of the people calling out for help when the escalator suddenly stopped working.


17 posted on 08/05/2019 3:54:27 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (Denounce DUAC - The Democrats Un-American Activists Committee)
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To: EdnaMode
A classmate told her the sticker was racist because many people can’t choose what they want to do because of structural racism.

A 12 year old classmate shouldn't know about alleged 'structural racism' let alone lecture a classmate on the subject.

Adults are poisoning the minds of young children for political purposes.

These children are now victims of the idiot adults and screwed up for life because they now believe there's nothing they can do to better their lives.

This is mental child abuse.

18 posted on 08/05/2019 3:54:34 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
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To: EdnaMode

My mom once served me green eggs and ham.


19 posted on 08/05/2019 3:55:31 PM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
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To: BipolarBob

Not even on St. patrick’s day?


20 posted on 08/05/2019 3:55:46 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (Denounce DUAC - The Democrats Un-American Activists Committee)
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