How would you feel about your child\’s schoolteacher instructing his/her class that:
Thetragic event of the killing of MIchael Brown in Ferguson, Missourihave led to protests and rioting against police brutality. It bringsto the surface (again) the institutional racism that has always beenin our country. I think white privilege causes some to look atFerguson as an excuse for criminal activity rather than a politicalprotest. William Chamberlain tweeted a comment about the lootingcomparing it to the Boston Tea Party.
This brilliance comes to us from one Michael Kaechele, who describes himself as “Mike Kaechele, a concrete artist turned teacher in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I teach social studies in a problem based learning high school.”
Let\’s ignore his lack English proficiency (the tragic event…have led to protests and rioting?), and concentrate on the message.
Do you believe that the rioting and looting which took place in Ferguson Missouri is criminal activity? Well, if so, you must be a racist. Because you are engaging in “white privilege”. Mike Kaechele says so.
I wonder what Mr. Kaechele thinks about the Black people who consider this to be criminal activity. Are they compromised by White privilege also? I suspect that would be news to them.
And what about Mr. Kaechele\’s mention that someone compared the criminal activity in Ferguson to the Boston Tea Party?
Uh, Mike…the Boston Tea Party people tossed that tea into Boston Harbor. They didn\’t grab as much as they could carry and take it home. Can we agree this might constitute a bit of a difference between the two events?
I\’ll just bet Grand Rapids is pleased as punch to have a deep-thinker like Mike Kaechele teaching social studies to its high school children. What wonderful values he is instilling in their impressionable young minds; guaranteed to make them pillars of their communities.
If you think education in the USA is fading fast I accept your thanks for posting this, because I have no doubt you will be using it as an example to prove your point.
