| Not long ago, I was at a dinner where one of the guests, a Republican, rolled her eyes and complained about "wokeness." All I could think in that moment was: You should go read Michael Gerson. Mike is a columnist with a strong moral compass whose evolution as a commentator on political and cultural concerns has been exciting to watch. A once proud member of the Republican Party, he has, in these Trumpist times, been writing — sometimes with anger, sometimes with sadness, sometimes with outright disgust — about what he sees as the GOP's systematic chipping away at democratic norms and institutions. In his latest column, he turns his attention to public schools — to both the right's use of critical race theory as a bogeyman, primed to stoke and prey on parental anxieties, and to the growing movement of parents agitating for "choice" in education. "Cultural conservatives once controlled the ethos of public education," Gerson writes. "Now Christian activists are turning to a parental veto instead. A veto over sex education they find disturbing. A veto over controversial books in the school library. A veto over the teaching of unsettling historical facts about racism." This is defended, he says, "as an expansion of parental control." Instead, it produces an educational system "dedicated to blandness and selective ignorance." In more than one column, Gerson has gotten personal on this topic, describing his own awakening to the ways in which the "monochrome suburban life" of his youth "was not a natural or neutral condition," but "constructed by generations of laws and rules that surrounded me with working institutions and segregated the community in which I lived." This is one of the things I like about Mike: his willingness to be candid, even vulnerable — to show that a change in thinking isn't something to fear or be ashamed of, but rather to embrace as a sign of strength and growth. In another column about the teaching of U.S. history, he wrote: "If being 'woke' means knowing the full story of your community and country, including the systemic racism that still shapes them, then every thinking adult should be." "Woke like Gerson." I'd buy that T-shirt.  (Eric Lee for the Washington Post) GOP activists are gunning for critical race theory, LGBTQ books and now … mental health? By Michael Gerson ● Read more » | | | | The score everyone's been waiting for is here, and it looks good for the BBB. But it's beside the point. By Paul Waldman ● Read more » | | | | Our willingness to invest in the future is an indicator of the health of our society. By Fareed Zakaria ● Read more » | | | Attacks on Catholic and other religious institutions reflect a broader social crisis. By Samuel J. Aquila and Tim Busch ● Read more » | | | | With Russian troops massed on the Ukraine border, the Biden administration is caught between its desire to deter a Russian invasion and its hope for progress with Russian President Vladimir Putin on other fronts. By David Ignatius ● Read more » | | | | Asking auteurs their opinion on the MCU is bad for everybody. By Sonny Bunch ● Read more » | | | | Congressional Democrats are officially demanding answers from the University of Florida. By Greg Sargent ● Read more » | | | | Anyone who thought that fears of China invading Taiwan are overblown, think again. By Henry Olsen ● Read more » | | | Democrats spent the entire 2020 primary season searching for an acceptable alternative to Joe Biden and could not find one. By Marc A. Thiessen ● Read more » | | | | If they draw district lines right, Republicans can lock in their power permanently, no matter what voters want. By Paul Waldman ● Read more » | | | | Take this quiz to find out! By Alexandra Petri ● Read more » | | | | Decrying "polarization" is a cop-out. By Jennifer Rubin ● Read more » | | | | Sorry, Republicans. It's still clear that Trump welcomed and received Russian support. By Max Boot ● Read more » | | | |
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