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[Izayoi]

He can't be critical of people because this is his livelihood (he had to own everything behind him).

I'm confused - being sympathetic toward white nationalists is essential to his livelihood? You might not be wrong, I'm just trying to understand if that's what you meant.

This "both sides" centrist hogwash is how we wound up in the situation we find ourselves in now.

 

[Cocaloch]

I'm confused - being sympathetic toward white nationalists is essential to his livelihood? You might not be wrong, I'm just trying to understand if that's what you meant.

This "both sides" centrist hogwash is how we wound up in the situation we find ourselves in now.

I've never liked the "it's better in the middle" nonsense, but assuming the situation you're referring to is the current administration I just can't agree. I can't see the argument that some narrative of centrality is why Trump is president.

 

[AmayaPapaya]

I get the feeling that this was potentially a really badly worded/thought out assignment rather than just a malicious attempt to get kids to justify the KKK. Then again, the teacher could just be racist trash, it's hard to tell without more context.

My thoughts as well. The questions most likely had a solid answer that would give you correct points. Like, What were the motivations of the KKK: Racism/Political Control. If not, you were wrong.

Or, cause this is SC, she's racist af.

 

[appaws]

Teacher training and retention in South Carolina is abysmal. The schools are also incredibly segregated and the public schools are woefully underfunded, while the white population and the black middle class send their kids to private "academies." Its a really bad situation.

My guess from reading the assignment is that the teacher is more of an idiot than anything else.

 

[Samara]

My niece (husband is white) by marriage told me at the dinner table:

You know your ancestors were slaves!

I get that at around ten non black kids learn about slavery. But I bet most black kids know way earlier. Was awkward but I get it. She didn't know. I sure as heck knew way before 10.

So to rub it their faces as if some don't already know... Fucking sickening.

 

[demosthenes]

I'm confused - being sympathetic toward white nationalists is essential to his livelihood? You might not be wrong, I'm just trying to understand if that's what you meant.

This "both sides" centrist hogwash is how we wound up in the situation we find ourselves in now.

He's come out and said he won't be critical of people because he can't stand to lose viewers because this is his livlihood. So he made videos like that where he wants everyone to be friends.
Context: that gif is from a video responding to white nationalist sentiment from other people.

 

[mckmas8808]

"both sides" homework

It does feel that way. Odd.

 

[VenomousCoffee]

When I was in 4th grade, my class had a debate about the Civil War. The teacher assigned 4 or so kids to the North and 4 to the South, and they had to debate the South's right to succeed, and the rest of the class watched and voted on who won. I was assigned to be the chair of the pro-South side and I put together an argument that the South was in the right.

It was a badly constructed assignment by the teacher that would never fly now, but he wasn't pro-slavery. I suspect the same thing is happening here.

"Never ascribe to malice what can be explained by incompetence."

 

[Lil'DigiOp]

My niece (husband is white) by marriage told me at the dinner table:

You know your ancestors were slaves!

I get that at around ten non black kids learn about slavery. But I bet most black kids know way earlier. Was awkward but I get it. She didn't know. I sure as heck knew way before 10.

So to rub it their faces as if some don't already know... Fucking sickening.

The irony is that after tracing my heritage, both sides of my family may have evaded American Slavery. The Jamaican side def got locked by the British though so theres that, but my other side is Panamanian and I havent looked into its history of origin.

Do you know how many times in school I was told that my ancestors were slaves here. Lol wasn't truly accurate at all. I still embrace the struggle of my Black Americans though. I am a Black American

 

[LegendofLex]

I can't quite tell, so maybe you agree: Critical thinking using the KKK's perspective is problematic in itself. The "answer" to that homework question can literally only be hateful lies. Hmmmm, do they have a point?! How to they feel???

I dunno, it's pretty easy to look at their justifications and conclude "hey, these justifications are just racism."

Hell, when you say "they were motivated by racism," you're already acknowledging their point of view. What you aren't acknowledging are the specific racist things they believed - the things that demonstrate the beliefs that drove their racist actions.

History should teach you to examine both - both historical perspectives (right and wrong) and historical actions (both right and wrong). It's not always necessary in all contexts to teach both (hence the criticism we see here), but that's very different than it somehow being wrong in every circumstance to bring in historical perspectives to teach people history.

What's the most common thing you hear in the confederate monuments debate to shut down the "Southern heritage" argument? It's the firsthand writings of Confederate leaders saying the Confederacy was about slavery. This is the same kind of deal (or at least it could be on its face), just done in a really problematic and insensitive format that at best indicates that someone didn't think the assignment through and at worst means they were really trying to humanize the KKK.

 

[Esiquio]

Wow, that's really stupid. There are much, much better ways to approach that subject, especially at that age of children.

 

[LifEndz]

This was actually a question that was posed to a class I was in...when I was in college. Led to a really interesting discussion but this is not an appropriate question for a kid.

 

[Tagyhag]

Ignoring the racism, who thought it was a good idea to ask a 10 year old to justify any action? They can’t even justify their own actions let alone another person’s

Yep, teaching about the KKK is important.

But asking a kid to justify their atrocities from a Klansmember point of view? Just ask "Why was the KKK formed" or something like that.

 

[Heshinsi]

This is absolutely freaking ridiculous. They should do an assignment like this for everyone while they're at it. Do one for the Khmer Rouge, do one for ISIS, have children defend Nazi Germany, etc. We've got to understand where the other side is coming from right? See how quickly this nonsense gets shut down.

For some reason, the confederacy and the KKK are treated like all it was, was a difference in opinion between rational people. Like having a discussion as to why tea is so much better a beverage than coffee is. Have those same kids take the position of having to sympathise and defend a fuckwit like Osama bin Laden, and the same people pushing this bs would suddenly lose their god damn minds.

 

[timetokill]

What's even more messed up is if the kid had actually accurately "roleplayed" that position he'd probably end up in serious trouble for what he wrote.

 

[Yazzees]

White supremacists sure love giving out and being on administrative leave. Welfare queens.

 

[Moonkid]

I'd expect the assignment to be less jarring if we had the big picture of the content they're studying in that class, but echoing what others have said they're a bit young for this type of exercise.

 

[UserNotFound]

Asking 10 year Olds to justify and explain the actions of the KKK is just asking to be fired. There were a thousand ways you could teach the subject, why do it this way? Ten year Olds arent good at showcasing critical thought in politics. This won't help them learn the topic either.