At the end of the day, we each have our own theories on education - whether people choose to send their kids to public schools, private schools, religious schools, montessori schools, all-girls schools, whatever. The point is, parents should have the right to decide what’s best for their kids. That is not the prerogative of the government.

Frankly, the public system is really created for one race and mindset. In high school, we studied authors who were all European and/or North american. Not a single book from an African author for example. All the history, including art history, came from Europe, as though no other continent existed. Whether it was civics, art, or english, every subject had that Eurocentric path of thinking entrenched in the curriculum. It was only when I got to university (a luxury that many young individuals don’t have) that I was able to expand my thought to properly include the entire world and come to terms with the idea of colonialism and oppression of nations by the European world.

So one of two things need to happen:

a) make the public system inclusive and representative of ALL races and cultures - this needs to happen from within the curriculum (and “black history month” does not and will not ever suffice - it’s simply a token phrase).

b) let concerned educators and parents do what is necessary (obviously, within reason) to instill a decent education in these kids that they are absolutely not getting in the public system.

In reality, the public system does promote only a single mode of thinking. And due to the fact that we’re not all identical moulds of one another, that’s not going to work for everyone. So I think the public needs to relax and let this black-centred school play out, and see where we get.

Thanks for calling it out.

To some extent yes people have a social responsibility to be aware of whats going on outside of their little lives, but you’re excusing the cartoonists’ message because we are so used to seeing one-sided journalism today that we should expect it and excuse it? and because of expected low IQ across the profession? that’s ridiculous! Please excuse MY rather graphic response, but just because everyone knows that (for instance) FOX news takes it up the butt from the Bush Administration does not mean that its OKAY for that to happen and for the public to get completely biased editorialisms and news. If anything, in current US society, people’s social responsibility has increased from “know about stuff” to “know *and spread* (true) knowledge about stuff.”

1. Those with privilege can choose to ignore history, precisely because it suits them to forget the history of their privilege. Of course you’re not going to sit down and think about 300 year old histories when you are trying to decide whether or not you’re supposed to run away from the police officer. Duh. That wasn’t my point.

History does not stop. It continues and its ramifications continue. I pointed out quite specifically that exploitation, oppression and genocide is ongoing when it comes to Natives in the United States and Canada. History is important to situate the present, and for that reason, yes, it’s important to take into account even 300 years of history into account. But if you’re not going to do that then at least open your eyes to the legacy of that history and its continuities with the present.

Additionally, to suggest that humans are “naturally” irrational, and therefore, all decisions that we make collectively — whether as a society, or in groups — will and ought to “naturally” gravitate toward irrationality is inane. Humans naturally piss in forests and on rocks, what have you been doing for the past several years of your existence?

2. Oppressed = Natives. If you don’t know how a problem was created, how do you expect to solve it? There are millions of people around the world who care about the history of the Palestinians. You might not care, Israeli governments might not care, and Americans might not care, but who are you to speak on behalf of the Palestinians and their allies? Unless you recognize the nature of the oppression — and to do that you have to examine its history — you’re not going to rise out of it. What do you want Palestinians to do, build an airport in Gaza? — this will lead the way to the future? Let’s sit down and negotiate for the future? Yeah, that’s worked out great over the past 18 years!

3. I believe having insane amounts of sex is inherent in human society. A derivation from our psychology, if you will. In any case, if Hitler was drawing racist cartoons about Jews, I doubt anyone today — other than neo-Nazis and David Duke — would mind if he was fired from his job.

4. I don’t expect journalists to be biased. I am precisely pointing out that bias. I am saying that journalist — or cartoonist in this case — is a racist pig. He should be fired, and an apology should be made for it.

5. Yes, I do expect you to do some critical reflection. Clearly you haven’t done enough of it, re: history. Having said that, if you’re writing racist, inane shit for a newspaper, I will call you out on it. Because racism is bad. I just did some AI shit, and proved it.

First, the psychological aspect of ignoring history is due to the heuristics that we use in decision making. Human beings are naturally irrational and need to be, in order to rapidly make decisions in a dynamic environment. If we were to sit around and find out the 300 year history of every person, culture, society, or group of people we met in order to figure out how to deal with them, we would be paralyzed. This interesting enough, was actually found in some AI experiments. Blew my mind.

Second, the environmental reasons are probably enormous and couldn’t possibly be enumerated succesfully. However, one obvious aspect that we are throwing here is the bias in the newspaper against the “oppressed”. Where oppressed is ill-defined. As has been shown time and time again by the Palestinian movement, noone really cares (unfortunately) about the history. To bring up the history of oppression, is, in my opinion, detrimental to helping a group of people rise out of it. It wastes valuable energy, and resources, which would be better utilized in being forward thinking and coming with solutions to the problem at hand.

Since everyone here seems well read, Mein Kampf documents some well known socio-psychological tactics utilized to isolate and demean a group of people in order to justify an attack on them. I believe that these tactics are not militaristic in nature, but rather inherent in human society. A derivation from our psychology, ifyou will. What you claim, and what this cartoon does, are precisely that. It may be ethically wrong, but to expect journalists to not be biased is like asking the sky to be green.

Critical reflection cannot be expected from any one specific source. Journalists are not exactly known for their incredible IQ. If anything, reflection is a burden put upon -me-. it is I who needs to go out, seek multiple view points to establish a semblance of a non-biased perspective upon which to act.

Man, I seem to be full of hate against journalists. But can you blame me?

Euro-centrism in the curriculum should have very little effect on the intellectual capabilities of the student. Psychologically, as well socially, a system of defacto segregation has just been created in a 21st century. Its like the 50’s called. and they want their segregation back.

Wrapping this under a blanket of a short-term solution is merely setting a precedence which will now be used as leverage to further segregate schools based on socio-economic stratas. This can be further proved by the existence and usage of “magent schools” in the US (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnet_school). Initially they were designed to provide much -more- valuable specialized education in focused areas (more [financially] than this so called afro-centric education proposed). However, if you goto a magnet school today, all you are going to see are black people.

Also, why do you disagree with the last editorial cartoon?
The US in 1988 passed the IGRA (based on Cabazon vs California, and another case i can’t quite recall) and led to much noise about indians and gambling as their largest source of financial support system. It is not entirely unknown, and if anything, the person boldly stated what everyone else knows already. It addresses a social perception (and quite possibly, fact) that exists in a humourous way.