Maybe you should be uncomfortable

David Hoffman’s Jan. 27 column “ANTI-CRT hysteria turned Dr. Suess into a bogeyman” and the Jan. 25 letter “Conservatives make case for critical race theory” both dispel erroneous arguments against critical race theory as well as defend its truth and value.

The greatest error our “Founding Fathers” made when establishing our country was the ironic affirmation that “…all men are created equal…” while at the same time allowing for slavery to continue.

And, while the Constitution was amended to eliminate slavery after the Civil War ended, political effort during “reconstruction” fought to disenfranchise newly freed former slaves and to discriminate against them in ways that unfortunately still exist today in our society.

It has often been said that, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” And, our Republican/ conservative political leaders, with their “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” efforts to ban the discussion of slavery and discrimination in our schools are severely trying to handicap our youth’s ability to handle the whole truth of our history and to promote a more just and fair society.

If discussion of racial problems in our country makes one uncomfortable, it should. Not necessarily out of guilt, but out of outrage that it had occurred and still occurs to this day.

Our former president has famously used the mantra “make America great again” as the war cry of his political efforts.

Instead, why not drop the “again” with the knowledge that the past was not so great for many; and, that our goal should be to “make America great” for everyone.

Joe Barmess, Pataskala