To the Editor,
As a teacher in the Greenhorn Valley, I am disgusted by the anti-capitalist resolution passed by our state teachers’ union, the Colorado Education Association (CEA), at their annual Delegate Assembly in April. This resolution has made national news, made the CEA a national laughingstock, and has only served to further degrade the image of public education.
The resolution claims that our capitalist system “… inherently exploits children, public schools, land, labor, and resources,” and “is in opposition to fully addressing systemic racism (the school to prison pipeline), climate change, patriarchy (gender and LGBTQ disparities), education inequality, and income inequality”.
I am appalled that the “history teacher” who proposed this resolution, and the delegates who voted for it, could be so brainwashed with woke, anti-American dogma. I would ask the delegates who passed this resolution: where in history can you point to a socialist nation that has succeeded economically to the level the USA has? Why is it that people of all colors, from all over the world, willingly risk everything they have to come to the USA?
This woke dogma is nurturing and perpetuating a victim mentality in students by telling them, “It’s not your fault, sweetie...” They’re being told that all their problems are the fault of the racist, unfair “system”. This allows young people to justify their lack of motivation, lack of hard work, and lack of success by blaming others, and the “system”, for any failures or shortcomings.
Psychology teaches us a basic truth of human nature: for people to do something, they must have some incentive or motivation. Capitalism recognizes this truth, whereas socialism ignores its existence. This is why socialism has failed miserably everywhere it’s been tried.
If the CEA wants to improve public education and increase support from the public, they should stick to issues that are appropriate for the union. They should stop advocating woke ideologies that impugn so much about America and its successful capitalist system.
For this reason and others, I am joining several of my colleagues in revoking my membership in the CEA, and will encourage other coworkers to do the same.
David Ressel Colorado City
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