TUSD, ETHNIC STUDIES, Tucson unrest
Much unrest across this city due to a subject called "Ethnic Studies." I have tried to read all the press reports on the subject from every source, watch all the television on the subject and have drawn a couple of conclusions from this Senior High School course of studies here in the Tucson, Arizona region.
Prior to returning to Tucson, I knew nothing of "ethnic Studies". I have not been able to read the course material. It is not on the internet, or any source material printed thusfar in wide area print distribution, so far.
I conclude therefore that noone can read what "ethnic studies" is all about outsided a closed core of teachers inside the department teaching the course. Phone calls to that department by me go unanswered. I called the assistant department head at the Administration and she has yet to return my call. All my inquiries were to simply get a copy of the core curriculum so I could read it. I have written everyone I can think of in power, emailed everyone, so far - silence.
Yet, near-riots have ensued in tax-payor funded public schools and administration buildings, exhausted our police department and volunteer school board officials. Press reports from law officials meetings have made accusations against this curriculum espousing "violent overthrow of the American Government" and near slander against whites which I find just short of unbelievable.
Either I have failed to find the content of the Studies, or no one else has -and are making wild accusations or assumptions based on no facts at all.
How can such vicious actions, from parents hatred, enflaming Hispanic children to demonstrations in school buildings to marches, vitriolic speech, and the state Attorney General enforcing laws attacking school programs not yet proven to be " subversive?"
We need some action to help end this and bring the community together, not drive it further apart.
In my mind, we must have total disclosure. We must have the full curriculum printed in wide distribution media for the entire populace to read, digest and to ponder at will. The decision as to the nature of "ethnic studies" should be made by the electorate.
I come by this decision by this process: if Daniel Ellsberg can release the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times, and one year later, it becomes a national "snoozer," then why shouldn't we do this with Ethnic Studies?
If Julian Assange can release WikiLeaks to the world on the internet-same rationale.
It is time for logical thinking to surface and bleed off what is becoming a civil nightmare with no end in sight but possible violence.
Roger Fulton
Tucson, Arizona
30
Prior to returning to Tucson, I knew nothing of "ethnic Studies". I have not been able to read the course material. It is not on the internet, or any source material printed thusfar in wide area print distribution, so far.
I conclude therefore that noone can read what "ethnic studies" is all about outsided a closed core of teachers inside the department teaching the course. Phone calls to that department by me go unanswered. I called the assistant department head at the Administration and she has yet to return my call. All my inquiries were to simply get a copy of the core curriculum so I could read it. I have written everyone I can think of in power, emailed everyone, so far - silence.
Yet, near-riots have ensued in tax-payor funded public schools and administration buildings, exhausted our police department and volunteer school board officials. Press reports from law officials meetings have made accusations against this curriculum espousing "violent overthrow of the American Government" and near slander against whites which I find just short of unbelievable.
Either I have failed to find the content of the Studies, or no one else has -and are making wild accusations or assumptions based on no facts at all.
How can such vicious actions, from parents hatred, enflaming Hispanic children to demonstrations in school buildings to marches, vitriolic speech, and the state Attorney General enforcing laws attacking school programs not yet proven to be " subversive?"
We need some action to help end this and bring the community together, not drive it further apart.
In my mind, we must have total disclosure. We must have the full curriculum printed in wide distribution media for the entire populace to read, digest and to ponder at will. The decision as to the nature of "ethnic studies" should be made by the electorate.
I come by this decision by this process: if Daniel Ellsberg can release the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times, and one year later, it becomes a national "snoozer," then why shouldn't we do this with Ethnic Studies?
If Julian Assange can release WikiLeaks to the world on the internet-same rationale.
It is time for logical thinking to surface and bleed off what is becoming a civil nightmare with no end in sight but possible violence.
Roger Fulton
Tucson, Arizona
30
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