Critical Thinking And Protecting Children – Two Very Different Perspectives

This morning I read an opinion piece in a local internet news media outlet, The Voice, called, “As reality stars take center stage in Trump cabinet, Oklahomans will have to think critically“.

It was written by Dr. John Thompson, a writer/researcher, education activist and former classroom teacher from Oklahoma whom I met during the Common Core debacle back in the 20-teens. Thompson and I heartily agreed on the problems with Common Core and we still agree on the pitfalls of standardized testing, but his opinion piece highlighted our differences in a pretty striking way.

Thompson’s thesis is that because Trump was once a reality TV star and his picks of Linda McMahon (Department of Education), Dr. Mehmet Oz (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services), Sean Duffy (Secretary of Transportation), and Pete Hegseth (Defense Secretary), all have had some kind of media profile (mainly FOX news), everyone had better be very careful and suss out everything these people say for truthfulness and accuracy because media influencers are so influential to people – especially young people.

Okay. First; the world would be a much better – and saner – place if people would look at policies instead of personalities as a rule. So yeah, everyone should ALWAYS think critically about what people say to them, what they see in the media, or what a celebrity or social media influencer puts out on their ‘channels’. I’ll even argue that those with some kind of power over our lives – like elected and appointed members of government (no matter their party affiliation) – should be even more highly scrutinized on a regular basis.

But here’s where Thompson and I diverge.

I don’t remember reading cries for “critical thinking needed” by Thompson – or any Democrats for that matter (other than maybe Tulsi Gabbard) – during the COVID years, or over January 6th. Where was this critical thinking notion when people with opinions different than those of the ‘media’ were literally shut out of all discussion in any forum on these topics while being called names like “COVID deniers”, “misinformation spreaders” or, lest we forget, “insurrectionists”? In fact, Thompson himself – after lecturing us about the evils of parroting – actually parrots PBS on Oz in his piece. Though not actively using the pejorative “COVID denier”, he totally quoted a section relating to his medical treatment protocol preference for the disease – the one not preferred by the media. Was that decision critically thought out?

But then, where is any kind of reasonable discussion or critical thinking surrounding the “facts” of climate change? There are definitely two sides in this discussion, but only one which is widely fed to kids on their cell phones and through the media on a constant basis and also through curricula and testing, yet those of us with differing scientific viewpoints are called names like “climate deniers”? At what point do I find the critical thinking part of the influencing part here?

Does no one remember the endless commercials run in the media endorsing Kamala Harris run by EVERY Avenger, or the group of Hollywood B-listers and old guys who called themselves “White Guys For Harris” (as though if anyone on the ‘other side’ of the isle would get away with saying something like that)? What about the Kamala Harris endorsement by EVERYONE’S favorite “influencer” Taylor Swift – gosh, I’ll bet that didn’t influence one young person at all. I wonder how many classrooms had teachers leading their students through a critical thinking critique of her announcement, or any of the others?

But, since Thompson was specific in his comments toward Trump cabinet picks, let’s turn our attention to a few of Biden’s.

What about Biden pick Deanne Criswell (head of FEMA) who spent days in front of Congress trying to assure them that not ALL her hires were denying Trump supporters of FEMA assistance during times of crises? Many of the displaced were families with children, but I’m sure it’s okay to leave ‘Trump children’ cold, starving and covered in mud, right? They don’t deserve protecting?

And what about Rachel Lavine – the transgendered person second in command of Biden’s HHS who is being sued by a medical watchdog group for pressuring an international organization into lowering the age at which children could have gender reassignment surgery. So how does this protect children again, knowing that many adults eventually seek to be regendered?

Or what about Sam Brinton (a Biden-appointed Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition) who had no real experience for the role, and spent a lot of time as a social media influencer wearing beautiful dresses only to be arrested for stealing some of those designer dresses from a suitcase at an airport – only to be arrested twice more for the same offense. What’s the critical thinking strategy there? But then I’m sure there were no children being influenced by Sam Brinton on social media.

Clearly, there’s a big difference in the way Dr. Thompson and I see the world.

In fact, Thompson’s article adjuring us to be more mindful of developing critical thinking in young people as Trump takes office, doesn’t apparently concern the changes President Biden made to Title 9 legislation that effect Oklahoma children.

Allowing boys to use girl’s bathrooms at school has caused at least one girl to be injured in Edmond and countless other girls to feel unsafe doing the one thing they physically can’t wait to do at home. Girls (those who have XX chromosomes) being forced to compete against boys (those who have XY chromosomes) who think they are girls, have crushed the dreams of countless high school girls. How does any of that protect young people – especially young women? But what about the #metoo movement? What about ‘girl power’? Aren’t we supposed to be protecting kids – girls – women’s rights? How am I missing the critical thinking part here?

People are as different as their opinions. Either we’re going to be okay with that or we’re not, but whatever standard we choose has to apply to everyone, or no one. Students can’t develop critical thinking until BOTH sides of an issue are heard, yet Dr. Thompson seems to believe that only one side really merits critical thinking police.

I’m very classically liberal in my views on speech – people should be able to say what they think, in any forum they want to say it, whether I like it or not.

You may not like Trump, but those who believe in censorship, those who believe that critical thinking only applies to someone else’s candidate or issue, are those who need to be thanked for his election. When the other side is shut out of the discussion, you’ll find that the polls will swell with those who are sick of being silenced. This is why balance – especially in media – is important. The only thing many of us have are our opinions and once those don’t count, all bets are off.