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Some Louisiana Democrats are suddenly concerned about “indoctrination” in the classroom.
The state recently announced videos from conservative group PragerU could be used in the classroom, if a school or teacher chooses to do so.
The videos represent “a concerted effort to infuse political indoctrination into the curriculum at Louisiana’s public schools,” a letter from Democrats in both chambers of the legislature and the state Legislative Black Caucus said, according to KTAL.
It’s no secret PragerU is conservative, but we shouldn’t pretend there isn’t liberal (not to mention pornographic or otherwise scandalous) content being pushed in classrooms.
The PragerU videos can be a good resource for teachers who want to show multiple viewpoints in the classroom.
They fit well with the state’s new social studies standards that focus on “the totality of the events that have made America a truly exceptional nation and serve as a freedom framework for our children to learn about how Americans have always strived for liberty,” as State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley previously said.
“These standards were informed by a year of public feedback, demonstrating why an engaged, informed citizenry is essential to protecting, sustaining, and improving upon our constitutional republic,” Brumley said when the new standards were released.
PragerU videos can help create “an engaged, informed citizenry.”
The classroom content appears to include its “Leo and Layla” cartoons, which involve time traveling to meet various historical figures, including Christopher Columbus, Ulysses Grant, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Other videos, including Prager’s famous five-minute episodes, could also be useful in the classroom. Faced with accusations of liberal bias, public schools might consider using these videos in upper grade levels to provide balance.
Consider one video from PragerU that discusses the moral issues surrounding abortion.
“Is ending the life of a human fetus moral?” Dennis Prager asks in the video. “Does the fetus have any value and any rights?”
That is a good summary of the basic question beneath abortion arguments: Do preborn babies have a right to life, and if so, when does that right begin?
A student unsure about abortion or who leans pro-choice could watch that video and at least reach a better understanding of what his pro-life classmates believe.
Take another hot topic: guns. A PragerU video with Fordham University Professor Nicholas Johnson discusses whether gun control would work.
“The basic idea is that fewer guns equal less gun crime,” Johnson says, explaining the argument of gun control proponents.
However, the pro-Second Amendment professor says partial bans do not work.
In the video from seven years ago, Johnson challenges gun control proponents to explain what specific policies they want and “then tell us how those policies will also allow lawful gun owners to keep and protect themselves with firearms.”
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The video offers a reasonable summary. Gun control proponents argue that their laws are needed to protect us from criminals. Gun rights advocates say restrictions will disarm lawful citizens while not taking weapons away from bad guys. Students with various views can watch this video and leave with a basic understanding of the issue.
That is at the heart of an “engaged, informed citizenry.”
Matt Lamb is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He is an associate editor for the College Fix and has previously worked for Students for Life of America and Turning Point USA.
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