1 00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:03,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Tutor Dixon Podcast. Today. I want to 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: get into a deep dive into education and it's kind 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: of a personal thing right now because we are in 4 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: the midst of trying to figure out what the next 5 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: steps are to get my daughter who is at the 6 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: end of her or in the midst of her junior 7 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 1: year going into her senior year looking at colleges and 8 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:24,079 Speaker 1: what does that all mean and what do test scores mean? 9 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: And in the middle of me doing this, which I 10 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: thought like, when I went to college, you just applied 11 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:32,199 Speaker 1: and there weren't all these tricks that you had to do, 12 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: and you have to pay people to try to get 13 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: you in. And I feel like Lori Laughlin or Loughlin, 14 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: whatever her name is, and I'm like, what am I do? 15 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:43,160 Speaker 1: I have to pay someone to fill out all these applications? 16 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: What is happening? But there's all these groups that do this, Okay, 17 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: So if you're in the middle of this, it is 18 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 1: so much more complicated than I thought it was. And 19 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 1: so I have this company and they're like, you know, 20 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: if you pay us ten thousand dollars, will help you 21 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,639 Speaker 1: fill out twelve applications for college and we'll have some 22 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: special project for her to do over the summer and 23 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: then she'll be more desirable for these colleges. And then 24 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: he says something to me which I was like, hmm, 25 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: that's interesting. He says, do you think you're going test 26 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: optional or are you planning on using a school that 27 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: requires testing? And I was like, hmm, okay, So breakdown. 28 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: Test optional is after COVID, some universities said we're not 29 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: going to require SAT or ACT scores anymore. And now 30 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 1: they're starting to go, oh crap. We actually didn't know 31 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: that then people we would have no judge of whether 32 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 1: or not these children were actually intelligent and could do 33 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,759 Speaker 1: the work at the school. So I said I thought 34 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: all of the schools were going to requiring testing again, 35 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: and he said, well, yeah, kind of, because you know, 36 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: turns out an A is not an A anymore, and 37 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 1: then moved on really quick and I was like, hmm, 38 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: what exactly does that mean? Because these kids have not learned. 39 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: So we found someone that can take a deep dive 40 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: into this. We have Josh Weener with us today. He 41 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: is the chief Strategy Officer at NAVI North American Values Institute. 42 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: It's a nonprofit that advocates for American civil civic values 43 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: and combats extremism and political activism in the K through 44 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: twelve classrooms, Josh, political activism was one of the things 45 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: that they were like, can you tell us if she's 46 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: done any activism to help her get into college? 47 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for having me on tutor. It's 48 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 2: a pleasure to be here today. Yeah, you know, you 49 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 2: identified two things there. One of them is the flattening 50 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 2: of the grading curves. And they're doing this in the 51 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 2: name of equity. And we have seen schools that have 52 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 2: basically said if you get above an eighty percent, that's 53 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 2: an A. And this is a big problem for a 54 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 2: couple of reasons. One, we have no real standards to 55 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 2: figure out, you know, how students are actually performing when 56 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:50,679 Speaker 2: it comes to their grade point averages. And two, it's 57 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 2: really not promoting academic excellence. You know, academic excellence is 58 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 2: actually holding people to high standards. That's how you actually 59 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 2: get it. And by flattening the grading curve, you're just 60 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 2: allowing individuals to not perform as highly and get the 61 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 2: same achievement that others do. So it's not only unfair 62 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:11,919 Speaker 2: to the individuals who need to be pushed, but it's 63 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 2: unfair to the individuals who have pushed themselves and have 64 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 2: earned those higher grades. The other thing is that you know, 65 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 2: you need to be an activist, and it looks good 66 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 2: on your college application to have been an activist in 67 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 2: school now, Like when I was going to school, that 68 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 2: was sort of true. You know, they liked to see 69 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 2: that you were, you know, social issue minded and that 70 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 2: you did clubs and activities. You didn't have to be 71 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 2: like you know, in Earthworks or part of social justice 72 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 2: clubs though. But this is actually part of what has 73 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 2: been taught to teachers in colleges of education. There's a 74 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 2: book called Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Palo Freri, and 75 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 2: this is taught now in all colleges of education, and 76 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 2: it asked teachers to raise critical conscious business and to 77 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 2: make classroom education actually political intentionally in order to wake 78 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 2: up their students to social and political power differences between 79 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 2: people based on their identity. So this is the kind 80 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 2: of stuff that is now in schools that's impacting what 81 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 2: you're seeing when you're doing college applications now, which is 82 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:24,280 Speaker 2: very concerning. 83 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:27,359 Speaker 1: This is so different than when I went to school 84 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 1: a long time ago. I realized this but I don't remember. 85 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: I will say I remember Bill Clinton came to campus 86 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: and I got a ticket to go see Bill Clinton 87 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:39,600 Speaker 1: speak on campus. Now you know how old I am. 88 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: So I went to see Bill Clinton speak on campus. 89 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: And it wasn't like it really wasn't even a political thing. 90 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: It was like, this is amazing, the president is coming 91 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: to our campus, and we were all excited. Didn't it 92 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: matter what side of the aisle you were on. There 93 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: was not even discussion of politics. When I was in college. 94 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: I don't remember it being big deal. I know that 95 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: there were probably people in Republican and Democrat clubs. I 96 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: wasn't one of them. I was just, you know, focused 97 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: on food service, where I was going to go out 98 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:12,599 Speaker 1: that night, and what my classes were. I mean, really 99 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: this was and it was a huge time of growth 100 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 1: for me and growing up and getting away from my parents, 101 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: but not being in the world yet like out in 102 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: the world, having to totally fend for myself. And yet 103 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,359 Speaker 1: here I have this like we have two extremes. I 104 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: think we have first of all, more women than men 105 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: in universities, so men are not going to universities anymore. 106 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 1: And I think that's a somewhat tragic situation. And I'm 107 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 1: not saying that everybody has to go to universities, but 108 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:44,599 Speaker 1: I do think that there is a good growing up period, 109 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 1: and I do think there is a lot of value 110 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 1: in a college education. And now people are being told 111 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: not to go. And then I have a situation where 112 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: my daughter goes to a Christian school and the families 113 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: they are like, well, college isn't really that important? And 114 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:01,279 Speaker 1: like I said, I'm not saying it's for everybody, but 115 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: I do think that there is a value in a 116 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 1: college education. And these parents are like, how are you 117 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,360 Speaker 1: going to pay for it? First of all, it's too expensive, 118 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: you can't pay for it, and then what if you 119 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 1: lose your daughter? So I have like so many concerns. 120 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 1: Can she even get in coming from a Christian high 121 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 1: school because she's an activist for Jesus and not an 122 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: activist for the left, you know? And then also is 123 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 1: it going to be that she'll she'll only be with 124 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: people that are learning social constructs and not actual facts, 125 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:36,800 Speaker 1: and then I lose her. 126 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's so much to unpack there. First, I remember 127 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:45,679 Speaker 2: being in college. It was around I went to college 128 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 2: two thousand and six, twenty ten, so this is when 129 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 2: Obama was first selected and it got highly political around then. 130 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 3: I remember, actually I was I'm a gay man. 131 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:57,039 Speaker 2: I was not out of the closet at the time, 132 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 2: and I remember a Republican friend of mine who played 133 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 2: hockey with me said something to me, once he goes man, 134 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 2: it's harder to come out as a Republican in school 135 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 2: right now than it is to come out as gay. 136 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 2: At the time, I was highly offended by that because 137 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 2: I was very much like. 138 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 3: In mind space. 139 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 2: Yeah right, you don't now, But honestly, like looking back 140 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 2: on it, I like understand where that came from because 141 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 2: it was different than even I think tutor to how 142 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 2: it was when you were in college. And I just 143 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 2: think that had to do with the transition our country 144 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 2: was going through between Bush and Obama the other side. 145 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 2: You know, you talked about this activism piece of it. Well, actually, 146 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 2: I'll go to the like, is college necessary because we're 147 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 2: in this really weird time right now where people really 148 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 2: don't know what jobs are going to be available in 149 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 2: the economy based on what's coming with artificial intelligence, And 150 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 2: I would say that most universities really aren't prepared for this. 151 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 2: And you talk about it a little bit like if 152 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 2: universities you're going to them, like a university like Columbia 153 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 2: or Harvard or something, and they're really focused on this 154 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 2: social justice activism, how is that preparing. 155 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 3: Anybody for a world that you know really. 156 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 2: Is going to be completely usurped by AI, just as 157 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 2: far as what kind of jobs people are actually going 158 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 2: to be able to do in that marketplace. So I 159 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 2: think when you're thinking about where your kids are going 160 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 2: to go to college, this is a critical thing to 161 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 2: think about. First of all, I wouldn't send them to 162 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:39,679 Speaker 2: any of these schools that are really framing everything from 163 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:43,679 Speaker 2: a social justice lens. As a Jewish person, I certainly 164 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 2: wouldn't because these tend to be the places where there 165 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 2: are more incidents of anti Semitism because of the way 166 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 2: of that social justice is being framed by these universities. 167 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 2: I've seen though, that universities, especially actually in the South, 168 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 2: tend to be a little bit more values driven and 169 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 2: thinking about how to prepare people for the the I 170 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 2: guess the new world that we're coming into now, nobody 171 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 2: really knows what it's going to look like, but at 172 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:15,960 Speaker 2: least if you're founding them in real academics versus this 173 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 2: social justice stuff. You're putting them in some sort of 174 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 2: good trajectory for what's going to come. 175 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 3: You know. 176 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 2: The last part is costs. I mean, you know, there's 177 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 2: a whole The guarantee. The guarantee of loans by the 178 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:34,200 Speaker 2: federal government is a big problem for student loans because 179 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 2: it just allows these student loan companies to just kind 180 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:40,680 Speaker 2: of like throw out as much money as they want. 181 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 2: And then you have developers that are you know, building 182 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 2: real estate on these college campuses because hey, they got 183 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 2: loans to pay for these rents, and it's just this 184 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,679 Speaker 2: this ongoing spiral. So you know, I don't see that 185 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 2: really letting up until we really have kind of this 186 00:09:55,720 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 2: bifurcation between schools that are preparing kids for social justice 187 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:02,760 Speaker 2: work and the ones that are paring kids for the 188 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 2: new economy. I think that may help, but we certainly 189 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 2: need some changes. But I think on the federal level, 190 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 2: as far as student loans go, a humanities degree right 191 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 2: now is not going to get you as far as 192 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 2: an engineering degree. And that's going to change greatly in 193 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,199 Speaker 2: the next you know, who knows, two months, six months, 194 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 2: two years, it's going to change fast. 195 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on 196 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: the Tutor Dixon Podcast. So I come from the manufacturing world, 197 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 1: and I think about just twenty years ago when I 198 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: was starting out in manufacturing. And I know twenty years 199 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:43,840 Speaker 1: ago sounds like a long time, but you think about 200 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: just in the realm of how different businesses in that 201 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 1: period of time. It hasn't changed as much as I 202 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 1: think it's changing today, because I look, I mean we 203 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 1: had some of our drawings were still hand drawn by 204 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 1: people for parts, you know, and then it was like 205 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 1: CAD drawings, but you're still printing the mountain. Look, I mean, 206 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 1: we didn't have big computer screens or anything. We still 207 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: had landlines and faxes. You know. I think about how 208 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 1: different it is, and I do question, like how do 209 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:17,480 Speaker 1: all of these curriculums prepare you? And I think a 210 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: lot of that preparation is life preparation, you know, because 211 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: I think a lot of what you're going to do, 212 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 1: a lot of what you do in college does prepare 213 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 1: you for being on your own and taking care of 214 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: yourself and life, but also critical thinking and how to 215 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 1: think through a problem and how to get from here 216 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:38,480 Speaker 1: to there and how to put all of the anxiety 217 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: of things aside and focus on how you get a 218 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 1: missional approach, like how do I get to the end 219 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:46,840 Speaker 1: of this? How do I finish this journey? And that 220 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 1: was something I felt like I got out of college, 221 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 1: was like, there are going to be challenges and this 222 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:53,679 Speaker 1: is how you navigate those. But I don't know that 223 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: that's what they're getting today, right, I don't know either. 224 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 2: And I think about even my college degree was in 225 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:02,959 Speaker 2: environmental policy and law, and you know, I left school 226 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:05,320 Speaker 2: after the financial crisis. I wasn't getting any sort of 227 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:09,199 Speaker 2: environmental policy or corporate environmental management job at that point, 228 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:11,200 Speaker 2: and I ended up not really using my degree. I 229 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 2: want into to media and advertising, and eventually, long story, 230 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:21,079 Speaker 2: I ended up in advocacy. But you know what I 231 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 2: really got out of college is what you're saying. It's 232 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:26,920 Speaker 2: how do I plan my life? How do I manage 233 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 2: social situations? How do I make sure that I succeed 234 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:34,320 Speaker 2: at my responsibilities while balancing all those things? How do I, 235 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 2: you know, learn what I need from a life skill 236 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 2: perspective from these classes that I can hopefully apply somewhere 237 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 2: after school gets out. So you know, I think there's 238 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 2: certainly something to that that social building that cultural building 239 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 2: that university really does. But you know, maybe it's more 240 00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 2: important the type of culture that you're going into than 241 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:02,000 Speaker 2: the type of academics that you're going into right now, 242 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:05,600 Speaker 2: as we're not sure if the academics are actually going 243 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:08,199 Speaker 2: to be helping you in the new economy. 244 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: And it's like, is that lesson worth three hundred thousand dollars? 245 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 1: You know, you also go, oh, my gosh, am I 246 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 1: really talking about sending my kid to college to grow 247 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 1: up and learn those skills for that price tag? But 248 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: I do think that as I went to the University 249 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 1: of Kentucky, and that's what So we took our girls 250 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: down to the university, because we both went to the 251 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: University of Kentucky over the summer. We took them there 252 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: and they all loved it. And there is a part 253 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 1: of me that feels like those some of the southern 254 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 1: schools have still focused on education and it still felt 255 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: that way. It still felt fun, There was still joy 256 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:51,560 Speaker 1: on the campus, and I think that you can walk 257 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:53,720 Speaker 1: on some campuses and be like, there's a real joy 258 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 1: crush here. But I think that that's happening in lower 259 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 1: school too. For K through twelve, I feel like there is. 260 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: So I will tell you an example of this. I look, 261 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 1: just recently, there was a child that was at our 262 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: school and I went up to mom and I was like, Oh, 263 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,080 Speaker 1: what are you guys doing here, because they're public school, 264 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: They're a public school family. And she said, you know what, 265 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:20,240 Speaker 1: the child made the decision on their own that they 266 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 1: wanted to come here. They had seen things that were 267 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 1: and this is junior year. Junior year. To switch over 268 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: in the middle of your junior year to go to 269 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 1: a private school is a big decision for someone that's sixteen. 270 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: And she said that the child was having so many 271 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:39,800 Speaker 1: tough experiences in the public school that they said, on 272 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:43,120 Speaker 1: their own, I want this. And she said, you would 273 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 1: not believe there's no drama there, she said, compared to 274 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 1: what the child had been experiencing in public school. She said, 275 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,280 Speaker 1: it is an awakening. I have a different child at home, 276 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 1: a child that doesn't have the stresses, that doesn't have 277 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 1: the constant drama. And I do think that some of 278 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 1: this ideology that they teach in K through twelve is 279 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 1: causing a massive amount of stress and not enough learning. 280 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it certainly depends on the private school because 281 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:14,000 Speaker 2: this is a problem in private schools too. Let me 282 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 2: be clear, but in public schools especially, there's this real 283 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 2: demoralizing factor that's going on, and it's basically this operating 284 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 2: system by which we're teaching children that, based on their 285 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 2: intersectional identity, they are either an oppressed or oppress or person, 286 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 2: and they are basically told, if you're oppressed, you're a victim, 287 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 2: and you're not going to be able to succeed in 288 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:43,160 Speaker 2: our society because capitalism is against you, and so so 289 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 2: is the US form of imperialist democracy. 290 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: And the only way this feels like so heavy the 291 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: words that you're even using right. 292 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 3: Now, I'm like, look, this is what they do. 293 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:57,280 Speaker 2: It's demoralizing, right Like, it is heavy, and look it's 294 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 2: softer younger, and it gets stronger when you get older. 295 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 2: But you'd be surprised the things that they say to 296 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 2: people in kindergarten. I'll give you an example in a second. 297 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 2: But they say then that the only solution to this 298 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 2: is to tear down the systems that are oppressing people. 299 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:17,280 Speaker 2: And then if you're part of the intersectional oppressor, it 300 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 2: is your responsibility to use your privilege to tear down 301 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 2: these systems. And if you're not and if you're not 302 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 2: actively doing it, or if you don't say the right 303 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:29,360 Speaker 2: things in the right moments to support the oppressed people, 304 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 2: you are a racist, white supremacist, homophobic, transphobic, et cetera, 305 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 2: depending on the context. So this is tremendous, Like imagine 306 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 2: the social pressure of that, Like every day you're walking 307 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 2: on eggshells in school to make sure that you're sort 308 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 2: of like falling in line to this ideology. And it 309 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 2: is like, first of all, tremendously stressful. And second of all, 310 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 2: you're telling somebody you either are hopeless because of who 311 00:16:56,200 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 2: you are and the only way is revolution right to 312 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 2: like what they do, or you have the original sin 313 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:06,640 Speaker 2: of being, you know, an oppressor, so you should feel 314 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 2: bad about yourself. The only way to make up for 315 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:10,199 Speaker 2: it is to do these things. 316 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 3: It's it's entirely terrible. 317 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:17,240 Speaker 1: This is so I mean, it's so sad to think 318 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:20,640 Speaker 1: it's something I would never have had to imagine dealing with. 319 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:25,439 Speaker 1: And I think it's I think people are mistaken when 320 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:28,639 Speaker 1: they believe while we'll elect new people and the whole 321 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 1: education system will change, because it's got such deep roots. 322 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: And I think it's got deep roots outside of just 323 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:39,880 Speaker 1: the education system as well, because I know that we 324 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 1: recently had a young friend become a teacher and she 325 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 1: was going online to get her resources for her classes, 326 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 1: because there's a whole new world for teachers out there 327 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:55,359 Speaker 1: that my teachers certainly didn't have with online resources. And 328 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 1: they go and they get ideas. But the ideas online 329 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: are filled with these biases and these these it's like 330 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:08,359 Speaker 1: all filled with ideology. The curriculum is ideology based, and 331 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: they don't really really I don't think they really realized 332 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 1: they were even doing it. 333 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:15,919 Speaker 2: Yeah, there are bad actors, but most people are just 334 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:18,199 Speaker 2: caught up in a terrible system. It used to be 335 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 2: that there was a curriculum and a textbook that supported 336 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 2: that curriculum, and then you could sort of had some 337 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:25,160 Speaker 2: wherewithal to use the textbook in your own way. Well, 338 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 2: textbooks are out the windows. Schools are very much digitized, 339 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 2: and teachers in a lot of ways are under resourced. 340 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:34,920 Speaker 2: Even when we're paying more than we ever have for schools, 341 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 2: in some places, they're under resourced and they go to 342 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 2: a place that you know, we've seen teachers pay teachers 343 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 2: dot Com and there's no vetting by the school of 344 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:48,479 Speaker 2: what these materials actually look like and actually a lot 345 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:50,639 Speaker 2: of the anti Semitic material that we see in schools 346 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:53,960 Speaker 2: they end up coming from online resources. And this is 347 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 2: a transparency problem. Like it's we we have a hard 348 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:00,600 Speaker 2: time catching up to these things a society, especially with 349 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 2: how fast they're moving, and like it should be incumbent 350 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:06,440 Speaker 2: on school boards to understand that their teachers are getting 351 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 2: their classroom materials from these places that are not being 352 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 2: vetted or are not being approved, and there should be 353 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,159 Speaker 2: a process by which to do that. Otherwise you end 354 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,360 Speaker 2: up with stuff that you don't know who's planting it there. 355 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,320 Speaker 2: This is actually where we see foreign funding come into play. 356 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 2: One of the places in K twelve education in manipulating 357 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 2: it is putting out materials that then end up on 358 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:36,679 Speaker 2: these sort of like free or you know, low cost 359 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 2: gig economy teacher resource websites. 360 00:19:40,359 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 1: What kind of foreign funding. 361 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:49,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, so we've seen like there's some some foreign funding 362 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:54,840 Speaker 2: from like an organization called GETO or an organization called 363 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:59,280 Speaker 2: the Middle East Children Alliance, and they have funding ties 364 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 2: that actually in some cases go back to the PFLP, 365 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:05,920 Speaker 2: the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and they 366 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:09,440 Speaker 2: are basically this teach Palestine curriculum has ended up in 367 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 2: a lot of different schools, and it also is a 368 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:19,119 Speaker 2: professional development tool, and it basically teaches these things like 369 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 2: it correlates immigration in America, the immigration debate in America 370 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:29,959 Speaker 2: with the Palestine Israel conflict, and it basically says like 371 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:33,639 Speaker 2: it sort of says, you know, Palestine, Palestinians are indigenous 372 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:38,119 Speaker 2: to Palestine, as are indigenous people to you know, certain 373 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 2: parts of the United States. And this is about Turtle 374 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 2: Island and land back and it makes these sort of 375 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:48,679 Speaker 2: like like solidarity type of claims between the two and 376 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 2: then these teachers bring that professional development into the classroom 377 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:56,120 Speaker 2: and sometimes these materials into the classroom. Also, Katar has 378 00:20:56,160 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 2: funded something called the Choices program, which they got Bround 379 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 2: University behind, which is a very skewed version of Middle 380 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:09,160 Speaker 2: East studies that minimized the War of Independence narrative in 381 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:14,680 Speaker 2: favor of the Knakma narrative, for example, erased Jewish indigenity 382 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 2: to the land of Israel. And that program, you know, 383 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 2: while Brown eventually dropped the program their endorsement of the program, 384 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 2: it floated around in state education websites or at school 385 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:31,680 Speaker 2: resource guides for a very long time, and we actually 386 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:36,359 Speaker 2: identified some of those, reached out to departments of education 387 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:38,919 Speaker 2: across the country and got about six or seven states 388 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 2: to take them down because they don't even realize that 389 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 2: they're there, right. So those are just two examples. A 390 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 2: last one is in Chicago and actually across the country. 391 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:56,399 Speaker 2: Qatar Foundation International will fund Arabic language teachers, so they'll 392 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:58,679 Speaker 2: just say, like, here's a grant for one hundred thousand dollars, 393 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:01,480 Speaker 2: and you have an Arabic language teacher, and the Arabic 394 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:06,520 Speaker 2: language teacher forms relationships with other teachers and then consults 395 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 2: and guides them. We have proof of this from signal 396 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:12,879 Speaker 2: chats that we've infiltrated actually on how to talk about 397 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 2: controversial issues like the war in Gaza. So like you know, 398 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:20,639 Speaker 2: this comes up in a class and a teacher will say, oh, 399 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 2: who do I know that can help me defend that 400 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 2: Gaza's the genocide? 401 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 3: Well, the Arabic language teacher, you know. 402 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:31,359 Speaker 1: So the teachers are being indoctrinated and then they pass 403 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:33,919 Speaker 1: it along to the children and they don't even know 404 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:37,880 Speaker 1: that this person has been hired specifically to indoctrinate them 405 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:38,840 Speaker 1: on certain issues. 406 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:42,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, it's not it's not said that that's 407 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 2: what they're there to do, right, right, it's right Arabic, yeah, right, But. 408 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 1: That's how indoctrination happens. Right, You don't really know. 409 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 2: Right, But if you teach a construct of intersectional identity 410 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 2: where the experience of the person is correct in a 411 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 2: situation where there's power dynamics, the Arabic language teacher is 412 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:07,440 Speaker 2: the one whose experience is correct. 413 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:08,680 Speaker 3: It's not the. 414 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:14,360 Speaker 2: Jewish, Zionist pro Israel person. So that teacher, because they've 415 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 2: been formed through their college of education, through their culture 416 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:21,919 Speaker 2: at the school, to believe that the oppressed person is 417 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:24,959 Speaker 2: the one that they need to they call it center. 418 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 2: They will defer essentially to the person of color, the 419 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:35,480 Speaker 2: person of oppressed status, as the arbiter of truth in 420 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:36,440 Speaker 2: these situations. 421 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 1: Okay, so what is this solution? Now? In California, there's 422 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 1: been this suit that's recently been filed against the State 423 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:50,159 Speaker 1: of California alleging that they're allowing harassment of Jewish and 424 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:54,280 Speaker 1: Israeli students in public education that in K through twelve. 425 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 1: I believe this suit that's been filed, and there are 426 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:02,080 Speaker 1: young girls who say that they had their lives threatened 427 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:05,120 Speaker 1: by students if they heard them speaking in Hebrew, they 428 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,840 Speaker 1: were going after them and telling them that they should 429 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:13,200 Speaker 1: be dead. This is obviously this the anti Semitism has 430 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:17,440 Speaker 1: spread so quickly, and maybe from your perspective, maybe it's 431 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 1: just what we're seeing now, and maybe you would say, look, 432 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:23,600 Speaker 1: it has always been this bad. It just feels like 433 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:24,880 Speaker 1: it's insane right now. 434 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:28,840 Speaker 2: It's always been there, but it's not been this bad. 435 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:30,919 Speaker 2: I mean when I was growing up, we had some 436 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 2: of it. And there's also like this kind of subversive 437 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,760 Speaker 2: anti semitism where it's kind of joking and like people 438 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 2: think it's no big deal, but it makes me feel 439 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:42,120 Speaker 2: like not proud to be a Jewish person, Like you're 440 00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:45,320 Speaker 2: money hungry, you're not good at sports, you're anxious, geeky, 441 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,200 Speaker 2: YadA YadA, right, Like those are the tropes, but that 442 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:50,760 Speaker 2: never made me proud to be like Jewish, and I 443 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 2: never really was until later in my life. And that's 444 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:56,760 Speaker 2: a real thing. And you know, we had bomb threats 445 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:59,359 Speaker 2: at like the school when I was a Jewish area, 446 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:02,560 Speaker 2: so like this stuff has been there, but what we've 447 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 2: seen is like this explosion because of the manipulation of 448 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 2: this ideology into jew hatred. Into framing not just Jewish people, 449 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 2: but people who hold up the systems of the West, Americans, 450 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:18,119 Speaker 2: white people as evil and giving a permission structure to say, 451 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:21,680 Speaker 2: you know, resistance, which is another word for basically violence, 452 00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:25,120 Speaker 2: because they then they say resistance and then they actually 453 00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:29,880 Speaker 2: teach you, well, you know, decolonization, that that's only achieved 454 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:32,720 Speaker 2: through violence, and then you know, it's kind of this. 455 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 2: They don't make the direct they do like two hops, 456 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:38,399 Speaker 2: and so it makes this permission structure for people to 457 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 2: hate and be violent against not just Jewish people, but 458 00:25:42,359 --> 00:25:46,360 Speaker 2: whoever is perceived as upholding these systems of power. I 459 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:52,560 Speaker 2: saw this really coming getting crazy in twenty twenty one. 460 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:56,880 Speaker 2: There was a military operation between Israel and Gaza at 461 00:25:56,920 --> 00:26:00,879 Speaker 2: that time, and it was the first time that I 462 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:04,040 Speaker 2: was told that I was a white supremacist and actually 463 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 2: a Nazi for supporting Israel in that war. And you know, 464 00:26:10,359 --> 00:26:13,920 Speaker 2: I think probably even a little bit before that twenty seven, 465 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,679 Speaker 2: twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen is when a lot of this 466 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 2: stuff has gone a little bit wild. And if you 467 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:21,919 Speaker 2: think about the proliferation of social media and the smartphone 468 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:25,479 Speaker 2: and kind of the early twenty twenty teens, it very 469 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 2: much correlates with that, because this is that problem too. 470 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:31,920 Speaker 1: I saw someone just I think, gosh, just a couple 471 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 1: of days ago on TV say something that it really 472 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,119 Speaker 1: struck me. She I can't remember who it was, but 473 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:41,200 Speaker 1: she was saying, you know, when when ten seven happened, 474 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:44,960 Speaker 1: we all assumed what the moral response would be would 475 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:48,280 Speaker 1: be a shock and outrage, and that wasn't the response. 476 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:52,719 Speaker 1: And that's when we started to question where is morality today, 477 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:55,320 Speaker 1: Like where are the people who are on the right 478 00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:57,560 Speaker 1: side of things? When all of a sudden people were saying, 479 00:26:57,600 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 1: you didn't see what you saw and those women didn't 480 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:02,159 Speaker 1: get raped and they didn't kill kids. It's like, what 481 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:04,480 Speaker 1: do you? What do you? How did this? How did 482 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:05,200 Speaker 1: we get here? 483 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:09,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, And that's something that they play in in this 484 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:13,439 Speaker 2: construct of There's actually a guy named Edward Sayid who 485 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 2: is a professor of Columbia who who structured something called Orientalism, 486 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 2: which is based, by the way, in the same constructs 487 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:24,440 Speaker 2: that we're talking about right now, this oppressed oppressor. And 488 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:30,000 Speaker 2: he sort of frames basically that we as the West, 489 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 2: believe we're right because we are virtuous in like, you know, 490 00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:39,080 Speaker 2: our dedication to human rights, and that when we push 491 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 2: those things on other countries or other cultures, that that 492 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:46,960 Speaker 2: is colonization and that that is actually not understanding where 493 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:50,520 Speaker 2: those cultures are coming from. And there's this sort of 494 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:54,280 Speaker 2: like moral relative relativism that is happening there where they're 495 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:58,240 Speaker 2: saying like, well, you know, you may see that, you know, 496 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:01,120 Speaker 2: there's oppression of women in power stein or any run 497 00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 2: or in in these these these Middle Eastern countries, these 498 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:06,320 Speaker 2: Islamist countries. 499 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:09,320 Speaker 3: But that's just because you have. 500 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:12,680 Speaker 2: A you don't understand what is moral in their societies, 501 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:15,720 Speaker 2: and you need to respect their culture and their version 502 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:19,600 Speaker 2: of morality, which I think is is this is where 503 00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:23,120 Speaker 2: we get to this, right. So then when you you 504 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 2: you frame these things as you know, they are part 505 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:31,360 Speaker 2: of this global South that is colonized by the West, 506 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 2: and the white people are kind of like just always 507 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:36,399 Speaker 2: trying to push their stuff on them. You get like 508 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:39,480 Speaker 2: they become the victims, and then people believe it's virtuous 509 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:43,560 Speaker 2: and righteous to defend the victims, regardless of like the 510 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:46,840 Speaker 2: normal Western moral structure that we have, which by the way, 511 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 2: is based in Judeo Christian values versus kind of what 512 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 2: the the. 513 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 3: Islamist would say. 514 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:57,840 Speaker 2: So, uh, this is how you get when somebody drives 515 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 2: a vehicle with explosives into temple Israel them saying, well, 516 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 2: you know Israel bombed his family in Lebanon last week. 517 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 3: Right, Well, to. 518 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 1: Me, it's the most horrifying response. 519 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:17,239 Speaker 2: By the way, I don't I don't see like you know, 520 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:21,080 Speaker 2: there were two Israeli Jews shot outside a museum in DC. 521 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:25,240 Speaker 2: There's no retribution being paid for that because we don't 522 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 2: believe in that as a society. We don't believe that 523 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 2: like violence begets violent, Like that's not like what we do. 524 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 2: And by the way, the individual's family, like one of 525 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:38,840 Speaker 2: them was a Hesbola commander according to the IDF. 526 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:40,960 Speaker 3: So you know, look, death is. 527 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:42,960 Speaker 1: Hood, which means he is the person who put his 528 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 1: children in danger, no one. 529 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 3: Else, right, I totally agree. 530 00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:52,240 Speaker 2: So, yeah, this is moral relativism and it's a really 531 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:56,400 Speaker 2: big problem. And honestly, I think that you know, religion 532 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:59,400 Speaker 2: and lack of adherence to religion in our country has 533 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:02,560 Speaker 2: something to with it. There's sort of this void that's 534 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 2: getting filled by the social justice stuff and the morality 535 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:09,720 Speaker 2: structure there has more to do with your identity and 536 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 2: whether your identity is oppressing somebody else and then sort 537 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 2: of saying, you know whatever, they're the victims, so whatever 538 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:19,800 Speaker 2: they believe or whoever they are, that's fine and right 539 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:22,040 Speaker 2: because we're the ones who need to sort of like, 540 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:26,040 Speaker 2: you know, defer at this point in time because we 541 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:28,640 Speaker 2: held them down and that's why they are the way 542 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:29,000 Speaker 2: they are. 543 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 1: Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on 544 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:40,080 Speaker 1: the Tutor Dixon Podcast. Something that I feel like you're 545 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:42,240 Speaker 1: onto something with the faith thing, because one of the 546 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:46,360 Speaker 1: things that I've seen with the teenagers today is that 547 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: the teenagers that have a strong faith, they have a 548 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:55,280 Speaker 1: stronger confidence because they are living for something bigger than 549 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:57,920 Speaker 1: them and the living They're not concerned with you know, 550 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:00,440 Speaker 1: what do people think of me? It's what does God 551 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:02,920 Speaker 1: think of me? And I just think that there is 552 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 1: a difference when there's a focus on that faith. I 553 00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: want to ask you something because at the beginning you 554 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 1: said you talked about the kid who was the Republican saint. 555 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:13,680 Speaker 1: It's herder to come out as a Republican than it 556 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:16,600 Speaker 1: is as gay. Well, let me ask you how you 557 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 1: feel today about being Jewish, because one third of Jewish 558 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 1: college students say they don't want they feel uncomfortable displaying 559 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:25,520 Speaker 1: their Jewish identity. 560 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I you know, I probably should have worn it, 561 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:31,560 Speaker 2: but I always wear my Magin de vide out like 562 00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 2: every day because I believe that that's the only thing 563 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 2: that we can do. Our expressions of Jewish pride and 564 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:38,560 Speaker 2: people knowing that there are Jews around them is the 565 00:31:38,560 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 2: best thing that we can do. But like you know, 566 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:43,840 Speaker 2: it's not for everybody. You know, think about you know, 567 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 2: your daughter alone on the subway, if she could have 568 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,760 Speaker 2: been a target because she's showing her Jewish star if 569 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:50,080 Speaker 2: she was. 570 00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:51,000 Speaker 3: Obviously she's not. 571 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 2: But just as a as an analogy, you may not 572 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:56,920 Speaker 2: want that, and I don't encourage everybody to do that. 573 00:31:56,960 --> 00:31:59,480 Speaker 2: But that's a very sad state that we're in. And 574 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:03,040 Speaker 2: you know, back to religion, I mean this idea of 575 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:09,000 Speaker 2: saying that people are different based on their identity or 576 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:13,680 Speaker 2: their intersectional identity, it's not really based in what Judeo 577 00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:17,120 Speaker 2: Christian values are. Like, we see everybody as equal in 578 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 2: and created in the image of God, and that means 579 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:23,959 Speaker 2: that we treat people equally, and we treat them not 580 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:28,840 Speaker 2: by by like their immutable characteristics, but by who they 581 00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 2: are and like what sorry, not by who they are 582 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 2: but like how they they they how they are, like 583 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 2: how moral they are, how they treat other people, the 584 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 2: content of their character. Right, So I think there's something 585 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:43,760 Speaker 2: to that too. We've gotten away from I'd say, like 586 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:50,959 Speaker 2: the humanism that that religion really professes. Uh And you know, 587 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:53,600 Speaker 2: maybe this, this run away from a religion has allowed 588 00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 2: people to find something different that that matches their social 589 00:32:57,320 --> 00:32:58,040 Speaker 2: justice vibe. 590 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:00,280 Speaker 1: So you think that's part of it. Though. So if 591 00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:06,160 Speaker 1: you can continue to create differences and anxietism around those differences, 592 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:08,640 Speaker 1: Like there's racism, there's this. If you can continue to 593 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:12,960 Speaker 1: create more racism, then you have it. It's there. It 594 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,840 Speaker 1: can divide, it can cause activism. You know, if you 595 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:19,240 Speaker 1: have a loving society, there's not enough to push each 596 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:22,520 Speaker 1: other apart. And I do think politics plays a huge 597 00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:26,120 Speaker 1: role in this, because you have to divide to get 598 00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:28,680 Speaker 1: to add your voters. You know, we got we got 599 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:32,440 Speaker 1: to get every every voter counts, We got to dissuade 600 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 1: them from going for the other side. It really has 601 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:36,520 Speaker 1: become very nasty. 602 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 2: Very nasty to the point where like two things. One 603 00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:43,600 Speaker 2: there's I mean I didn't used to believe it, but 604 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 2: I probably had it. There's certainly a Trump arrangement syndrome. 605 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:50,720 Speaker 2: I am not a Donald Trump fan, but I also 606 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:53,920 Speaker 2: agree with some of the things that he's done, and 607 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:55,880 Speaker 2: I'm happy with some of the things he's done. There's 608 00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:58,120 Speaker 2: other things that I'm not so happy about. But the 609 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:01,840 Speaker 2: ability for me to decipher those two things is important 610 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:05,640 Speaker 2: because it also allows me to understand on the side 611 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:07,960 Speaker 2: that's like, it's not for me, but like these people 612 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:10,080 Speaker 2: that are sort of like my side's the left and 613 00:34:10,640 --> 00:34:14,440 Speaker 2: we're just here to oppose the right. They then ignore 614 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:17,600 Speaker 2: anything that's going bad on their side because anything is 615 00:34:17,640 --> 00:34:21,040 Speaker 2: better than this, and it allows all this craziness to 616 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:25,120 Speaker 2: foster on their side. So that polarization has been really 617 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:28,560 Speaker 2: bad for our country because it actually makes it so 618 00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:31,239 Speaker 2: that anybody on either side really doesn't hold their own 619 00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:34,239 Speaker 2: side accountable. And we're seeing that like on the left 620 00:34:34,280 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 2: from what I'm describing, and also on the right from 621 00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:40,400 Speaker 2: you know, allowing these people like Candice Owans neck Flantes 622 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:45,000 Speaker 2: to sort of like have these platforms. So you know, 623 00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:47,680 Speaker 2: I'd like to see the right and some people have 624 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:51,600 Speaker 2: really like push that stuff away, but the polarization has 625 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:52,680 Speaker 2: made it very difficult. 626 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:57,160 Speaker 1: I just saw today that she posts Candice Owans posted 627 00:34:57,200 --> 00:35:01,200 Speaker 1: that she's like the number one podcast. I think with 628 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:04,279 Speaker 1: Joe Rogan, they're like tied at the top. And that's 629 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:08,200 Speaker 1: exactly what I thought. How and the only someone explained 630 00:35:08,200 --> 00:35:10,000 Speaker 1: it to me, like, it's kind of like the National 631 00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:12,600 Speaker 1: Inquirer and you know it's all lies, and it's like 632 00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:15,480 Speaker 1: the bat Boy. You know, you see it at the 633 00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:19,520 Speaker 1: checkout counter at the grocery store, and you like, people 634 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:21,920 Speaker 1: just like to buy it because it's entertainment, but they 635 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:24,920 Speaker 1: know it's all fake. But it's so dangerous. It's not 636 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:27,800 Speaker 1: just the bat Boy, you know, this is really dangerous 637 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:30,120 Speaker 1: stuff that people are putting out there, and how do 638 00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:32,760 Speaker 1: we continue to ignore it? But then you got people 639 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:34,480 Speaker 1: on the right that are like, well, you can't say 640 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:37,960 Speaker 1: anything about speech. Well I can't. I'm sorry, but if 641 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:41,120 Speaker 1: we own, we've owned these people in the past. So 642 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:44,160 Speaker 1: you have to separate yourself, say whatever you want. But 643 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:46,880 Speaker 1: I have to separate myself from you because you do 644 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:50,839 Speaker 1: not represent me. And I am with you on the 645 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:53,360 Speaker 1: fact that we have separated parties so much. Like I 646 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:55,840 Speaker 1: said at the beginning of this, when I was in college, 647 00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:59,440 Speaker 1: I knew my parents didn't vote for Bill Clinton, and 648 00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:01,440 Speaker 1: I don't think I had voted in an election at 649 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:04,400 Speaker 1: this point in my life, but he was the president 650 00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:07,239 Speaker 1: and there was a joy in seeing your president. And 651 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:10,560 Speaker 1: now I can't imagine college kids that don't like Donald 652 00:36:10,560 --> 00:36:11,920 Speaker 1: Trump going to a rally. 653 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:15,440 Speaker 2: You, right, I would never have been not a chance. 654 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:17,800 Speaker 2: It's just way too polarized right now. 655 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:22,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, yes, absolutely, Well I could talk to you, honestly 656 00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:25,000 Speaker 1: for hours. I so appreciate you coming on today. I 657 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:27,319 Speaker 1: think there's a lot more to dig into on how 658 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:30,720 Speaker 1: to protect our kids from the anti Semitism that's happening 659 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:33,360 Speaker 1: in schools and just this indoctrination. So we'll have to 660 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:36,319 Speaker 1: have you back sometime. Josh Waener, thank you so much. 661 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:38,560 Speaker 3: Can I just leave your viewers with two things? 662 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:42,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, please, Yeah, I just want parents to just be mindful, 663 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 2: like ask your kids what's going on in school, take 664 00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:47,680 Speaker 2: a look at their classroom work, make sure that you 665 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:50,319 Speaker 2: understand what's going on in the classrooms, and come and 666 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:53,960 Speaker 2: report if you think you're concerned to things like you know, 667 00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:57,600 Speaker 2: this ideology that's in the classroom. To navvy, we're at 668 00:36:57,640 --> 00:36:59,960 Speaker 2: navivalues dot org and we can kind of direct you 669 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:04,120 Speaker 2: on what exactly to do. But you know, also run 670 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:06,279 Speaker 2: for school board if you're concerned about what's going on 671 00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:08,000 Speaker 2: in your school, because that's another way that you can 672 00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:09,640 Speaker 2: impact things. So sorry, I just wanted to leave your 673 00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:10,160 Speaker 2: viewers with you. 674 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:13,000 Speaker 1: No, I think that's great because we always say we 675 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:16,080 Speaker 1: feel powerless, as parents say when you see this stuff. 676 00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:19,080 Speaker 1: But but what you said to me is so critical. 677 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:23,160 Speaker 1: We are in a world where we are so distracted constantly, 678 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:26,399 Speaker 1: even as mom, you know the phone is ringing, you've 679 00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:29,480 Speaker 1: got your you're sucked into social media, even if you're 680 00:37:29,520 --> 00:37:33,680 Speaker 1: just scrolling videos. Put that down and ask what happened, 681 00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:36,400 Speaker 1: because your kids are going to tell you what happened. 682 00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:40,399 Speaker 1: That's the beauty of kids. They don't hide things, some 683 00:37:40,480 --> 00:37:43,359 Speaker 1: of the most bizarre things. I'm sure some teachers are like, 684 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:46,480 Speaker 1: why did you tell your mom that? But because they 685 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:48,719 Speaker 1: tell me just bizarre things too, you know. But that's 686 00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:51,920 Speaker 1: the joy of parenting find out. And I love the 687 00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:54,560 Speaker 1: fact that you gave us the resource resource in NAVI 688 00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:55,960 Speaker 1: because we don't know where to go. 689 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:59,120 Speaker 3: So thank you, yeah, of course, thank you, Tutor. 690 00:37:59,120 --> 00:38:01,400 Speaker 1: Thank you, and thank you for listening to the Tutor 691 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:03,960 Speaker 1: Dixon podcast for this episode and others. You can get 692 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:07,520 Speaker 1: it wherever you get your podcasts the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 693 00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:10,440 Speaker 1: Rumble or YouTube apt Tutor Dixon. Just make sure you 694 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:13,920 Speaker 1: tune in and have a blessed day