Rep. Dave Brat: The Real 'Institutional Racism' Is Taking The Bible Out Of Public Schools

[tenderfoot]

Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., had an unusual take yesterday on recent protests around the police shootings of African-American men in North Carolina and Oklahoma, saying that while Black Lives Matter is made up of “radical groups” and “confused people,” the real “institutional racism” is policies that removed government-sponsored religious teaching from public schools.

Virginia talk radio host John Fredericks asked Brat yesterday, “Help me understand, what is Black Lives Matter rioting about in Charlotte?”

“Well, that’s just sub-groups,” Brat responded, “some of these radical groups that are funded out of George Soros’ pot of money and just some confused people.”

In contrast, he said, he recently visited a prison and met with former heroin addicts who told him that they wanted him to “get the Bible back in the classroom and religion back in the classroom so my kids and grandkids don’t end up like me.” Because of the lack of religious instruction, he said, these men were “never taught what was good and bad in life in the public school system.”

“The Democrat policy in education is holding back an entire generation from being successful,” he said, “and then you end up with this racial system when your school system … [is] teaching them about isosceles triangles but we’re not giving them any hope.”

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/rep-dave-brat-real-institutional-racism-taking-bible-out-public-schools


This is the guy that beat Eric Cantor...

[stopbush]

1. Fuck you, Brat.

[mythology]

2. Does the fact that depictions of Jesus all show him as a white guy count?

I would argue that is a sort of institutional racism as it denies what a historical Jesus would have looked like and reframing him as a white guy.

[Mass]

3. No surprise coming from Brat....

[DetlefK]

4. So... we should let the Bible be the final arbiter on what's good and what's bad?

Murder is bad. Unless you are going to war against unbelievers, then it's okay.

Enslaving your kind is bad. But enslaving foreigners and unbelievers is okay.

Don't mess around with too many women. Marry that one woman and stay with her. And with the other wives you have on the side. And the occasional slave you rape.

Never ever doubt what the religious authorities tell you. God is infallible, which means that they are infallible, which means that it's the greatest sin to doubt and ask "why".

Don't worry, there is hope. God might ruin your life and kill everyone you love and you while he's at it, just because he feels like, and there is nothing you can do about it. But don't worry, that's okay because God is always right and loves you. There is hope.
There is hope that the same authoritiy-figure that kicks your ass whenever he feels like will one day feel like doing you a favour.
(Except when the ass-kicker finds out that you don't appreciate his ass-kicking. Then he sends you to hell for hating on him.)

[gwheezie]

5. Oh he's a right-wing loon

Koch puppet.

[Wounded Bear]

6. The Bible says that the Jews are the chosen people...

favorite of God.

Do you believe that, Mr Brat?

[sinkingfeeling]

7. What total bullsh*t!

[lindysalsagal]

8. Exactly where, and when WAS the bible in a public school????

Seriously. Location and date, please.

[rurallib]

9. Interesting question

Doing a simple google brings up a lot of articles about the current situation and promotions for one side or another. Finding actual histories ain't easy.

Googling 'history of religious practices in public schools' substituting 'religious practice' for 'bible' I was able to get one wikipedia entry that seemed pretty legit. Obviously there are articles on both sides of the issue that have histories, but they may be a bit slanted.

So here is the wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_prayer

I went to a catholic school in the 50s and 60s so this wasn't an issue for us. The bible seemed to come in being used as a daily reading with a religious lesson. It was also quite ubiquitous in public schools throughout the country which is why the lawsuits were brought from around the country.

It also seemed not to be a separate subject like religion was in catholic schools, but woven into most any subject and school sponsored activities, such a sports. Actually I think many public school teams have been accused of having pregame prayers etc. - voluntary, but you know how that goes.

If you want specific dates and times, I would suggest you look up some of the cases about school prayer such as Engel v. Vitale or Abington Township School District v. Schempp.

Here is another article from a source I have trust in to be truthful https://www.au.org/resources/publications/prayer-and-the-public-schools

So I hope that helps some.

[Mariana]

10. Ms public school had some Bibles in the school library

that students could check out and read if they wanted to.

[lindysalsagal]

11. That's not what this fool is implying. He want's indoctrination

And it's against the 1st amendment.