This is in response to Susannah Colt’s My Turn “What exactly is inherent racism?” (Monitor, 12/15). Colt is correct is that there is no such thing as inherent racism. People are not born racist. Racism is an acquired trait. But she is confused about how this relates to the recent law change about what can be taught in New Hampshire public schools.
She says that “when the statute goes on to declare that a person born into one of the identified groups is ‘inherently oppressive, consciously or unconsciously.’ it creates an oxymoronic impossibility.” But the statute does not say that anyone is inherently oppressive. What it does is prohibit public schools from teaching that anyone is inherently oppressive. This prohibition seems like a good thing to me.
Brad Dorsey
Hopkinton