respond to the posts separately:
PEER# 1
I found an article by U.S. News called “DEI Bans at Colleges: What Students Should Know”. This article was talking about five states that have passed legislation banning certain diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives/programs. These five states are Florida, North Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas. The main goals of the bills that placed restricitions on DEI initiatives are to prohibit using federal or state funding to support DEI offices or staff at public colleges, mandating diversity training, or using diversity statements in hiring and promotion, or using identity-based preferences in hiring and admissions. The article explains that “the critics of DEI efforts claim they are divisive, push ‘woke’ ideologies on staff and students, and are a waste of taxpayers’ money”.
I personally do not agree with the DEI bans that is taking place at these colleges. I think that DEI programs are extremely important because student populations are seeming to become more and more diverse, and with the use of these programs, it can create an environment for students to feel a sense of support, and overall, help them succeed not only in their studies, but in life as well. The banning of these DEI programs may result in students feeling alone, and can make them feel like they cannot preform to the fullest of their capabilities, because they feel uncomfortable in their environment.
PEER# 2
I found an article by the U.S news about the effects of the discussion of critical race theory in America. It went into the details of the origin of critical race theory and what it means today within our daily lives and in the school systems. Critical race theory attempts to explain how the inequality and discrimination of minority groups in American history and in modern times still has effects to these populations today by the dominant group. While it is something important to highlight within school curriculum, individual states have the power to either teach it or not and the federal government cannot interfere on what these states decide to teach. So, in practice most red states refuse to teach it as critical race theory attempts to divide Americans and it is “spoon-feeding students a slanted history.”. In my opinion it critical race theory is important to teach because it highlights important events in American history tied to certain minority groups. Without telling the hardships and inequality of these minority groups, it takes away a huge chunk of their identity and history.
PEER# 3
The article I looked over is called, “Not safe anywhere now’: American Jews are Flocking to gun training classes”. I found this article on NBC News. Pretty much to sum it up, the article talks about how American Jews are starting to feel unsafer due to the situation that is going on in Israel. They feel with the situation going on that Jewish people and synagogues will become a targeted area for something such as a mass shooting. That’s why they are taking gun training classes. To me, reading this was pretty sad. It’s sad to hear people are training for self-defense due to their culture. Hate crimes and things of that nature just have never made sense to me. I don’t understand how people just have the mindset to do those types of things.