Misconception #177: Attempts to ban political discrimination would be disastrous

Over the years, I have been writing about misconceptions regarding the schooling process. The purpose of these posts is to explain why I disagree with various comments that I have heard people make about schooling. These are meant as personal thoughts rather than conclusive proof, and I will admit that I'm not always the best at explaining my thoughts. Regardless, I have decided that I should be willing to share these posts when I encounter someone online who makes an argument that I have already discussed.

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Should schools discriminate? How about political discrimination? There has been a debate about this. A lot of teachers have pushed back with, like usual, absurd arguments.

Teachers are viewing political discrimination as a gag order. They feel like they have to be cautious about what they tell their students. Quite frankly, they should be cautious. Teachers are in a position of influence, and they should not be using that influence to manipulate the views of their students.

Another argument has been that political discrimination is unlike other forms of discrimination because people's political views can change. By contrast, people can't change their race. This is true, but is it a valid defense of discrimination?

People should be open to their views changing over time. This includes political views. While teachers have been using this as an argument in favor of discrimination, I view it as an argument against. If people are changing their own views, which is very different from being manipulated into embracing the views of teachers, they need exposure to diverse political views.

Some teachers have complained about the wording. They insist that it hinders the ability to bring up politics. Most of these teachers use this argument to defend their desire to silence views they don't like or to justify unequal treatment on the basis of political beliefs. That type of behavior should be thought of as political discrimination, and there should be policies against this behavior.

If you are really afraid that wording can hinder the development of political views, then address the wording. Don't defend discrimination. Students should have the right to develop their own political views. Political discrimination hinders this form of development.