No law, program or amount of education will eradicate ‘bias’

I read with interest an article our own Dino Flammia wrote regarding a new anti-bias program about to be tested and implemented in New Jersey schools. A pilot run for the training was hosted on Tuesday in front of law enforcement, community leaders and members of school administration, among others.

The article also states that according to the latest numbers from the NJ State Police, a quarter of New Jersey's bias crimes — those motivated by prejudice against others — were committed by individuals under the age of 18.

The training is still in development, according to Attorney General Christopher Porrino, but he believes it will roll out to grade schools and high schools "in the near future." Porrino also states that schools are, “ an audience that's not being tapped statewide and we believe, based on these statistics, that it needs to be."

I have a problem with trying to place more curricula in our already overburdened, inefficient public schools, but I especially have a problem with those that seek to teach values to our kids, since I believe that is the parent's job. And I’m tired of my tax dollars paying for these programs.

I don’t teach my kids to hate anyone, but I respect the right of any family to teach what they want to their children, even if it involves bias. There are plenty of families who tell their children the “kind” of kids they want them hanging out with. There are plenty of families who teach their kids that whatever type of people THEY are is better than the type OTHER people are. There are plenty of parents who teach their kids to “stick to their own kind”, or that their group, race, religion does things the “right” way, and others do not.

It’s a family’s right to do this, however distasteful this may seem to you. It goes on all day, every day, in literally every state in the country and has since the beginning of time.

So there’s bias. There always will be bias. No law, no program, no amount of “education” will eradicate bias. It’s human nature and a human right to love and hate who you want, and to teach your kids to do the same.

It is not the duty of public education to teach kids how to be nice to each other. It’s a waste of money at best, and a huge boundary breach at worst.

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Dennis & Judi are on the air weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tweet them @DennisandJudi or @NJ1015.