Peter Hewett’s letter, “Arlene Violet is wrong on Critical Race Theory,” does little more than spread misinformation and insult a credible journalist.

Beginning with the end of his letter, Mr. Hewett’s treatment of Arlene Violet is not “unfair” — it is patronizing and insulting. Taking an entire paragraph to call someone naïve, lazy or cowardly is no way to describe someone who is “deserving of (his) respect and admiration” at the beginning of the letter. Mr. Hewett could have left that judgmental paragraph out of the letter, and his argument would be none the weaker.

This is mostly because an argument based upon misinformation can’t get any weaker than it already is.

Implying that he knows the definition of CRT, he avoids actually doing so and primes the reader for some “alternative facts” by letting us know that he’s drawing on sources that are not mainstream (read: that suit his own opinions). He then diverts the reader to a “handbook” written by Christopher Rufo, a documentary filmmaker who has shown himself to be little more than a professional propagandist.

In a 21 June Washington Post article, Rufo admitted that his goal is to re-brand and “re-codify” CRT to encompass what he calls “the entire range of cultural constructions that are unpopular with Americans.” In other words, he admits to being dishonest and bending the subject of CRT to his purpose. Chris Rufo appears to be succeeding. After all, Mr. Hewett is holding up Rufo’s admittedly dishonest efforts as his “primary source” on the truth of CRT.

We should also note that he and his Bristol County Concerned Citizens cohorts continuously parrot talking points like the ones found on Rufo’s website. Rufo’s misinformation gets free reign on the likes of Fox News and the Wall Street Journal Opinion Page. This is the same propaganda that drives parents throughout the country, who don’t even know what CRT is, to disrupt and obstruct school committees and school departments by demanding that K-12 schools stop teaching something they don’t teach.

Arguing something on its merits requires a better effort than spreading pre-packaged misinformation and claiming to know the truth. Arguing with respect requires an effort to be respectful. These are low bars that Mr. Hewett failed to clear.

Bill Bullard
Bristol