The case of Kristine Hostetter presents one of the most difficult and important tests of freedom of speech in our polarized American political environment. Whether this woman should be allowed to keep her post is not a simple matter. It is a question of reasonability. And, questions of reasonability are hard to answer. But the line must be drawn, and it must hold fast; or we legitimize the very ideas we seek to combat. Democratic nations remain democratic only when they distinguish between the reasonable opinions of those engaging in the democratic process, and individuals who espouse beliefs which, although protected speech, represent a danger to the democratic process.
It is important to ensure that the opinions of Trump supporters are respected. If we fail to do that we lend credence to conspiracy theories, which though bizarre and absurd, are nonetheless becoming more widely believed. If we fail to respect the rights of conspiracy theorists, we give them ammunition to spread their dangerous ideas. Democracies need places where people who have dangerous anti-democratic ideas express themselves.
However, that place is not in a school. Education is the single most important thing that keeps American democracy healthy and resilient. There is no more important function of government. Can a conspiracy theorist educate children to become citizens who are actively a part of the business of government? No. This is not a hypothetical. Hostetter’s school is being pushed (rightly so) to address racism. Combating bigotry in a scholastic environment is the most important citizen activism anybody in any democracy needs to do. A conspiracy theorist cannot be a part of that process. Ultimately, there’s no place for conspiracy theories in the establishments that educate our young citizens.
Often, it seems, the conspiracy theorists who are supporters of Trump avoid being labeled racist. But, whether or not a conspiracy theorist is racist is moot. Conspiracy theories themselves are dangerous and they will inevitably morph into dangerous forms of bigotry if left to fester. This process has already begun in America. Margorie Taylor Greene has espoused the idea that Jews have formed a cabal to emit lasers from outer space. History has taught us what becomes of a society that fails to address people who abandon facts and immerse themselves in theories devoid of reality. We would not tolerate a teacher who was openly Neo-Nazi. Quanon may be different, but it is not less dangerous, and it may not remain different very long.
Progressive Without Apology 