Rashida Tlaib: Opposition To CRT ‘Rooted In Racism,’ ‘Dog Whistle For Racists’

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) alleged that opposition to critical race theory is itself “rooted in racism.”

Referring to comments from General Mark Milley — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — the lawmaker tweeted that “opposition to critical race theory is obviously rooted in racism and has just become the newest dog whistle for racists.”

Opposition to critical race theory is obviously rooted in racism and has just become the newest dog whistle for racists. https://t.co/K18vi67D7N

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) June 24, 2021

Milley — who, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the highest-ranking officer in the military and an adviser to President Biden — made waves on Wednesday as he testified before the House Armed Services Committee.

“But I do think it’s important actually for those of us in uniform to be open-minded and be widely read,” said the general, “and the United States Military Academy is a university and it is important that we train and we understand, and I want to understand white rage, and I’m white.”

Referring to January 6: “What is it that caused thousands of people to assault this building and try to overturn the Constitution of the United States of America? What caused that? I want to find that out. I want to maintain an open mind here and do want to analyze it. It’s important that we understand that because our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and guardians, they come from the American people. So it is important that the leaders, now and in the future, do understand it.”

“I’ve read Mao Tse-Tung; I’ve read Karl Marx; I’ve read Lenin,” the general continued. “That doesn’t make me a communist. So what is wrong with understanding, having some situational understanding about the country for which we are here to defend?”

Conservatives slammed Tlaib on social media over what they saw to be a shallow perspective.

Big “everyone who disagrees with me is a racist” energy https://t.co/LdcUJGk19L

— Young Conservatives of Texas (@yct) June 24, 2021

lol perfect https://t.co/t5WYyBYrE7

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) June 24, 2021

This is such a tiresome fallacy. It’s a claim that if you oppose indoctrinating children in critical race theory / racial essentialism / the flawed 1619 Project lens of viewing America, then you’re a racist. This from Rashida Tlaib is simultaneously boring, lazy, and calumnious. https://t.co/00VKCMPPID

— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) June 24, 2021

Tlaib’s remarks come as left-leaning media outlets deploy various rhetorical tactics — such as claiming that critical race theory does not exist, resides only in law schools, and is necessary for teaching students about the evils of slavery and racism — in response to a grassroots movement against the ideology.

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