A group of critical race theory opponents said at a panel discussion hosted by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute the hypothesis lacks merit. .The Wednesday debate saw panelists such as SlowtoWrite.com blogger Samuel Sey, True North contributor Noah Jarvis, and Teardown author Dave Meslin speak. This debate was moderated by Macdonald-Laurier Institute senior fellow Jamil Jivani..The debate started off with Sey saying CRT is as or more popular in Canada as it is in the United States. .“It’s not received anywhere near the kind of challenge it’s received from parents or politicians in Canada as it has in the US,” said Sey. .Sey said he believes CRT is prevalent because an Ipsos poll suggested 54% of Canadians believe racism is entrenched in Canada’s economy, government, and education system. While the average person would not believe Canada is racist, he said more than half of Canada thinks the country is as terrible as the US..Sey spoke about how the Ontario government was looking at passing Bill 67, which would implement CRT into the province’s education system. .Prominent Canadian psychologist and author Dr. Jordan Peterson spoke out against Bill 67 in March. .READ MORE: Peterson shares YouTube warning on critical race theory, Ontario Bill-67.“It will make mandatory the subversion of the entire education system in Ontario (K-12 as well as colleges and universities) to the radically leftist doctrines known as critical theory: a thoroughly anti-western ideology, both post-modern and Marxist in its derivation,” said Peterson. .“Critical theorists dismiss the idea of the sovereign, free individual, claiming that belief in such sovereignty and freedom does nothing but justify the oppression and exploitation of the marginalized.”.Sey called discriminating against race “the heartbeat of critical race theory.” .“It’s saying it's OK to show partiality or to discriminate against people, especially white people, if it creates equity,” he said..Jarvis said he finds CRT is not “an accurate way of viewing the world.” .“I think it misses the marks on its proposed solutions,” said Jarvis. .“I also believe it creates more racial division in the country and in the society in general than we would have without it.” .He said supporters point to racial disparities in income and educational outcomes and say it proves discrimination. What these supporters fail to consider, he said, is other factors. .Jarvis spoke about a study from the University of California, San Diego, suggesting white students have better academic performance than black students because they study more. The study said Asian students have the highest grades because they study the most out of all racial groups. .Meslin said he accepted this invitation after seeing Jivani’s column in the Toronto Sun challenging CRT supporters to speak at this debate. .“Lived experience changes how you interact with the world,” said Meslin. .“Having a black body might mean it could get you on a different train than having a white body.” .He said he started hearing about CRT in activist circles, and he was offended about people telling him to check his privilege before he came to accept it as a valid theory. He added it can be used to explain racial disparities in incomes and the justice system..Meslin described many of CRT’s loudest opponents as “people rallying against other progressive reforms for the last 10, 20 years.” He said the politics of these people abhor him. .Jivani said the debate was about bringing people with different viewpoints together. .“Unfortunately, it took a lot of effort to put together a conversation that would be nuanced and inclusive of different points of view,” said Jivani. .“The journey of getting here has affirmed a lot of the frustrations that people feel today about how hard it is to have healthy, dynamic conversations that are important.”
