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Dive into the complexities of culture wars, stay ahead in the ever-changing tech landscape with our insightful technology guide, and explore the urgent matters of climate change, from rising temperatures to extreme weather events, as we unravel its impact on our planet.
Culture Wars
Critical race theory, the rights of transgender students, replacement theory,
gay rights, and immigration are among the controversies,
real or imagined, that divide our nation.
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Public Guide - a public service of NorCal Public Media.
These are among the controversies, real or imagined, that divide our nation. These divisions and more, create political and social struggles between differing opinions and have been labeled the Culture War.
Culture War issues are not isolated from one another, but are all part of a fabric of conflict which constitutes a struggle over the meaning of America. Unlike religious and cultural conflicts that historically divided the nation, contemporary culture wars have new and unfamiliar lines.
When sorting out real and truthful information, from what is misinformation, public television and radio can be a trusted guide.
New Religious Freedom
Modern-day arguments for religious freedom, or religious liberty,
entered the political culture wars in the United States when
groups and individuals began using religious freedom as a
reason to discriminate against and harm others. Disputes have
surfaced over providing basic healthcare and employment for
minority groups, insurance coverage of contraceptives and
abortion, same-sex marriage, and denial of transgender rights.
Replacement Theory
In simple terms, the Great Replacement Theory states that
policies welcoming nonwhite immigrants are part of a plot
designed to undermine or “replace” the political power and
culture of white people living in Western countries.
Replacement theory is used by anti-immigrant groups and
white supremacists, with rhetoric centered on antisemitism,
voter fraud, and migrant invasion.
Migrant Invasion
Nationalist conspiracists put forth the narrative that
immigrants are invading the homeland. The power of this
argument has arisen every few decades since the founding
of the United States. Nativist sentiment often blames all
negative developments in society on immigrants, with
well-trod territory: scarce resources to go around,
destruction of the English language, and crime. In its
most extreme form, it is echoed in the online manifesto
of the man accused of shooting 22 people in El Paso in 2019.
Vaccine Safety
Vaccinations have always been accompanied by conspiracy
theories and public skepticism from some quarters. For
hundreds of years, fierce debates about vaccines have raged,
including past publication of many anti-vaccination books and
papers. Today, social media and the internet have helped
anti-vax conspiracy to spread very quickly. Conspiracies typically
revolve around those in power trying to control the people.
False Flag Operation
False flag conspiracies are unfounded theories that claim an attack,
or other hostile action, is carried out by one group while implicating
another group as the perpetrator. Originally a military term, modern
claims of false flag motivation in school shootings or other domestic
terrorism provide a false equivalency deliberately put forth to
manipulate the context and perception of an event.
LGBTQ+ Rights
LGBTQ+ people have long been a target of those engaging in
culture war arguments. After decades of progress in employment,
housing, and marriage equality, LGBTQ+ people are still the
target of religiously motivated lawmakers around the country.
Today, anti-LGBTQ+ factions are pushing an array of bills that
limit the discussion of gay rights in schools under the guise of
parental rights, attempting to make homosexuality something shameful.
Critical Race Theory
Critical race theory (or CRT) is an academic concept that is more than
40 years old. The core idea is that race is a social construct, and that
racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also
something embedded in legal systems and policies. Politicians and
others use condemnation of Critical Race Theory as a method of
stopping any examination of racial bias or racial discrimination and
violence in our society.
Transgender Student Rights
People who personally identify with a gender other than the one to which they
were born, have often made some people uncomfortable. Discomfort and
misunderstanding have led to discriminatory policies, hatred, and violence.
Politicians and others take advantage of this lack of knowledge and familiarity
to sow division and “other” transgender people, turning them into an enemy to
be distrusted.
Public Guide: The Culture Wars - a public service of NorCal Public Media.
People who personally identify with a gender other than the one to which they
were born, have often made some people uncomfortable. Discomfort and
misunderstanding have led to discriminatory policies, hatred, and violence.
Politicians and others take advantage of this lack of knowledge and familiarity
to sow division and “other” transgender people, turning them into an enemy to
be distrusted.
