Right-wing think tank walks back absurd critical race theory advisory

The werewolves at the Texas Public Policy Foundation got a good look at the moon Wednesday and revealed a little too much about themselves. 

In a since-deleted tweet, the conservative think tank shared a guide for how to spot critical race theory in the classroom. They warn parents that their children may be victims of critical race theory if buzzworthy terms such as “equity” or “anti-racism” are tossed around at school:

Critical race theory is a four-decade movement in academia that examines how racism affects legal, social, and political institutions. 

Today, the phrase has become a boogeyman for all things that might make a rightwing person uncomfortable — power structures, prejudice, Black lives matter, and many of the other things listed above in the encyclopedia of wrong-thought, brought to you by the folks that worship individual liberty (liberation, by the way, is one of the no-no words too). 

One of the dangerous terms is “colonialism.” Another is “racial hierarchies.” Good luck teaching Texas history without them. 

The Texas Public Policy Foundation deleted the tweet after facing sharp criticism throughout much of the day. 

“Thank you to the party of free speech for this list of words I’m not allowed to say,” wrote one Twitter user. 

Another user amusingly converted the list into a menu at the Cheesecake Factory.

The incident is part of a larger effort by rightwing conversatives to convince Americans that their children are being indoctrinated or brainwashed at school. 

In June, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law codifying the moral panic behind critical race theory. The legislation came about after Republicans lawmakers raised concerns about a Dallas area elementary school recommending a picture book about racism and white privilege.  

So far, Texas is among 26 states in the nation that have seen lawmakers introduce legislation to restrict the teaching of critical race theory.