It's not just the New York Times op-ed page that sucks
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has hatched a monstrous plan to overturn a 1982 Supreme Court ruling that guarantees primary education to migrant children. Speaking to a conservative radio station Thursday, he said migrant students are putting an “extraordinary” burden on the state and speak too many languages — “Not just Spanish.”
It might be a pre-election gambit to gin up support among the sort of people who disapprove of immigrants and eduction. Or it might not be. Critics have cited a leaked Supreme Court draft that would overturn Roe v. Wade, and signals the conservative majority’s willingness to overturn precedent—such as the 1982 Plyler v. Doe, which forbade states from denying school entry to undocumented kids or charging them tuition.
How does the New York Times cover this rage-inducing episode? Even if nothing comes of it, shifting the Overton Window to include “Let’s kick little children out of school because of their parents’ immigration status” is horrifying. The kind of thing where, had Donald Trump Tweeted about it in passing, CNN would be like, “American Taliban” and run split screen footage of Malala and Trump bellowing. The NYT op-ed page would be populated by headlines like, “Trump Continues to Torment Tots” - by Maureen Dowd or “A Conversation: Has Trump Gone Too Far?” The Times’ news headline would be something more somber, but still clear in its stance, like: Donald Trump, Citing False Numbers, Demands Kicking Children Out of School School.”
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