In popular jargon, we can safely say that for the 2024 election, Donald Trump has “passed the scratch”.
I’m going to walk into class today and a lot of students are going to ask what I think about this election, as someone who has taught the history of the United States and its electoral system for a long time.
We don’t have all the statistics yet, but I have enough to learn from.
Democrats, bad teachers
If I find myself in front of a class, it is first and foremost for all of my knowledge and my working method. It is equipped with these tools that I then guide my teaching approaches.
One of the oldest teaching principles is to meet students where they are, to avoid judgment. If I want them to trust me and listen to me, I must avoid looking down on them, giving them the impression of contempt or condescension.
Many democrats seem incapable of absorbing this lesson and many thinkers and intellectuals preach morals more than they educate.
What do I tell them?
In my classes, I find a large number of young women and an ever-increasing number of students from immigrant backgrounds. My first thoughts were for them when, around 1:30 a.m., the Republican’s victory was confirmed.
Donald Trump knew how to exploit the themes of immigration and wokism to dominate Kamala Harris, but he did it in the worst possible way. Insults, prejudices, hatred and angry vociferations that we had not heard since the 1930s.
Immigration is one of the determining factors in recent electoral cycles in Western democracies. We are talking about it more and more in Canada and Quebec.
We are not Americans, our context is different, but several of our fellow citizens express very legitimate concerns on this issue. Are we listening? Are our politicians managing these legitimate fears about legitimate uncertainties surrounding our reception capacity well?
In class, I tackle these issues head-on, with history providing the context and material necessary to fuel debate and reflection.
When my students, many of whom have black skin, ask me about the causes of the defeat of Kamala Harris, a role model who aroused many hopes among them, I will first feel uneasiness, discomfort.
I am able to explain the main reasons for this failure, but I will always have Trump’s words in mind. Racism, sexism and homophobia are not acceptable anywhere. However, the 47e President of the United States did not hesitate to play with these concepts…
I have long asserted that through its polarization and extreme debates, the United States constitutes a formidable laboratory. We can learn from their experiences.
So I will go into class hoping that when we address sensitive issues, we will do so openly and by listening to everyone, so as to avoid anger prevailing over reason.
