Schools have always had cult like environments, but my lord it has increased a thousand fold the last few years. I used to get bullied by teachers and other students for wanting to be by myself at lunch and recess. I did not like other people and still don't, for the most part. I'm just solitary. We went on a 3rd grade class trip and I slipped on very loose gravel and fell. The teacher said it was my fault because I wanted to be alone, which is completely illogical. Point is, they have always been cults with the mentality of "You must all think like I say and be like every one else", and in my case, I was "bad" because I wanted to be alone. Critical thinking skills were taught more in high school, but even then, there was an insane amount of pressure to be "normal". The school called my parents numerous times because I wanted to be alone, did not fit in, and questioned everything.

That cult mentality has not changed. Students are still excepted to fit a mold both in what they are being taught and how they act. The issue is now they are being taught 100% untrue things like "men can get pregnant" and are being attacked for seeing and speaking reality. When you teach someone not to believe what they are seeing and experiencing, even when it is something completely true, that's called brainwashing, gaslighting, manipulation and abuse. It's similar to a sexual abuse experience for a kid: "I didn't really do that, you imagined it." The worst kind of abuse is teaching someone to doubt themselves and it looks like Seattle is doing an excellent job, along with a good part of the rest of the country.

Thank God for good teachers - they are out there.