Laurie Rubel, a professor of math education at New York’s Brooklyn College, does not appear to be fond of the discipline she teaches. In fact, she apparently believes math is inherently racist. She recently tweeted, “the idea that math (or data) is culturally neutral or in any way objective is a MYTH.” In a separate tweet, she noted that math “reeks of white supremacist patriarchy” after stating, albeit incoherently, “along with the ‘of course math is neutral because 2 + 2 = 4 trope’ are the related (and creepy) ‘math is pure’ and ‘protect math.’” Appearing drunk on her own peerless wokeness, she added, “I’d rather think on nurturing people & protecting the planet (with math in service of them goals).” Well, maybe just drunk.

Professor Laurie Rubel (Photo: Brooklyn College)

What an amazing social justice warrior! What a flawless person! She’d rather “think on” nurturing people! And protecting the planet! Not that she’d actually do anything in furtherance of her stated goals. It is enough that she has stated them. And she wants to take that racist (and no doubt misogynistic, homophobic, and Islamophobic) math and use it “in service of them goals.” It’s a good thing she isn’t an English teacher. Though, to be fair, Ms. Rubel may believe English is at least as racist as math is. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would be a better instructor.  Or Barney Rubble.

Seemingly every week another professor claims math, data, facts, good behavior, competence, proper hygiene, discipline, a work ethic, speaking ability, or another such basic building block of a successful society is prima facie evidence of the white supremacist patriarchy’s evil and unwarranted hold on American society. (How racist is that?) Yet, Rubel’s assertion that 2+2=4 is a “trope” still boggles the mind.

Here are common dictionary definitions of “trope:”

1. A figure of speech using words in nonliteral ways, such as a metaphor. 
2. A figure of speech through which speakers or writers intend to express meanings of words differently than their literal meanings. 
3. A word or expression used in a figurative sense: FIGURE OF SPEECH
4. A common or overused theme or device: CLICHÉ

“2+2=4” isn’t a “trope.” It is a fact. It is not a figure of speech, nor is it used to express the meaning of words. Words are used to express its meaning, it does not express meanings of words differently than their literal meaning. It is literal. It is neither overused, nor a theme, device, or cliche'. Asserting that 2+2 equals anything other than 4 would simply be a lie. Period.

At the end of the movie/novel “1984,” Winston Smith is tortured by the authoritarian Marxist government until he avers that 2+2=5. “Elites” in government, media, academia, and Big Business now continuously try to brainwash people into believing that 2+2 doesn’t necessarily equal 4, that there is no immutable or knowable truth, that there are an unlimited number of genders, that the U.S. is a systemically racist country, and that they are smarter and more compassionate than their deplorable inferiors living in flyover country. They do this to bolster their own power while simultaneously draining the hope from-- and breaking the spirit/will of—middle-class Americans in red states and regions.

It is the elites that traffic in tropes. Tropes such as “climate change,” “Trump colluded with Russia,” “America was never great,” “Republicans don’t care about science/the Earth/your grandma,” “Systemic racism,” “microaggressions,” “gender is a continuum,” “COEXIST,” and “The Big Lie.”

Speaking of The Big Lie, America, like all nations/peoples, struggled with racism in the past but has not been systemically racist for a long time. It is, however, now becoming so, due to far-left ideas and policy prescriptions like quotas, segregation, critical race theory, multiculturalism, intersectionality, and the 1619 Project.

2+2 does not equal five. Nor do two wrongs make a right.

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