In a recent newsletter, Robert Hubbell summed up the path Ron DeSantis is pursuing–the path he clearly believes will garner him the GOP’s Presidential nomination.
Amid the torrent of reporting on Ron DeSantis’s attack on critical race theory and intersectionality, the quiet part is often left unsaid. So let me say it: DeSantis’s educational agenda is code for racism and white supremacy. (Other parts of his agenda seek to erase the dignity and humanity of LGBTQ people.) DeSantis’s invocation of “Western tradition” is meant to suppress knowledge regarding the people (and contributions) of Asia, Africa, South America, Oceania, and the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. See Talking Points Memo, DeSantis Makes 2024 Ambitions Clear As He Pours Gasoline On His ‘Woke’ Education Fire.
Given DeSantis’s generalized ignorance, his call to focus on “Western tradition” is a slippery slope that will inevitably lead to the discussion of unpleasant truths about America. For example, the enslavement of Black people was a “tradition” in North America for 246 years—and the abolition of that evil practice is relatively recent (155 years ago). So, a college course that honestly addresses the Western “traditions” of North America should include an examination that the role of slavery played in the economic, social, and political development of America.
The New York Times, among other outlets, has covered DeSantis’ various attacks on “woke” instruction, noting that it is part of “An unrelenting assault on truth and freedom of expression in the form of laws that censor and suppress the viewpoints, histories and experiences of historically marginalized groups, especially Black and L.G.B.T.Q. communities.”
The Times didn’t mince words.
Under Gov. Ron DeSantis’s “Stop WOKE” law — which would limit students and teachers from learning and talking about issues related to race and gender — Florida is at the forefront of a nationwide campaign to silence Black voices and erase the full and accurate history and contemporary experiences of Black people….
The same reasons that the “Stop WOKE” law is blocked from enforcement in university settings hold for elementary and secondary schools. As a federal judge ruled in November, the law strikes “at the heart of ‘open-mindedness and critical inquiry,’” such that “the State of Florida has taken over the ‘marketplace of ideas’ to suppress disfavored viewpoints.”
The most important point made by the Times–and confirmed by DeSantis’ obvious belief about the most effective path to the Republican nomination–is that it is nakedly racist and homophobic.
It is no longer plausible to maintain that the GOP base is composed of anything other than White Christian Supremacists.
DeSantis is currently the most shameless panderer to that base, but the evidence is nation-wide–and public education is currently the favored target. After all, if children are taught that all people are human and that America hasn’t always treated “others” that way, they might grow up to be “woke.”
DeSantis is simply doing publicly what GOP officials in other states are doing somewhat more circumspectly. Examples abound.
Think the voucher movement is about giving children educational options? Think again. There’s a reason that so many of these programs lack accountability–here in Indiana, SB 305 vastly extends the availability of vouchers–but places the program under the “oversight” of the State Treasurer–not the Department of Education. It has no mechanism for assessing educational value.
In Ohio, laws presumably governing home schooling failed to shut down a Nazi home schooling curriculum.
Antifascist researchers known as the Anonymous Comrades Collective first identified the couple, who participated in a neo-Nazi podcast under the names Mr. and Mrs. Saxon, as Logan and Katja Lawrence of Upper Sandusky in Wyandot County. The group’s work was the nexus for a story about the couple in Vice News.
Their Telegram channel, started on Oct. 23, 2021, is called Dissident-Homeschool. It features suggested content that is racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic, as well as factually inaccurate. It includes cursive practice sheets with quotes from Adolf Hitler, suggested content about Confederate General Robert E. Lee and civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which included an unfounded conspiracy about Jewish people. The Telegram channel offers a suggested math lesson with a story problem attributing crime to different races.
There’s no way to tell how many other “home schoolers” use that channel or similar materials. I see nothing in Indiana’s voucher proposal that would allow the state to monitor for such use–or for that matter, educational value of any kind.
Well-meaning Americans tend to look at the various movements of Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and others as outliers, a few twisted individuals who have succumbed to ignorance and hatreds that nice people largely relegate to the past.
DeSantis recognizes what those well-meaning folks don’t: ignorance and racism elected Donald Trump, and–if enough votes can be suppressed– may well lift him into the Oval Office too.
That the State of Florida produced both Senator Rick Scott (former Governor) and our current abomination, Ron DeSantis, is telling. While some Republican leaders are hapless tools of capitalism – Abbott and Manchin come to mind – DeSantis should have been born in 1878. His retrograde racism and bigotry do not spring from ignorance or lack of education; they are purely evil ambition at any cost.
We can take a lesson concerning current affairs from history.
When Caiaphas with his cohort Annas Who are supposed to abide by the Mosaic law, actively worked against it, they abandoned it and and manipulated Roman law to execute Christ Jesus.
Bribery of Judas Iscariot, 30 pieces of silver?! Was one of their first violations of the law. They held court at night which was a violation of the law, they used false witnesses as a violation of the law, they used Roman law instead of Mosaic law in violation of the law.
The Romans, I E Pontius Pilate, wanted to release him, I E Jesus Christ because he found no fault in him.
Caiaphas who was a chief priest shouted impale him! He also shouted that we have no king but Caesar! Now that was absolutely another violation of the Mosaic law. Then he requested the release of Barabbas who was a murderer and a seditionist and a robber instead of Jesus Christ, he did not follow the Mosaic law which he was obligated to do!
Failing in his obligations as a chief priest bound by the law and to teach the law of Moses, He violated the laws of bribery Deuteronomy 16:19; per version of justice Exodus 23:1, 6, 7; false testimony Exodus 20:16; releasing a murderer numbers 35: 31-34; mob action Exodus 23:2; following the statutes of other nations Leviticus 18: 3 – 5; accepting as king not one of their own nation Deuteronomy 17:14,15; and murder Exodus 20: 13!
Caiaphas was later removed from office by Vitellius, a high Roman official, to which this humiliation proved to be too great for the one who manipulated the law to his own end, Caiaphas committed suicide!
So how does this relate to what’s happening today? False testimony, slander, giving their allegiance to those who don’t support the law, subversion, bribery, false witness, and mob action amongst others.
Anyone who supports these things are the absolute antithesis of not only man’s law, human rights, civil rights, but also God’s law! In the end, it will turn out bad for him, but that doesn’t mean it won’t get worse before it gets better! One thing you can bank on, there will be blood!
DeSantos may pander to a theocratic base, but Mike Pence owns the evangelical base; it’s why Trump asked him to be VP.
I started collecting data for an article on the white flight from the city to our county school system. The county (recipients of white students) claims they don’t track whether their inflows or outflows are white or brown. This is primarily a Republican trait – don’t track any evidence that can be used against you. Our statehouse is the master of this.
IDEM doesn’t track air and water pollution because it would allow Hoosiers to track the sources. Florida does the same thing with their sugar industry – it protects the polluters vs. regulates them.
As for Washington, this past week’s “denouncement of socialism” is a warning for seniors, minorities, and all US citizens. Sadly, Pelosi and crowd signed the denouncement, which means they sided with the fascists in Washington.
Americans better “wake up” and take a stand against the fascist Right and Left before they cause further damage to this country.
It’s difficult to view the MAGA base as anything other than stupid when they consider being well educated a bad thing. They are IBC, ignorant by choice.
I have a contention. Public schools are doing an excellent job of educating our youth. Public schools are generally responsive to the public demands for improving history classes, emphasizing inclusivity, and enhancing mathematics and reading instruction.
This irritates Republicans because educated people vote against many of their ideas.
Republicans argued for Charter Schools. Few have excelled or obtained to the level of public schools. Republicans argued for “School Choice.” Most transfers were because of school athletic programs or mere convenience. Republicans argued for standardized testing. Most schools were already doing this, but Republicans thought the state’s education department should control the date. Next came the argument for merit pay for teachers and for evaluating teachers via the test results. Sadly, few of these ideas have significantly impacted public education. Students learned, in some cases, despite regulations imposed on professional education and professional educators.
“Woke” is used by both parties to mean awake to today’s reality and the best evidence we have about tomorrow’s.
Republicans don’t want to go there. Democrats accept that we have no choice.
It does (in dark moments) make one wonder whether we need to “attach some strings” to the First Amendment. Only 3 countries in world have something similar in their constitution:
“According to research published by the Library of Congress, Sweden differs from the U.S. when it comes to freedom of expression by criminalizing public statements that threaten or disrespect an individual or group on the basis of identity factors such as race, gender, faith or national origin.” Hmmm….
“Japan criminalizes certain speech acts involving defamation, insult or intimidation.”
“South Africa’s limitations on free speech do not protect war propaganda, inciting violence, or advocating hatred based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion.”
That sure leaves a lot of pretty good countries where you can’t say/do anything you want…American “exceptionalism”??
How far afield will Dementis have to go to win the nomination? Will he be able to appear semi rational to the non MAGA voters? Will it matter to SCOTUS when he tries to use them to further his agenda? He owns the State Supreme Court, so they just rubber stamp whatever he does. Will the Trumpy justices allow the the violations of the Constitution? I hope not, but I won’t put my money on it.
My daughter and I are going to Naples, Florida, later this week to attend the closing of the sale of a house on a lake I own and have lived in for many years. I liked the weather and the people there but having participated in a war against fascism many moons ago I will not be ruled by a fascist governor and thereby give him any pretense to legitimacy.
Herr DeFascist is shamelessly pandering to the Trump base while simultaneously playing “village conservative” to keep Eisenhower Republicans in the corral and as an Ivy League sort he knows better, much better, than the fascist propaganda he is pedalling for the acquisition of all power. His occasional loss in court for some of his edicts only gives him ammunition for woke appeals to the millions of Trumper voters who see a communist behind every bush and corruption in every institution (including even the judiciary) per Trump , whose attempt to overthrow our government and end our democracy was LATER approved by scores of Republican House members.
I will live in Indiana which with its supermajority is bad enough, but not fascist (so far), and if that doesn’t work out there’s always Vermont and winters in St. Croix.
Congratulations, Gerald Stinson, for taking a bold stand against the FL governor by choosing to leave that state permanently.
The people that I personally know that live in Naples year-round or just winter there happen to be very right wing. Were you able to easily find Democrat friends in Naples?
I was and still am a member of the Collier County Democratic Club located there, in a two to one Republican county.