The political circus created by Florida Republicans continues to get wilder and more pathetic by the day. Last year, the state banned teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) in schools, despite the fact that it wasn’t actually taught in them. Now, the state is going to the next level by passing a bill that bans the teaching of historical facts if it makes people “uncomfortable.”
Even more despicable is that this ban isn’t just for schools, but also applies to the workplace as well, meaning that both children and adults can simply claim to feel “discomfort” when being educated about slavery, racial sensitivity, Jim Crow, and more.
According to CNN, the bill bans the teaching of subject matter that makes anyone “feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race, color, sex, or national origin.”
Naturally, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis praised the bill and supported it because, obviously, it’s all about protecting white people, more specifically, white Republicans who are bigoted. Who else would feel “discomfort” while learning about American slavery, Stonewall, Jim Crow laws, the LGBTQ rights movement, and White Flight?
The measure is so blatantly racist that even USA Today, a very centrist and bipartisan publication, titled their article, “Florida could ban lessons about discrimination that make white students feel ‘discomfort'”.
What makes all this even more demeaning to Florida citizens is that Republicans have been crying “free speech” and “the First Amendment” for six years now in order to allow themselves to get away with saying whatever they want. But now, they want to censor history, all because it makes them feel bad about being bigots.
According to Market Watch, Democratic State Senator Shevrin Jones said of the bill, “This bill’s not for Blacks. This bill was not for any other race. This was directed to make whites not feel bad about what happened years ago.”
To make your voice heard, contact your representative and let them know. Find your congresspeople at house.gov
