Ron DeSantis? More like Ron DeFASCIST.
Check out what Florida’s governor has been up to. Blue-checked Resistance tweeter Jon Cooper wants to remind you with a Salon story from last year:
ICYMI: Ron DeSantis signs bill requiring Florida students and professors to register their political views with the state https://t.co/cWzHyhhmIw
— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) July 5, 2022
Dear. God.
Public universities in Florida will be required to survey both faculty and students on their political beliefs and viewpoints, with the institutions at risk of losing their funding if the responses are not satisfactory to the state’s Republican-led legislature.
The unprecedented project, which was tucked into a law signed Tuesday by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, is part of a long-running, nationwide right-wing push to promote “intellectual diversity” on campuses — though worries over a lack of details on the survey’s privacy protections, and questions over what the results may ultimately be used for, hover over the venture.
Based on the bill’s language, survey responses will not necessarily be anonymous — sparking worries among many professors and other university staff that they may be targeted, held back in their careers or even fired for their beliefs.
Cue the righteous indignation:
How is this constitutional https://t.co/5dYh7Ssp8N
— That Packer Grl: Nolite te Bastardes Carborundorum (@thatpackergirl) July 5, 2022
This is in direct violation of the first amendment @GovRonDeSantis https://t.co/4kkDVvOufD
— Boston sports fanatic (@Bostons80113133) July 5, 2022
“Limited government” folks….. https://t.co/P9jvUr3LzC pic.twitter.com/dKSOPrx5el
— Just Devin (@Devin_gain) July 5, 2022
https://twitter.com/DMJazzyHands/status/1544334007629914113
Do people in Florida seriously think it is OK for Ron DeSantis to use his position to bully and punish people with views that differ from him and his party? Because this is the part of the story, people in Florida need to be seriously concerned about. https://t.co/fzZz6nDbtH pic.twitter.com/NPACIrTXnY
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) July 5, 2022
Not only is this absolutely appalling, this legislation is on Virginia’s horizon for 2023. Taking his cue from his political mentor DeSantis, Youngkin has already demanded that Virginia’s college and university presidents ask potential faculty hires about their political beliefs. https://t.co/nk7dGYyBdJ
— Ghazala Hashmi (@SenatorHashmi) July 5, 2022
Here’s the thing: Joe Walsh
Why am I guessing this is not true? https://t.co/qs6WxjB2OT
— Nathan Wurtzel (@NathanWurtzel) July 5, 2022
Because you know that Salon frequently gets it wrong and that Jon Cooper has a long and distinguished history of spreading blatantly false information.
I’m looking forward to @ChristinaPushaw’s insane spin to justify this. https://t.co/8SVcagyweO
— Jeremy Danner (@Jeremy_Danner) July 5, 2022
By all means, wait for Christina Pushaw’s “insane spin.” Or you could just, you know, try to know what the hell you’re talking about before you go listening to a lying liar who lies like Jon Cooper.
Hi @joncoopertweets – Florida Fact Checker here.
I rate this tweet- FALSE. pic.twitter.com/x1CSHh0tvq
— Brendon Leslie (@BrendonLeslie) July 5, 2022
Even the mainstream media is fact checking him 😱 pic.twitter.com/8bmAJVa2BA
— Brendon Leslie (@BrendonLeslie) July 5, 2022
We went through this just over a year ago, when, like Salon, the Washington Post completely misrepresented the nature of DeSantis and Florida Republicans’ push for academic freedom:
In push against “indoctrination,” DeSantis mandates surveys of Florida students’ beliefs https://t.co/KzFaoeVP9r
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 24, 2021
Does a New Florida Law Require State Universities to Monitor Faculty and Student Beliefs? https://t.co/DIKlVL3Fjc via @reason @VolokhC
— Jonathan H. Adler (@jadler1969) June 24, 2021
The narrative was so false, even PolitiFact shot it down:
Old news, and fake news. Even @PolitiFact debunked this disinformation last year. https://t.co/sdfi6G9H0C pic.twitter.com/7RMdYcSt0V
— Kyle Lamb (@kylamb8) July 5, 2022
We’d tell Jon Cooper to stop lying, but a leopard can’t change its spots.
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