Big scoop from the AP yesterday on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ latest racist push:
A Florida bill that would prohibit public schools and private businesses from making white people feel “discomfort” when they teach students or train employees about discrimination in the nation’s past received its first approval Tuesday.https://t.co/URwHagL0gj
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 18, 2022
Wow. That headline! “Florida could shield whites from ‘discomfort’ of racist past.” This bill sounds pretty outrageous, doesn’t it?
Let’s see what the article actually says:
The bill reads in part, “An individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, does not bear responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex. An individual should not be made to feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race.”
The bill is called “Individual Freedom.” Republican Sen. Manny Diaz, its sponsor, said it is not about ignoring the “dark” parts of American history, but rather ensuring that people are not blamed for sins of the past.
“No individual is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously, solely by the virtue of his or her race or sex,” Diaz said. “No race is inherently superior to another race.”
Wait a minute … that doesn’t sound like trying to shield whites from discomfort.
It just sounds like taking a stand against Critical Race Theory:
Asked for comment, the governor’s spokeswoman reiterated comments DeSantis made at a news conference last month in which he referred to the late civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.
DeSantis said at the time, “You think about what MLK stood for, ‘He said he didn’t want people judged on the color of their skin but on the content of their character. You listen to some of these people nowadays, they don’t talk about that.’ ”
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We’re not sure how Brendan Farrington, the author of the article, came up with DeSantis and the Florida GOP trying to shield white people from having to acknowledge past racism in this country. It’s almost as if Brendan just pulled it out of his butt.
You know, like he did when he wrote a different trash article about Ron DeSantis.
It’s almost as if Brendan Farrington has a weird personal vendetta against Ron DeSantis and Florida Republicans. One could certainly be forgiven for thinking so. Because, as honest liberal journalist Zaid Jilani points out, the text of the bill doesn’t line up with Farrington’s framing:
This description is pretty bad. SB 148 doesn't mention white people, it mentions race, and it doesn't say it's illegal for someone to feel discomfort, but for an instructor who "espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates" the feeling which is consistent with civil rights law. https://t.co/p85T1jGu9O
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) January 19, 2022
This is the relevant section. At no point does it even mention white people; and it's basically telling instructors not to single out students or employees based on their race. https://t.co/AyiArefG4E pic.twitter.com/0acmHsSoNe
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) January 19, 2022
It also has the same protections around national origin and sex. It's pretty much civil rights protections, just spelled out with more specificity. If someone thinks this is bad they probably don't like the CRA and EEOC either.
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) January 19, 2022
Yes and Florida already has laws on the books requiring teaching about slavery and the Holocaust. So the people claiming this prevents them from teaching history are not familiar with Florida's educational environment. https://t.co/CqgtRuowJZ
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) January 19, 2022
In other words, Farrington and the AP are deliberately pushing a false, politically driven narrative.
Naturally, Ron DeSantis’ press secretary Christina Pushaw has some thoughts on the AP’s media malpractice:
The word “white” (or any other race) is not even in the bill. The bill was introduced by a Hispanic lawmaker to prevent any kind of race essentialist indoctrination. But you wouldn’t know that if you rely on American Pravda and its “kind” Tallahassee reporter for news. https://t.co/9FR4CLKS0D
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) January 19, 2022
And I can’t tag or name that “kind” AP Tallahassee reporter too much because he got me *suspended* for criticizing him once already, since he is incapable of taking criticism about his dishonest hit pieces. I do NOT recommend anyone “drag him.” 🐊
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) January 19, 2022
What part of this is “racist”, AP? pic.twitter.com/zdjDiRdLg7
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) January 19, 2022
No part. No part of it.
And more from Pushaw:
Context: this is how the AP reporter asked our office for comment https://t.co/P89kZcM5Kc
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) January 19, 2022
The absolute state of the Tallahassee Press Corps. @ap American Pravda ☠️ pic.twitter.com/1D7XpdKHja
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) January 19, 2022
Clearly, Brendan is unqualified to be a journalist at such a prestigious publication as AP. In Tallahassee, there are many aspiring journalists of color; if @ap truly cared about representation & fighting structural racism, they’d give Brandon’s job to one. Put “QUIT” in Equity!
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) January 19, 2022
If you believe in white privilege, it should be obvious that Brandon the AP Propagandist did not get hired for journalistic competence, but rather because he is a white male.
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) January 19, 2022
*Mic drop*
***
Related:
‘Fix it, Jesus!’ Joy Reid fires up her followers with BS about Ron DeSantis and Florida GOP ‘literally legislating white people’s psychic comfort’ https://t.co/A2J04qRk1S
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 19, 2022
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