A.G. Gancarski
Florida’s Governor returned to the Fox News Channel Tuesday night, appearing on “Hannity,” where he explained his civics education initiative as a bulwark against left-wing ideology.
Gov. Ron DeSantis doubled down on fervent denunciations of Critical Race Theory, calling the academic approach an “identity politics version of Marxism.”
“I do think we need to rediscover in our K through 12 system the founding of the country, what makes our country unique,” DeSantis said, referencing figures former President Abraham Lincoln, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., or former President Ronald Reagan “winning the Cold War.”
“But when you do that, it’s got to be true and solid and factual. And you can’t let it become infected with left wing ideology like Critical Race Theory.”
“Critical Race Theory is basically teaching people to hate our country, hate each other. It’s divisive and it’s basically an identity politics version of Marxism,” DeSantis said.
The Governor claimed that his “bold civics initiative” would spawn a “depoliticized curriculum.”
DeSantis last week rolled out the Civic Literacy Excellence Initiative: an ambitious proposal to use $116 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to ramp up civics education.
The goal is to provide “high-quality civics education,” under the auspices of the Florida Department of Education, with certification in the form of a “seal of excellence” and a $3,000 bonus for qualifying teachers. Training would also be offered to principals under the proposal.
While the structure of the program is aspirational, the Governor hasn’t shied away from politically pugnacious rhetoric like that used on Fox News Tuesday when selling the civics push elsewhere, with red meat descriptions of Critical Race Theory becoming a part of DeSantis’ stump speeches.
DeSantis noted last week in Palm Harbor that critical race theory “teaches our kids to hate our country.”
He said schools have become “indoctrination factories” and academics “engage in politicized academic fads with courses that reflect ideology not facts.”
18 comments
tom palmer
March 23, 2021 at 11:23 pm
this is news?
Ron Ogden
March 24, 2021 at 4:44 am
The governor is taking a principled stand against a cocked-up theory of civilization intended to provoke further divisions over race in America. There is no objectively concrete evidence to support it. It exists in the emotionally-overheated imaginations of people who have too much leisure on their hands and too little good will in their hearts.
MgM
March 24, 2021 at 6:14 am
My thought exactly
Frankie M.
March 24, 2021 at 12:18 pm
“…exists in the emotionally-overheated imaginations of people who have too much leisure on their hands and too little good will in their hearts”
Are you referring to faux news?
Libertarian
March 25, 2021 at 7:09 am
Typical leftist apologetics: ad-hominem response projected to detract and distract from the arguments and points made against their religious ideologies.
Completely devoid of intellectual or any intelligible arguments.
(Leftism is a faith based system which cannot be argued factually, scientifically, or logically. Those who do not adhere to its ideological fundamentals are considered infidels/enemies. When engaging with indoctrinated minds one should consider them as a religious cult. To which I would say, believe whatever you want to, but keep your religion out of public institutions, government, and out of the lives of private citizens who do not adhere to your religion )
Sonja Fitch
March 24, 2021 at 5:47 am
Duffus Desantis is so damn compromised by the goptrump death cult sociopaths and the GOPQ idiots he needs to resign ! Vote Democrat up and down ballot for the elections in 2022!
Michael Langford
March 24, 2021 at 1:14 pm
Oh certainty,, what this State, and country needs is another Democratic crack head who can’t keep his pants on,, more democrats to play their “victim” card,, lolololol,, was your brain taking the day off when you wrote that? Or is it always disconnected from reality?
TOShitgibbon
March 25, 2021 at 11:01 am
Nah…Florida clearly needs a crook who takes hundreds of thousands in bribe munny for vaccination access.
Craig
March 24, 2021 at 7:00 pm
Thank you for that eloquent, well thought out response. Your arguments were insightful, compelling, and persuasive. I’ll bet you were on the debate team!
trump lost
March 24, 2021 at 7:30 am
What public school is teaching Critical Race Theory? K-12 classroom instruction is already strictly scripted by the State to meet FSA requirements. Once again, trying to fix a problem that doesn’t exist. This is nothing more the DeSantis campaigning on the tax payers dime.
Remember, $116 million in funds that are suppose to help those impacted by the pandemic going to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.
Michael Langford
March 24, 2021 at 1:16 pm
Although I’m sure you have no problem with the trillions going to “fix” all the other problems that don’t exist either do you?
Ocean Joe
March 25, 2021 at 7:08 am
You are correct. Obviously the only things we need are more tax cuts for the rich and more AR-15s for the poor. Listen, history has given us 3 solid examples of what Republican economic policy delivers: the great depression, the great recession, and the covid recession. Yes, outside events brought on all 3 but government reaction to each of these crises exacerbated the impact. Desantis is lost in fantasy Q-style issues to burnish his “I’m the next Trump” routine. He could be a great governor for all of us if he cut out ‘the run to Fox and spout BS’…BS.
Frankie M.
March 24, 2021 at 12:17 pm
Clearly Ron isn’t a fan of critical thinking skills with his lashing out at academic institutions which is ironic considering his ivy league bonafides. No need to waste taxpayer money on new civics propaganda/curriculum just make kids watch Faux news for their civics education? Two hours a day should be more than enough to warp their fragile little minds.
Michael Langford
March 24, 2021 at 1:32 pm
“Critical thinking skills”? Seriously? CRT is just one more, for lack of a better term, disinformation campaign by the victimhood sellers who continuously refuse to address the one real and verifiable disparity between races,, that being the difference between one and two parent households,, democratic policies since LBJ have pretty much alone accelerated the decimation of the Black family.
Frankie M.
March 24, 2021 at 2:47 pm
And history is written by the victors…what’s your point? Up until recently it was taboo to suggest the civil war originated because rich white landowners did not want to relinquish their cheap labor supply? Is that racist too? It’s all about whose propaganda you want to believe. Tell me more about all these great Republican efforts to build up black families.
Frankie M.
March 24, 2021 at 2:53 pm
This reads like an Onion story…so the small government conservative from YALE rails about “indoctrination factories” aka elitist academic institutions. How did he make it out of there unscathed?
Talk about self loathing. Unless Ronnie’s more interested in serving up red meat to his base for his run in 2024. My guess is it’s the latter.
Craig
March 24, 2021 at 7:08 pm
I think Sonja had the best response. Her thoughts were eloquent and well thought out. Her arguments on the topic were insightful, compelling, and persuasive. I’m guessing she was on the debate team.
Blah
April 6, 2021 at 5:23 pm
Democrats are evil.
Comments are closed.