THIS IDEA OF A BOOK BEEN IN FLORIDA, SOMETHING THEY DON’T LOOK BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY, THAT’S A HOAX. THAT’S REALLY NASTY HOAX, BECAUSE IT’S A HOAX IN SERVICE OF TRYING TO POLLUTE AND SEXUALIZE OUR CHILDREN. WE’LL ALSO TALK ABOUT THE BLACK HISTORY HOAX, THE IDEA THAT SOMEHOW WE’RE NOT TEACHING ABOUT THAT.
AND NOT TEACHING ABOUT THINGS LIKE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION. >> TODAY WE SAW FLORIDA GOVERNOR, RON DESANTIS, ON DEFENSE. TRYING TO EXPLAIN AWAY THE RESULTS OF THE 2022 LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS HE BRAGGED ABOUT JUST A DAY AGO DURING HIS STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS. DESANTIS BACKPEDALED ON THE PODIUM, PROMISING TO EXPOSE THE
BOOK BANNED HOAX, AND PROVIDE THIS OPENING STATEMENT. MYTH NUMBER ONE, FLORIDA HAS BANNED BOOKS FROM THE CLASSROOM. AND THEN FACT NUMBER ONE, HERE ARE THE BOOKS PARENTS FOUND IN FLORIDA SCHOOLS AND REPORTED TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR REMOVAL. WHICH IS VERY MUCH STILL BANNING BOOKS FROM THE CLASSROOM, AND ALSO DOESN’T
ACCOUNT FOR THE CHILDREN IN CLASSROOM LIBRARIES ACROSS THE STATE. THE GOVERNOR USED A SIMILAR STRATEGY TO DEFEND HIS STOP WOKE LAW AND, HIS DECISION TO REJECT A NEW AP AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES COURSE. DESPITE DESANTIS’S EFFORTS, PEOPLE IN THE STATE WHO ARE AFFECTED BY HIS STOP WOKE AND
DON’T SAY GAY LAWS, DO NOT SEEM TO BE BUYING IT. THESE LAWS HAVE HAD AN UNDENIABLY CHILLING EFFECT ON CLASSROOMS AND TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE, AS THEY SORT THROUGH THE ANTI WOKE PROVISION STIPULATED IN THOSE LAWS, SOMETIMES, UNDER THREAT OF FELONY PROSECUTION. ALREADY, DESANTIS IN THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE, OR ADDING
TO THE LEGISLATIVE PILE. SHIFTING THEIR FOCUS TO INCLUDE STATE COLLEGES. THE NEW HOUSE BILL ON THE DOCK AT THE SESSION, TAKES AIM AT COLLEGE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND EQUITY — INCLUDES MAJORS OR MINORS AND CRITICAL RACE THEORY, GENDER STUDIES OR INTERSECTIONALITY. AND IT PUTS PROFESSORS UP FOR TENURE REVIEW AT ANYTIME.
EVEN BEFORE THAT BILL BECOMES LAW, DESANTIS IN FLORIDA LAWMAKERS HAVE ALREADY PLANTED THEIR FLAG IN A SMALL, PUBLIC LIBERAL ARTS SCHOOL CALLED NEW COLLEGE. THE NEW YORK TIMES COLUMNIST MICHELLE GOLDBERG HAS BEEN CLOSELY TRACKING THE CHANGES ON THIS CAMPUS, IN JANUARY, SHE INTERVIEWED ONE OF DESANTIS’S HANDPICKED NEW TRUSTEES FOR THE COLLEGE.
SOMEONE WHO’S BECOME NATIONALLY NOTORIOUS FOR HIS FERVENT ANTI CRT CAMPAIGNS. HIS NAME IS CHRIS RUFFO. GOLDBERG WRITES, THE FIGHT OVER THE FUTURE OF NEW COLLEGE IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST THE FATE OF THE SMALL SCHOOL IN SARASOTA. FOR DESANTIS, IT’S PART OF A BROADER QUEST TO CRUSH ANY HINT OF PROGRESSIVISM IN PUBLIC
EDUCATION, A QUEST HE’D LIKELY TAKE NATIONAL IF HE EVER BECAME PRESIDENT. FOR RUFFO, A RECONSTRUCTED NEW COLLEGE WOULD SERVE AS A MODEL FOR CONSERVATIVES TO COPY ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. IF WE CAN TAKE THIS HIGH RISK, HIGH REWARD GAMBIT AND TURNED IT INTO A VICTORY, WE’RE GOING TO SEE CONSERVATIVE STATE
LEGISLATORS STARTING TO RE-CONQUER PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES, HE SAID. SHOULD HE PREVAIL, IT WILL SET THE STAGE FOR AN EVEN BROADER ASSAULT ON THE ACADEMIC FREEDOM OF EVERY INSTRUCTOR WHOSE WORLDVIEW IS AT ODDS WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. THAT IS THE GOAL OF THIS NEW COLLEGE TRUSTEE. RECONQUER PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY. LAST WEEK, I SPOKE WITH SOME PARENTS OF STUDENTS AT NEW COLLEGE, ONE OF THEM HAS A NON-BINARY CHILD, THE OTHER IS A PARENT OF A BIRACIAL TRANSGENDER CHILD. BOTH PARENTS TOLD ME, THEY ARE TERRIFIED. THEY WANT THE WHOLE COUNTRY TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT’S AT STAKE. [CROWD CHANTING]
>> I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTRY KNOWS WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE IN FLORIDA, NOT JUST AT THE SCHOOL, BUT WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE OTHER PUBLIC SCHOOLS. BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE CHILDREN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, I JUST SAY, WE HAVE TO KEEP SPEAKING, WE HAVE TO KEEP
MAKING OUR VOICES HEARD. THE TRUTH IS, WE HAVE TO KEEP BEGGING PEOPLE IN POWER TO SPEAK FOR US. AND THAT’S WHAT I’M WILLING TO DO, I DON’T HAVE ANY SHAME LEFT. I NEVER WANTED TO BE ON TV, EVER. I’M TERRIFIED. I WANT AMERICA TO KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE. BECAUSE I KNOW GOVERNOR
DESANTIS IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT. >> I STARTED SEEING ALL THIS BOOK BANNING AND THE K-12, DON’T SAY GAY, AND IT SAID RIGHT CENTER. I WAS LIKE, MY KIDS GONNA BE AN ADULT SOON. THEN OBVIOUSLY, NOW THEY’RE COMING FOR ADULTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN TELLING THEM HOW THEY CAN THINK AND FEEL AND
EXPRESS THEMSELVES. AND I WAS LIKE, WHOA, I STARTED DIGGING IN I’M LIKE, WOW, THIS — SLOWLY AND METHODICALLY TAKING OVER SCHOOL BOARDS. THEY’VE BEEN DESTROYING THINGS FROM THE GROUND UP. NOW THAT I REALIZE A REAL IS THE MISTAKE I MADE, I SHOULD’VE PUT MY HEAD IN THE SAND. IT’S DEFINITELY MUCH MORE
FAR-REACHING THAN I THOUGHT, I’M PROBABLY MORE FAR-REACHING THAN THE COUNTRY REALIZES. >> WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE COLLEGE DOES IT MAKE IT? IF IT BECOMES SOMETHING ELSE? WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR YOUR SON AND YOUR FAMILY? >> I USED TO BE A DOCTOR, I GOT SICK.
I SPENT MOST OF MY MONEY TRYING TO STAY ALIVE, WHICH NOW, MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE BEST DECISION. BUT WE’RE GONNA MAKE THE SACRIFICES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE, TO GET OUR CHILDREN THE EDUCATION THAT THEY DESERVE. ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. >> THAT MIGHT CHANGE SLIGHTLY. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK PARENTS
ARE PREPARED TO DO TO SAVE NEW COLLEGE? >> I THINK THEY’RE PREPARED TO DO ANYTHING IT TAKES, BARRING VIOLENCE. NOBODY WANTS TO BE VIOLENT. BUT AS FAR AS FINANCIALLY AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, THEY’RE WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES. >> — AMERICA NEEDS TO PAY ATTENTION. PAY ATTENTION. >> IT GETS THE POINT ACROSS.
EXACTLY. >> AND THAT’S THE TRUTH. IT’S A FIRST. IT’S GOING TO SPREAD. >> WELL, IT IS SPREADING. >> I HAVE NEVER, IN MY LIFE, FELT SUCH A SENSE OF PURPOSE. NEVER. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO HUMBLED BY THE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE MET. MY FAITH IN HUMANITY IS RESTORED.
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I WAS LOSING THAT, WATCHING ALL THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING IN THE COUNTRY, IN THE LAST SIX YEARS. >> I MEAN, IT’S PERSONAL. >> OH, IT’S SO PERSONAL. >> WHEN IT’S CLEAR CUT, IT’S DEEPLY PERSONAL. >> WHEN YOU COME AFTER SOMEONE’S CHILDREN, THERE’S NOTHING THAT IS GIVE —
APPARENT A BETTER SENSE OF, OKAY. OKAY,
source
