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TALLAHASSEE – A Florida bill that would prohibit public schools and private businesses from making white people feel “discomfort” when they are taught or trained about discrimination in the nation’s past was advanced by a Senate committee on Tuesday.
The bill, which echoes a call by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, was met with criticism saying it will spawn censorship, lawsuits and more problems for teachers. The legislation (SB 148) by Sen. Manny Diaz, R-Miami, is said by its sponsor to protect “individual freedoms.” The measure would bar teaching in grades K-12 that could make individuals feel responsible for historic wrongs because of their race, color, sex or national origin. At work, employment practices or training programs that make an individual feel guilty on similar grounds could be considered an unlawful employment practice – and subject a company to a lawsuit. Democrats argued the bill isn’t needed, would lead to frivolous lawsuits and would amount to censorship in schools. They asked, without success, for real-life examples of teachers or businesses telling students or employees that they are racist because of their race. “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,” said state Sen. Shevrin Jones, who is Black. “At no point did anyone say white people should be held responsible for what happened, but what I would ask my white counterparts is, are you an enabler of what happened or are you going to say we must talk about history?” The legislation echoes a call by DeSantis, who last month outlined his “Stop WOKE Act,” which he said was to block “wrongs to our kids and employees.” The new 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.”
What's that quote from the Dark Knight, "you either die a fuck your feelings piece of shit or live long enough to see yourself be the snowflake?" I'm not entirely sure, I haven't seen the movie in years, but I thiiink that's how it goes.
I mean, sure, literally, every day there's more news from the GQP that makes me want to belly flop off the Newport Bridge before they gerrymander and filibust their way back to power despite having no platform to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity. But, before I inevitably do, I can't help but laugh at their hypocrisy. The same base that literally flies "Fuck Your Feelings" flags from their trucks and trailers is trying to pass a law that prohibits teaching the truth because it might get a wittie bittie uncomfortable.
Welcome to fucking history.
As a professional history teacher, who teaches in a predominately non-white district, I can unequivocally tell you that history is ugly, messy, and uncomfortable, but you know what else is? LIFE. You can't hide from it. To not tell the truth about what truly happened would be, ummm, idk, LYING. How do you even enforce what discomfort is? Why am I even wasting my time with logical questions to a group that wants to censor education and growth to keep their (potential) base ignorant and in line? What fake issue is Death Santis (I know Manny Diaz proposed this, but it's right out of Death Santis' playbook) trying to solve this time? Nobody in their right mind is blaming white people who are alive today in 2022 for slavery.
This is a bill that promotes ignorance and stunts education and growth. Refusing to learn the truth about the past is why these wounds, they will not heal. The following quote is ridiculously relevant in this situation.
Jim Jones was a horrible man, but even horrible men can be right once in a while.
I just don't understand how anybody with a brain (maybe that answers it?) could think this is a good precedent. Trying to legislate away potential white guilt or remorse is a fucking embarrassment to a state that seemingly outdoes itself every week.
How do you think black kids learning about slavery, Jim Crow, and the KKK feel during those lessons? How about Natives finding out about Smallpox blankets and the Indian Removal Act? Oh, that's right, you're also trying to outlaw learning about those atrocities too. Nobody blames white people unless they are still profiting from exploitation of this nation's "checkered" past (like Andy Bernard's family). I think we (I'm speaking for the whites) can survive some awkward moments while others learn about the horrors their ancestors endured. I have legit nothing to do with chattel slavery, but it still embarrasses me. Maybe a little empathy and understanding will do our nation some good? It's like what Coach Boone said after Cheryl witnessed a hate crime. "Welcome to my life."
There's a reason they say knowledge is power.
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