Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sent a clear message to the race-baiters: I’m not your man.
During a press conference in which the Republican governor briefed reporters on COVID-19 vaccines, he fielded a question on critical race theory.
And DeSantis did not pull any punches.
Critical race theory, he said, “is basically teaching kids to hate our country, and to hate each other based on race. It puts race as the most important thing.”
“I want content of character to be the most important thing. I want to treat people as individuals. And I want the history of our country taught accurately,” DeSantis added.
“I want people to learn about the Founding Fathers, and learn about the Constitution, as well as other great people – like President (Abraham) Lincoln, like what we did in World War II, like the civil rights movement, like winning the Cold War. Those are all very important.”
Continuing, the governor noted, “When you start talking about these wacko theories, it’s all designed to put a political agenda under the guise of history and civics. I don’t want politicized civics. I don’t want politicized history. I want accurate history. I want to make sure people understand that this is a great country.”
“If you want your tax dollars funding education that’s going to run down this country, you’ve got the wrong governor – because I’m not gonna allow that to happen.”
DeSantis sounded much like former President Donald Trump, who last year issued an executive order that banned critical race theory from being taught to federal employees as part of diversity training.
“I ended it because it’s racist,” Trump explained during the first presidential debate in September.
“I ended it because a lot of people were complaining that they were asked to do things that were absolutely insane, that it was a radical revolution that was taking place in our military, in our schools, all over the place.”
DeSantis made the comments the same day he announced the Civic Literacy Excellence Initiative, a proposal that would set aside $106 million to promote civics education.
At the heart of the program is a $3,000 bonus for teachers who take additional training and earn the new state “Civics Seal of Excellence.” DeSantis also seeks to spend $16.5 million for extra training and professional development programs for teachers and principals who make teaching civics a priority, and another $6.5 million to launch pilot programs designed to serve as incubators for public service careers through partnerships between secondary schools and government agencies.
Support journalism by clicking here to our gofundme or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.
Love this Governor.