This is the standard leftwing way of describing opposition to CRT -- they claim you "don't want to mention slavery."
They also claim that opposition to gender ideology and transitioning children without informing parents is just "don't say gay."
Do you think it's racism? Mmm-kay, racism, maybe?
Do you think Ron DeSantis is racist? Mmm-kay, you agree, don't you?
"Let me ask you, what does Governor Ron DeSantis not know about Black history and the Black experience when he says that slavery and the aftermath of slavery should not be taught to Florida schoolchildren?" Mitchell asked Harris.
Wow, what a truly difficult question to pitch to Kamala Harris, who has shown that she falls apart when asked difficult questions.
It's almost as if Andrea Mitchell is a co-conspirator in the Kamala Harris Reputation Rehabilitation Tour.
DeSantis has been under fire from critics for actively working to keep Critical Race Theory and content deemed explicit out of schools. Critics of the governor, particularly in the media, claim that he is effectively banning education on LGBTQ topics and Black history in total -- a criticism also previously tied to what Democrats and the press erroneously referred to as the "Don't Say Gay" bill.
In the MSNBC interview, Mitchell held out as fact that DeSantis flat-out said the teaching of slavery and its aftermath in schools should be forbidden.
DeSantis' press secretary called foul:
"Shameful," DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin tweeted of the claim. "This question from @mitchellreports exemplifies everything wrong with corporate media. They're not accidentally terrible at their jobs--they're maliciously intent on deceiving people. @GovRonDeSantis never said this, and FL has extensive black history requirements."
Griffin brought the receipts with a link to the teaching requirements on the very subject in question directly from the Florida Department of Education.
Bryan Griffin
@BryanDGriffin
Shameful. This question from @mitchellreports exemplifies everything wrong with corporate media.
They're not accidentally terrible at their jobs--they're maliciously intent on deceiving people.
@GovRonDeSantis never said this, and FL has extensive black history requirements.
Here's the Florida standards for social studies, specifically African American history.
African American History
The following is in the required instruction statute, s. 1003.42(2)(f), F.S.
The history of the United States, including the period of discovery, early colonies, the War for Independence, the Civil War, the expansion of the United States to its present boundaries, the world wars, and the civil rights movement to the present. American history shall be viewed as factual, not as constructed, shall be viewed as knowable, teachable, and testable, and shall be defined as the creation of a new nation based largely on the universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence.
The following is in the required instruction statute, s. 1003.42(2)(h), F.S.
The history of African Americans, including:
the history of African peoples before the political conflicts that led to the development of slavery;
the passage to America;
the enslavement experience;
abolition; and
the history and contributions of Americans of the African diaspora to society.
Students shall develop an understanding of the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping on individual freedoms, and examine what it means to be a responsible and respectful person, for the purpose of encouraging tolerance of diversity in a pluralistic society and for nurturing and protecting democratic values and institutions.
So slavery and its aftermath are taught.
And discussion of the impact of slavery is encouraged. The only limitation? You're not permitted to "indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view."
Instructional personnel may facilitate discussions and use curricula to address, in an age-appropriate manner, how the individual freedoms of persons have been infringed by slavery, racial oppression, racial segregation, and racial discrimination, as well as topics relating to the enactment and enforcement of laws resulting in racial oppression, racial segregation, and racial discrimination and how recognition of these freedoms has overturned these unjust laws.
However, classroom instruction and curriculum may not be used to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view inconsistent with the principles enumerated in subsection (3) or the state academic standards.
But this is anathema to the left -- they want to indoctrinate students, especially minorities, who they Own, they believe, to a particular point of view, but can't just admit "we Own the Minorities and should get to indoctrinate them to Vote Blue No Matter What You Do," so they always claim Republicans "just don't want to teach slavery."
DeSantis' press secretary says that DeSantis will not speak to NBC/MSNBC until Andrea Mitchell confesses error:
Andrea Mitchell has only appended a "postscript" to her interview -- and not even a free-standing statement -- in which she says merely that she was "imprecise" in describing DeSantis' position, not baldly wrong, and then explains that no matter what the details, she was right anyway, because "some say" you can only understand slavery through indoctrination or something:
"In my interview last Friday with Vice President Harris, I was imprecise in summarizing Governor DeSantis' position about teaching slavery in schools. Governor DeSantis is not opposed to teaching the fact of slavery in schools, but he has opposed the teaching of an African American studies curriculum as well as the use of some authors and source materials that historians and teachers say makes it all but impossible for students to understand the broader historic and political context behind slavery and its aftermath in the years since."
DeSantis' standards say that slavery is to be taught as well as the residual effects of slavery, so what are you talking about?
What you're talking about is CRT, of course, although you can't say so, because you all maintain it isn't being taught in schools. You want white kids taught that they are wearing an "invisible knapsack of privilege" and that they must acknowledge and denounce their privilege, and that all "marginalized groups" must be given special boosts up to make up for the "invisible privileges" that the White Devil Children have.
That's what you mean.
DeSantis says you can't do that, and you don't want to admit what you're pleading for, so you say "he doesn't want to mention slavery" and also he signed a law that says "don't say gay."
This is a critical issue. Not just CRT and education, but this asymmetrical warfare by the "elite" institutions against us.
They say we're illegitimate. That we are disreputable, dirty, low, beneath contempt, ignorant, unworthy of respect, unworthy of mere tolerance, and, what's the word?, deplorable.
And then we turn around and treat them as if they are worthy of respect and admiration.
This.
Cannot.
Stand.
We can no longer treat them respectfully. We can no longer treat them with dignity.
We can no longer treat them with tolerance.
Tolerance and respect are a two-way street -- and when one side refuses to grant it, the other side must refuse to grant it back.
Otherwise, that side is agreeing that they are unworthy of respect, tolerance, or even basic human decency.
They are implicitly -- near explicitly -- accepting their status as inferiors.
For too long we have accepted this asymmetrical warfare because far too many "conservative" leaders urged it on us. And they urged it on us because they agree with the left -- they agree that we actual conservatives are beneath common dignity.
Enough.
Enough.
Fuck these people and frankly disrespect and discourtesy is a starting point for leveling the playing field.