By Rob Meyne
- July 29, 2023
- 2-min read
If you watch what they do rather than what they say, the leaders on the left will tell you who they fear most. Recent events suggest that person is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
You don’t hear anyone attacking Asa Hutchison or Nicki Haley, although they would both be improvements over the guy in the White House. (But then again, so would my Cocker Spaniel, Buddy.)
They attack Trump 24/7, of course, and they fear him as well. But there is more in play regarding Trump than just their dislike of him. More on that later.
For now, consider the latest major attack on DeSantis. He is accused of implementing education reforms in Florida that revise history and downplay the severity of the sin of slavery. It is a lie, pure and simple. It is, however, entirely predictable.
When attacks are based on truth, of course, they are fair game. However, when a political cohort must lie about their opponents, repeatedly and boldly, it is an indication of their intellectual and political impotence. If they had a winning message that had the support of clear majorities, they wouldn’t have to lie about the other side.
In Florida, Gov. DeSantis won passage of legislation to minimize the politically correct “woke” aspects of state institutions, primary educational. As part of this effort, a group of scholars and experts on African American history – many of these educators are black, by the way – developed a new set of standards for use in Florida schools. It replaced the curriculum developed by the AP College Board, called “Official course framework, project, and exam overview for AP African American studies.” This is the national document describing what ought to be taught to high-achieving students across the country.
The criticism of the Florida curriculum is based on lies and intended simply to hurt DeSantis and, by extension, other GOPs, and conservatives.
Both the AP College Board and the new Florida guidelines discuss the difficulty that faced former slaves as they adapted to freedom. As many historians have pointed out, some had skills that were useful and helped them find jobs. Some of these skills were developed here, others before they were brought here. That point is undeniable and, again, is in both documents. It does not mean slavery was “good” for anyone.
Yet, DeSantis is attacked and accused of saying slavery was good, even though the same thing is said on page 72 of the College Board AP document. Both curricula made the point about some slaves having useful skills. But they claim Florida is racist when they say it.
If anyone is interested, below is a link to the curriculum Harris, et al, supported. Hypocrisy does not get clearer or more offensive than this.
AP African American Studies Official Course Framework, Project, and Exam Overview – Effective 2023-2024: CollegeBoard.org
