Mastodawn

Jellybean Jan 3, 2023

Florida under Ron DeSantis is proving to be a place where education, equality, and freedom go to die and a frightening harbinger of what would happen if DeSantis ever makes it to the White House.

DeSantis attacked school superintendents who adhered to Covid-19 protocols during the worst of the pandemic, educators are afraid to say certain words or teach certain subjects, DeSantis personally endorsed school board candidates that support his extremist ideology who are now banning books and health courses, he has appointed an anti-vaxxer as the state’s Surgeon General, and he disenfranchised entire Black voting districts with newly redrawn maps that were too extreme even for state congressional Republicans.

These are some examples of what he's going to run on in the 2024 presidential election. DeSantis is a tyrant.

The Professors Silenced by Florida’s Individual Freedom Act-
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/01/ron-desantis-florida-critical-race-theory-professors/672507/

The Professors Silenced by Florida’s Individual Freedom Act

Governor Ron DeSantis’s anti-critical-race-theory legislation is already changing how professors in Florida teach.

The Atlantic

TrisResists Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark thinking about DeSantis as POTUS keeps me awake at night. He is as or more dangerous than trump.

☑️ Rosenstand 🇺🇦Jan 3, 2023

@TrisResists @TonyStark He is WAY more dangerous. He is the poster child of a 21st century ruthless fascist with absolutely no moral scruples at all.

TrisResists Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark @[email protected] can’t argue with that.

Threadbane Jan 3, 2023

@rosenstand @TrisResists @TonyStark
The only things that saved us from #presidementia were his bottomless stupidity, incomprehensible ignorance, nonexistent humor and childish incompetence.

☑️ Rosenstand 🇺🇦Jan 3, 2023

@Threadbane @TrisResists @TonyStark Without a doubt!

Sunny Willow 🌞Jan 3, 2023

@TrisResists @TonyStark

He terrifies me. I believe he is much more dangerous than Trump. He comes across as "sane" to more people when he's a sadistic narcissistic sociopath.

RegisterandVote Jan 3, 2023

@sunnywillow @TrisResists @TonyStark think that what his wife is… she pulls his strings.

Catherine is not complacent Jan 3, 2023

@TrisResists @TonyStark a LOT more dangerous. Unlike Trump he knows how things work and how to use the law to his advantage rather than just ignoring it.

MJ Muse Jan 3, 2023

@TrisResists @TonyStark Bingo

Jeff Jan 3, 2023

@TrisResists @TonyStark Florida is now Argentina hiding war criminals and dictators

GlenG🌻 - Support Ukraine Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark “Desantis is a tyrant.” This fits.

Jeff Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark Florida now is where the x Brazil president is planning a attack

katie Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark He reminds me a lot of Ducey (Arizona's last governor). Am I wrong? #azpolitics #gop #ducey

Peter Principle Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark And was overwhelmingly re-elected for it. That's what we're up against: Fascism sells.

onecaliberal Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark The only freedom under republicans is death. They are evil and consumed with hate.
They are merchants of death spreading disease and hate.

dogcanyon 🦂Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark Florida is now a dystopian nightmare

Army Girl Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark I grew up in Central Florida. Won't even go back to visit now.

Jeff Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark republican party wants to knee cap America and rush in communism

Bi-squared No LGB without T Jan 3, 2023

He is why I’m leaving the state in April. The legislature, Dr. Lapdog and the Medical Board are also his puppets, taking any hope of healthcare away from transgender children and adults. I’m tired of my heart breaking every day over some new pronouncement. His “freedom” erases any dissenting voices. I’ve been here 30 years voting blue and watching this inexorable turn to the right. I’m tired.

HOOKWORM RECORDS Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark the ease with which people are just skipping right into fascism, although not unexpected, is troubling. We need iron man - but wasn't he on the wrong side when the shit went down? Batman then.

The right is waging war on tolerance. In their view, tolerance of people who are different has gone too far. DeSantis is a virulent racist full of hate.

His supporters should watch out. People like this turn on you on a dime.

Tia Jan 3, 2023

@MJ @TonyStark
Exactly!

DidiQ Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark DeSantis is much, much worse than Trump.

Pinkerite Jan 3, 2023

@DidiQ @TonyStark - I hadn't heard that DeSantis tried to stage a coup. Good to know.

Cynde Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark His reign is like a fascism preview - like the DeSantis presidential movie trailer

Steve Rogers Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark
That growing numbers of Republicans, corporate exploiters like Elon Musk, the right-wing media, and voters in search of an authoritarian/messianic figure are now “grooming” (to use DeSantis’s favorite word) DeSantis for the presidency, is a prospect that should motivate all of us to work to keep him out of any office.

WndlB Jan 3, 2023

@SteveRogers @TonyStark He still is duller than drying paint, and couldn't land a joke to save his family's life.

Humble Fan of Atty. Woo Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark
He's in a race with Gov. Abbott in TX for worst human in the USA. I don't know if Abbott has aspirations for running for President, but i so, they both must be stopped in their tracks. Evil cannot win in 2024! carry on.

Tony Stark Jan 3, 2023

@BillMcGuire Will do. A good day to you.

Das_ByeByeBirdy Jan 3, 2023

@BillMcGuire @TonyStark He definitely does have presidential aspirations. He also must e stopped. Dems have some big cha6ahead to protect democracy.

Jasmine Diaz Jan 3, 2023

@TonyStark what's interesting to me about all of this is that it further puts us behind other countries on education.

Banning books gives rise to illiteracy and the lack of basic knowledge on subjects people in other countries are very well versed in.

My nephew in Japan who is the same age as my son is far surpassing him. The basic curriculum is not enough to keep up, so I have to supplement.

Just plain stupid. 🤦🏾‍♀️ The lack of critical thinking with these decisions is astounding.

Tony Stark Jan 3, 2023

@jasminediaz Excellent points. It sets everyone back from an educational standpoint and a practical standpoint besides the sheer denial of facts and reality and human decency. Everyone is worse off in countless ways.

Das_ByeByeBirdy Jan 3, 2023

@jasminediaz @TonyStark Illiteracy is what keeps the Repukes base in line. They believe anything their party tells them.

James 🦉 #FBPE

@jasminediaz @TonyStark And all by people who bleat on about "free speech."

BlackDutchSnark Jan 3, 2023

@jasminediaz @TonyStark
Our schools are so focused on teaching to basic skills test and bringing the low achieving up to grade level, we have lost sight of the fact that we are supposed to be educating our students. Our best and brightest are taught mediocre curriculum some publisher decided helps the lower students achieve more. Basically the really smart kids aren’t challenged/pushed at all because they usually already know the basic skills and will test fine.

Jasmine Diaz Jan 3, 2023

@johnettesnuggs @TonyStark
Big facts!

I homeschooled my son for years and when we decided to put him back in public school, he was bored. His behavior eventually become an issue because the teacher didn't know what to do with him.

It took a long time to find a program that would challenge him, but even still, it's not enough. 20 years from now we'll look back at this time as one of the greatest educational failures of our time.

BlackDutchSnark Jan 3, 2023

@jasminediaz @TonyStark Both my sons went to a small rural school and were both bored as was I as a kid. I’m a teacher, though, so I was able to teach them to read, add, subtract and write before they went to school. We did phonics at home after the school system quit teaching it. I just accepted the fact I would have to supplement the gaps in their education, so I did. I’m a HS English teacher, not everyone has the training and the knowledge to do that.

BlackDutchSnark Jan 3, 2023

@jasminediaz @TonyStark
The GOP wants to privatize schools. They’ve been pushing vouchers for years for charter/private schools. They’re running all the really good teachers out of public schools in the South, systematically destroying the public schools systems thus they have the excuse to privatize public schools eventually. I firmly believe this has been the plan since schools were desegregated. Covid helped. Soon only the rich will be educated again.

WallOffTrump Jan 4, 2023

@johnettesnuggs @jasminediaz @TonyStark

I remember Trump saying in his first campaign:

"We're doing great with the poorly educated- I love the poorly educated"

It's a part of the path to a new feudalism.

BlackDutchSnark Jan 4, 2023

@davidarnell @jasminediaz @TonyStark Definitely.

Jeff Jan 4, 2023

@davidarnell @johnettesnuggs @jasminediaz @TonyStark now Congress is poorly educated

BlackDutchSnark Jan 4, 2023

@Waterloo @davidarnell
Since the majority are just there to do as their cooperative overlords bid, it doesn’t really matter. Dumb is better. Sorry, just feeling extremely cynical today.
@jasminediaz @TonyStark

Dr.Susan Bushinski Jan 4, 2023

@johnettesnuggs @jasminediaz @TonyStark yup

Doreen32128 ready to rumble!Jan 4, 2023

@johnettesnuggs @jasminediaz @TonyStark Followed! I agree!

myrmepropagandist Jan 4, 2023

@johnettesnuggs @jasminediaz @TonyStark Really they don’t want the state funding schools at all. School is for those who by virtue of their fortunate birth can afford the luxury of education.

BlackDutchSnark Jan 4, 2023

@futurebird @jasminediaz @TonyStark Yep. Education is the great equalizer. Rich white men of mediocre ability don’t like to be shown others, especially poc and women, can surpass them.

Mary Ann Horn Jan 4, 2023

@johnettesnuggs @futurebird @jasminediaz @TonyStark “rich white men of mediocre ability.” The feminist cry of mid century America !

BlackDutchSnark Jan 4, 2023

@futurebird @jasminediaz @TonyStark
That’s one reason the GOP hated O’Bama so badly. Both he and Michelle were waaaaayyyy smarter than the majority, if not all, of the Republicans in Congress….They had to be in order to get where they were. It’s also why the GOP hate most Democrats.

PixelJones Jan 4, 2023

@futurebird @johnettesnuggs @jasminediaz @TonyStark
Also, they "value" education the way a rancher values their livestock, as a market commodity bred & managed for slaughter. Education is too valuable to not extract profit from it.

BlackDutchSnark Jan 4, 2023

@PixelJones @futurebird @jasminediaz @TonyStark absolutely...Look at the fees of some private schools. More than some college tuitions, and then you have all the textbook publishers, testing companies and tech companies making bank, as well.

@futurebird @johnettesnuggs @jasminediaz @TonyStark Maybe we're going to have to decentralize education...same way were doing mastodon. Volunteer teachers educating and mentoring people. I know it's not ideal or fair or anything like that but maybe we have no choice. .

JaDaar Jan 4, 2023

@johnettesnuggs @jasminediaz @TonyStark
when we moved to the New Orleans area from the north east, I was surprised how many people were home schooling. Vouchers were a constant issue, since we didn't have children we didn't really pay too much attention, but I remember some friends relocating from the area because of the poor education system. They could use private/public schools, and the latter were horrible.
We couldn't hire local talent unfortunately because of a lack of education.

Cheryl Jan 4, 2023

@johnettesnuggs @jasminediaz @TonyStark it was on the backbones of the undereducated who were sent to fight the Viet Nam war. If you were in college, you had an out (of the draft)

BlackDutchSnark Jan 4, 2023

@reardon15 @jasminediaz @TonyStark Corporations don’t want educated workers who question why they should work in intolerable conditions for peanuts while the guys at the top and shareholders make millions. They want worker bees that are grateful for a-little-bit-above-minimum-wage-with-raising- insurance-costs-every-year-job.

ChloePolitiCat Jan 4, 2023

@johnettesnuggs @jasminediaz @TonyStark The school choice movement was developed as a result of the Brown Decision. Nancy MacLean’s book Democracy in Chain reveals the racist history of school choice movement. https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/how-milton-friedman-aided-and-abetted-segregationists-in-his-quest-to-privatize-public-education

How Milton Friedman Aided and Abetted Segregationists in His Quest to Privatize Public Education

“School choice” aimed to block the choice of equal, integrated education for Black families

Institute for New Economic Thinking

DebonaireToast Jan 4, 2023

@johnettesnuggs @jasminediaz @TonyStark this is in tandem with various attempts to close, undermine, or defund public libraries as well.

BlackDutchSnark Jan 4, 2023

@DebonaireToast Definitely!!
@jasminediaz @TonyStark

acm Jan 4, 2023

@johnettesnuggs @jasminediaz @TonyStark Well, and they can wall a bunch of (conservative white)students into bubbles where they can be fed propaganda rather than consensus reality, whether by home-schooling or slanted private schools.

BlackDutchSnark Jan 4, 2023

@acm_redfox @jasminediaz @TonyStark it’s what they are doing now. In the South, at least, rich and upper middle class Republicans send their kids to private “Christian” schools where they are taught that the Flintstones was a documentary series, the Earth is only a few thousand years old, and climate change is a myth.

WhiteLadySpeaksSpanish Jan 4, 2023

@johnettesnuggs @acm_redfox @jasminediaz @TonyStark and the smart kids know better but like with Santa Claus there is a big pay off we saying you believe. So much cognitive dissonance makes you crazy.