By Cassandra Fairbanks
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will require high schools in the state to teach students the “evils of Communism and Totalitarian ideologies.”
The move comes two weeks after he banned Critical Race Theory from being taught in their schools, saying “we do not want curriculum that is judging students based on their race and we do not want false history like you see with the 1619 Project.”
DeSantis signed three new education related bills while holding a press conference at Three Oaks Middle School in Fort Myers, Florida on Tuesday.
“It’s crucial to ensure that we teach our students how to be responsible citizens,” DeSantis said during the press conference. “They need to have a good working knowledge of American history, American government and the principles that underline our Constitution and Bill of Rights.”
DeSantis explained that the state has many people who have escaped from these brutal forms of government.
“We have a number of people in Florida, particularly southern Florida, who’ve escaped totalitarian regimes, who’ve escaped communist dictatorships to be able to come to America. We want all students to understand the difference, why would somebody flee across shark-infested waters, say leaving from Cuba to come to southern Florida. Why would somebody leave a place like Vietnam? Why would people leave these countries and risk their life to be able to come here. It’s important students understand that,” DeSantis said.
A provision in the bill also creates a “Portraits and Patriotism Library,” for students to learn about “real patriots” who came to America after fleeing communist and socialist regimes in places like Cuba, Nicaragua and Vietnam.
A second bill he signed, SB 1108, requires state college and university students to take a civic literacy course and a civic literacy assessment as a graduation requirement.
The third, HB 233, seeks to protect the freedom of speech on campuses by requiring colleges and universities to conduct annual assessments on the “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” at their institutions. It also prohibits the State Board of Education from shielding students, staff and faculty from certain speech
“You have orthodoxies that are promoted, and other viewpoints are shunned or even suppressed,” DeSantis said. “We don’t want that in Florida, you need to have a true contest of ideas, students should not be shielded from ideas and we want robust First Amendment speech on our college and university campuses.”
For corrections, please email corrections@timcast.com
I’ll take this guy over Trump all day long.
His bill that forbids vaccination passports also specifically allows for quarantine and forced vaccinations of citizens.
fact check me.
I’m not a religious man but God-bless Ron deSantos.
Isn’t this the same guy who made so-called anti semitic language illegal, while never defining specifically what that was?
Great work Cassandra keep it up. Save the frogs!!
Your work is amazing cassandra keep up the great work, your an asset to soceity
Aw man, I love living in Florida! I personally have been donating to DeSantis campaign as well as voting with my dollar and support the politicians that are DOING SOMETHING for We The People.
He just keeps nailing it out if the park man. I think its time to start looking into moving to Florida.
Your name is literally ‘masshole’. Fuck your Democrat shithole region of the country. Florida is fantastic.
It’s always the heat. God how would I love to move to FL. I would melt though.
Aside from the heat, why do you say that?
You are wrong. Nobody is trying to make this guy seem like anything good. The media are certainly trying to make him seem bad, but nobody is campaigning to make him look good. He is just doing his job. His actions make him look good. His words make him look good. Nobody is “making him out” to be anything.
Being a Florida native, trust me when I tell you YOU DON’T WANT TO MOVE TO FLORIDA.
You seem new to politics…
Man I want to move to Florida now!
absolute legend!
A goal to be the #1 state for civic literacy is the best initiative I’ve heard in a long time. Awesome.
Cassandra, thank you for agreeing to do this with Tim and team. You are great at your craft and I look forward to your articles on TGP and now here.
You guys are on to something big here. Make American Culture Again.
Now THIS is journalism. Thanks Fairbanks. Maybe some corporate legacy media has covered this, but nationally? I’ll go look but your report is the first I’ve heard of it. I find it so encouraging. That, and watching Bannon on tonight’s IRL. Keep up the good work.
Maybe, maybe not. At least he’s doing something, that’s more than 99% of literally anyone on the right. He’s got faults, but who doesn’t. Like I said, at least he’s doing something.
Every day I get a little closer to moving to Florida.
This is really good reporting, it would be great if Tim pool kept the promises he made in the launch video of the record breaking SCNR / Subverse wefunder and delivered this kind of reporting there as well. Maybe then all those investors wouldn’t feel like they were lied to.
I moved out of South Florida for work during quarantine. Lasted two months. I wanted to kiss the ground when I got back on Florida grounds.
Bro, two years ago I desperately wanted to move away from South Florida. I am so gd glad I didn’t move out of here because Desantis is making this state the freest and Liberty minded organized society the world has ever known. I never, ever, in my life thought I would ever type those words out. Ever.
Yo Cassandra, do you write all these stories by yourself? I’m an idiot and don’t know how journalist shit works. But if you do this all yourself, I bet that’s gotta feel pretty dope to be in a place where you have freedom to write so many articles on whatever you deem worthy.
DeSantis is going to be a strong front-runner in 2024. But should Trump decide to run, DeSantis should be his VP. Ron is a young man compared to all the geriatric politicians we have in the swamp. No need to rush his POTUS run.
Rockstar governor (mine) and would make an excellent POTUS. give em hell Ron
This should be his second executive order as POTUS, after banning critical theory.
DeSantis is not the hero he is made out to be, really read thru the legislation he has been pushing thru
Excellent news!
Alright!
Great reporting, I live here and this is the first I’ve seen of this news.
Desantis FTW.
Get the Jab, Make “The Georgia Guide Stones” a REALITY! Only off by 300 Million!