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It used to be that, despite political differences, one could safely assume that most people understood the sanctity of childhood innocence.
Those days are gone.
Although the left’s push to indoctrinate children through the public school system is nothing new, parents are finally waking up to the extent of the damage being done and saying, “enough,” thanks to forced school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But while the federal government seems to have decided that these rightfully outraged parents are a threat to be monitored and reigned in, one leader has emerged to stand with them on the frontlines.
From banning forced masking in schools to prohibiting the exposure of prepubescent students to inappropriately sexual discussions, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has made it clear that he isn’t backing down from the battle for parental rights, and this past week, he took more ground.
On Friday, the governor signed the “Individual Freedom” bill – also known as the “Stop WOKE Act” – into law, prohibiting discriminatory instruction and indoctrination related to Critical Race Theory in schools and the workplace.
DeSantis said at a press conference in Hialeah Gardens, Fla., “We’re here today because we believe in education, not indoctrination… We are not going to use your tax dollars to teach our kids to hate this country or to hate each other.”
The teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in schools has become a controversial topic as parents have become more aware of the racial ideology that some teachers and school districts have incorporated into their curricula.
Weighing in on the new law via Twitter, Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis noted: “Individual freedom is the fundamental truth that all individuals are equal before the law & have inalienable rights. Critical Race Theory threatens that foundational principle. With today’s bill signing, parents, students & employees exposed to CRT have the power to fight back.”
Signing the “Stop WOKE Act” was not the governor’s only move to secure parental rights last week. On Tuesday, he signed a bill requiring tenured professors at public colleges and universities to undergo a five-year review and increase transparency in how the curriculum is developed.
At the press conference, DeSantis said: “The more that we focus on academic rigor and we trim the fat on a lot of this other stuff that has kind of seeped into the universities over the years, the better we’re gonna be and the better our students are gonna be.”
With each new bill the governor signs, it only becomes more evident that he is winning the war for Florida’s children. So, naturally, Democrats can’t stand him. But more importantly, they also fear him.
And it is not hard to see why.
As a result of DeSantis’ relatable policies, registered Republicans have officially overtaken Democrats in the Sunshine State, and the gap is only widening.
As DeSantis continues to win the hearts of voters in Florida and around the country, perhaps it is time other Republican leaders take note.