How DeSantis Destroyed Florida (Is the US Next?), NAACP Travel Warning, Texas Replaces School Counselors with Chaplains, GOP to Curb Student Voters, Target Attacked for Pride Month, Tina Turner Sings
How DeSantis Destroyed Florida (Is the US Next?), NAACP Travel Warning, Texas Replaces School Counselors with Chaplains, GOP to Curb Student Voters, Target Attacked for Pride Month, Tina Turner Sings
kareem.substack.com
My take on news, pop culture, sports, and whatever else interests me.
Thank you for the lovely video break and the fabulous Tina concert. I’m glad to be well informed about all the other stuff, but I’m most grateful for your thoughtful presence in our world. My Jumble puzzle in the paper yesterday featured a cute cartoon of you and the answer was (spoiler alert) Kareem of the Crop!
I appreciate everything you write Kareem and always agree with your analysis. One point I want to raise— how is it that a single individual, not even necessarily a parent, can have a book removed from a school library? I doubt this complainant has ever read the book or any poetry at all beyond limericks. She thought Oprah had written the poetry! Her complaint is entirely political.
People who justify book banning claim they are justified by “parental rights.” What on earth does that mean? What about the rights of the vast majority of parents who aren’t complaining? Or the rights of the children? If this parent doesn’t want her child to read the book, start effective parenting with her own child!
Thanks for the comprehensive analysis of Ron DeSantis’ draconian policies and their impact on Florida. Because I prefer to distance myself from the bad news about fascist politicians I was only dimly aware of his insane-sounding views on diversity, education and business . I also relegated his impact to Florida and right-leaning followers only. Your description of his calculated efforts to undermine freedom is eye opening. The illustration you showed of the lone complaining parent concerning book banning is especially striking and clearly depicts the level of judgment being used to suppress learning because of DeSantis’ “leadership “.
That his efforts to attract police resulted in the accumulation of misfit cops is especially frightening and gives very good reason for the NAACP warning.
Also loved the musical experience of Tina Turner in a great performance. I’m proud to share her name, despite my intense lack of musical talent.
Thank you for the thorough analysis of Florida. The only thing I would add is that, according to octogenarian African-American friends who lived there, Florida has always been the anti-Beloved Community. For a chilling view of Florida, read Gilbert King's Devil in the Grove. The vile and systemic racism depicted there happened in the 20th Century, for heaven's sake, a lot of it when I was already alive. I had to keep reminding myself of that as I was reading.
As a person raised Jewish, whose parents were young adults during WWII, I see parallels to the rise of German fascism all around. At least when I was younger, those threads within American society were running underground and kept in check by social and political norms. Republicans, exploiting Trump's malignant narcissism, have now made authoritarianism, fascism, and White nationalism socially and politically acceptable for a significant portion of the population. Voter suppression, the privileging of states in the Constitution, the stacked Supreme Court, gerrymandering, and the erosion of democratic norms at the state level have done the rest. It now takes a landslide just to tip the scales slightly away from extreme right-wing rule. Oh, how far we have fallen.
From the banning (errrrr,”relabeling”) of Ms. Gorman’s poem, to the war on “woke”, from the dismantling of public education to the relentless targeting of “the other”, Desantis is looking to disable one of the most effective weapons against fascism: Empathy.
One of your best days. Exposing DeSantis and Florida fully, then closing with the ultimate Tina Turner message… I’m humming it too; played it for my daughter who felt empowered by “What’s Love Got to Do with It…”
When I was a kid (long ago), my mom would let me run free in the city library, checking out anything that appealed to me. I discovered whole sections of the Dewey decimal system that had cool stuff. Did I check out books that were too old for me? Of course. But I went back next week and tried again. The idea that children must be "protected" from books that might make them "feel bad" is absurd. And the idea that 11 people can make decisions for thousands of children is even more so. The news makes me weep, but it also makes me vote (and try to get others to do the same).
Your writing is powerful inciteful and refreshing to find well thought out and researched positions and information. If you hired like minded level headed journalists and reported regularly on a website/app I would use it as a primary news source and spend a lot less time scouring the bbc and cnn for substantive articles of real journalism
Beautifully written as always. But so disheartening. It makes my head hurt and my heart ache. Bless you for adding the videos and music to remind us it's not everyone, everywhere.
"If I were a Republican, I don’t think I could vote for someone who had such contempt for me as a thinking human being. The implied message is “Shut up and do what we tell you.”"
I wish this were true of Republicans. But, some are so blinded by hate that they don't see it as contempt. Others are still clinging to a Republican party that no longer exists and they can't seem to let go of the hope that their party will come around and do the right thing. We need those moderate Republicans to pull their heads out of the sand, realize the party they knew is dead, and vote differently.
I get so depressed when I read the news these days. I'm a retired US Army veteran who wonders why he bothered to serve. The principles I thought I was defending are being ground into the mud. I admire your articulate dissection of the growing rot within our country. Please don't stop.
Also you might add into your analysis the removal of the state health official tracking the COVID cases at the start of the pandemic. The attack on professionalism in public service weakens democracy and reduces the capacity to serve the public.
Thank you for the lovely video break and the fabulous Tina concert. I’m glad to be well informed about all the other stuff, but I’m most grateful for your thoughtful presence in our world. My Jumble puzzle in the paper yesterday featured a cute cartoon of you and the answer was (spoiler alert) Kareem of the Crop!
I appreciate everything you write Kareem and always agree with your analysis. One point I want to raise— how is it that a single individual, not even necessarily a parent, can have a book removed from a school library? I doubt this complainant has ever read the book or any poetry at all beyond limericks. She thought Oprah had written the poetry! Her complaint is entirely political.
People who justify book banning claim they are justified by “parental rights.” What on earth does that mean? What about the rights of the vast majority of parents who aren’t complaining? Or the rights of the children? If this parent doesn’t want her child to read the book, start effective parenting with her own child!
Thanks for the comprehensive analysis of Ron DeSantis’ draconian policies and their impact on Florida. Because I prefer to distance myself from the bad news about fascist politicians I was only dimly aware of his insane-sounding views on diversity, education and business . I also relegated his impact to Florida and right-leaning followers only. Your description of his calculated efforts to undermine freedom is eye opening. The illustration you showed of the lone complaining parent concerning book banning is especially striking and clearly depicts the level of judgment being used to suppress learning because of DeSantis’ “leadership “.
That his efforts to attract police resulted in the accumulation of misfit cops is especially frightening and gives very good reason for the NAACP warning.
Also loved the musical experience of Tina Turner in a great performance. I’m proud to share her name, despite my intense lack of musical talent.
Thank you for the thorough analysis of Florida. The only thing I would add is that, according to octogenarian African-American friends who lived there, Florida has always been the anti-Beloved Community. For a chilling view of Florida, read Gilbert King's Devil in the Grove. The vile and systemic racism depicted there happened in the 20th Century, for heaven's sake, a lot of it when I was already alive. I had to keep reminding myself of that as I was reading.
As a person raised Jewish, whose parents were young adults during WWII, I see parallels to the rise of German fascism all around. At least when I was younger, those threads within American society were running underground and kept in check by social and political norms. Republicans, exploiting Trump's malignant narcissism, have now made authoritarianism, fascism, and White nationalism socially and politically acceptable for a significant portion of the population. Voter suppression, the privileging of states in the Constitution, the stacked Supreme Court, gerrymandering, and the erosion of democratic norms at the state level have done the rest. It now takes a landslide just to tip the scales slightly away from extreme right-wing rule. Oh, how far we have fallen.
From the banning (errrrr,”relabeling”) of Ms. Gorman’s poem, to the war on “woke”, from the dismantling of public education to the relentless targeting of “the other”, Desantis is looking to disable one of the most effective weapons against fascism: Empathy.
"Every time Florida passes a law, an angel loses its wings." Best. Line. Ever. Thank you.
One of your best days. Exposing DeSantis and Florida fully, then closing with the ultimate Tina Turner message… I’m humming it too; played it for my daughter who felt empowered by “What’s Love Got to Do with It…”
Thank you for the thoughtful, thorough, and, yes, dispiriting analysis. I really needed that duckling and Tina hit by the time I got to the end.
O, and "hobble education like Kathy Bates swinging a mallet in Misery" for the win!
When I was a kid (long ago), my mom would let me run free in the city library, checking out anything that appealed to me. I discovered whole sections of the Dewey decimal system that had cool stuff. Did I check out books that were too old for me? Of course. But I went back next week and tried again. The idea that children must be "protected" from books that might make them "feel bad" is absurd. And the idea that 11 people can make decisions for thousands of children is even more so. The news makes me weep, but it also makes me vote (and try to get others to do the same).
Your writing is powerful inciteful and refreshing to find well thought out and researched positions and information. If you hired like minded level headed journalists and reported regularly on a website/app I would use it as a primary news source and spend a lot less time scouring the bbc and cnn for substantive articles of real journalism
Beautifully written as always. But so disheartening. It makes my head hurt and my heart ache. Bless you for adding the videos and music to remind us it's not everyone, everywhere.
At least we don’t have to worry that Elon Musk will be elected President or Vice-President since he was born in South Africa.
"If I were a Republican, I don’t think I could vote for someone who had such contempt for me as a thinking human being. The implied message is “Shut up and do what we tell you.”"
I wish this were true of Republicans. But, some are so blinded by hate that they don't see it as contempt. Others are still clinging to a Republican party that no longer exists and they can't seem to let go of the hope that their party will come around and do the right thing. We need those moderate Republicans to pull their heads out of the sand, realize the party they knew is dead, and vote differently.
I get so depressed when I read the news these days. I'm a retired US Army veteran who wonders why he bothered to serve. The principles I thought I was defending are being ground into the mud. I admire your articulate dissection of the growing rot within our country. Please don't stop.
Also you might add into your analysis the removal of the state health official tracking the COVID cases at the start of the pandemic. The attack on professionalism in public service weakens democracy and reduces the capacity to serve the public.
Everything you wrote is so on-point and so necessary. Thank you! (And thank you for the baby ducks—that was also necessary.)