GOP candidates have taken parental rights to heart in their campaigns with candidates such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis going to ridiculous lengths. His new political slogan is ‘teach my way or go to prison.
Ron DeSantis, along with Trump, claims that he is actively fighting to defend what he terms as parental rights. His vigilantism has seen curriculums in Florida schools coming under the scrutiny of his administration.
His brand of parental rights includes banning students from gender, critical race theory, and sexual orientation. He has passed a new law barring the use of learning material unless it has been vetted by what he terms a certified media specialist or a designated librarian.
Ron DeSantis’ idea of parental rights has been termed by critics as something straight out of George Orwell’s 1984. His moves are a recreation of the events described in the novel.
Parental Rights Emerge As A New Ground For Republican Activism
Several Republican governors, many with dreams of making it to the White House, have become staunch followers of Glenn Youngkin’s line of campaigning that placed his form of parental rights as its core philosophy.
Critics have pilloried the Republican theme of parental rights as being oppressive. That has not deterred GOP candidates and even former president Trump has turned into a staunch advocate of the mantra.
Republicans have responded by enacting bills giving guardians and parents unrestricted access to curricula, learning material, and other books. In several instances, they have moved to force school principals to review complaints by parents about lesson plans and textbooks. Only then are they being allowed to proceed with the use of such material in their classrooms.
In states such as Florida, Iowa, and Texas, certain topics can only be discussed with students after their parents give written permission. Georgia has gone a step further and has put parents in charge of vetting textbooks in the name of parental rights.
