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"To empower parents, Florida Republicans would put children in danger. If passed, their Parental Rights in Education legislation, known more commonly as the “don’t say gay” bills, would prevent public-school districts from “encouraging classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity,” CBS News reports. A proposed amendment would have required educators to report a child’s disclosure about their gender identity or sexual orientation to parents within six weeks.
Republicans haven’t been shy about their rationale. The text of the bills says they allegedly “reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children.” Last year, Senator Josh Hawley introduced a federal Parents’ Bill of Rights, which would include the right to review curricula and to visit children during school hours. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott announced his own Parental Bill of Rights last month. “Parents will be restored to their rightful place as the preeminent decision-maker for their children,” he said at a campaign event held, fittingly, at a charter school. On Wednesday, Abbott told Texas state agencies to investigate reports of gender-affirming care for transgender children.
...As the conservative fringe gathers the party into itself, movements like parental rights move from obscurity into the mainstream. The GOP is turning to parental rights as it tilts headfirst to the far right. The two trends are linked. As Republicans long for a strong figure in power, they imagine the same figure in every home. Subject of a household tyrant, the child has no freedom. They had little enough at all: Their right to an education, to independent thought and action, has historically been secondary to their parent’s preferences. The GOP, with the Christian right behind it, would restrict them further, even if it places them in danger of neglect or abuse.
To the GOP, the parent exists to enforce the party’s will, as though the parent is simply the local arm of a national entity. Parents who fail to obey may find their powers restricted by the state. Authoritarianism is inconsistent in this way; rights granted to followers are not extended to dissenters. For the latter there exists only punishment, a fate that extends to their children. The GOP is the party of parental rights because it is increasingly anti-democratic. It has become the party of ruthless, cynical power, and children aren’t exempt from its schemes. In fact, they’re key.:
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Excellent point. Republican parents rights movement serves a particular group of parents under the guise of "the parents." This is just like how tyrants say they are acting on behalf of "the people." Yeah, their people. No one else qualifies. Other people are more likely to be punished by them than supported by them.
The library book issue is a good example. Take out books their parents object to. Other parents who support these books in the library are punished by their kids being denied them. Same with teaching racism in the classroom. Their parents are rewarded by having such teaching banned. Other parents, who support more diverse voices in the classroom are punished by being denied this for their children altogether.
Needless to say, their parents are mostly straight, white and utterly pissed off about a changing world they can't stop. But if they aren't stopped, they'll do a lot of damage trying.
Republicans haven’t been shy about their rationale. The text of the bills says they allegedly “reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children.” Last year, Senator Josh Hawley introduced a federal Parents’ Bill of Rights, which would include the right to review curricula and to visit children during school hours. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott announced his own Parental Bill of Rights last month. “Parents will be restored to their rightful place as the preeminent decision-maker for their children,” he said at a campaign event held, fittingly, at a charter school. On Wednesday, Abbott told Texas state agencies to investigate reports of gender-affirming care for transgender children.
...As the conservative fringe gathers the party into itself, movements like parental rights move from obscurity into the mainstream. The GOP is turning to parental rights as it tilts headfirst to the far right. The two trends are linked. As Republicans long for a strong figure in power, they imagine the same figure in every home. Subject of a household tyrant, the child has no freedom. They had little enough at all: Their right to an education, to independent thought and action, has historically been secondary to their parent’s preferences. The GOP, with the Christian right behind it, would restrict them further, even if it places them in danger of neglect or abuse.
To the GOP, the parent exists to enforce the party’s will, as though the parent is simply the local arm of a national entity. Parents who fail to obey may find their powers restricted by the state. Authoritarianism is inconsistent in this way; rights granted to followers are not extended to dissenters. For the latter there exists only punishment, a fate that extends to their children. The GOP is the party of parental rights because it is increasingly anti-democratic. It has become the party of ruthless, cynical power, and children aren’t exempt from its schemes. In fact, they’re key.:
Link
Excellent point. Republican parents rights movement serves a particular group of parents under the guise of "the parents." This is just like how tyrants say they are acting on behalf of "the people." Yeah, their people. No one else qualifies. Other people are more likely to be punished by them than supported by them.
The library book issue is a good example. Take out books their parents object to. Other parents who support these books in the library are punished by their kids being denied them. Same with teaching racism in the classroom. Their parents are rewarded by having such teaching banned. Other parents, who support more diverse voices in the classroom are punished by being denied this for their children altogether.
Needless to say, their parents are mostly straight, white and utterly pissed off about a changing world they can't stop. But if they aren't stopped, they'll do a lot of damage trying.
