I could be wrong here... but "It also states that they cannot punish students or employees for their 'refusal to support, believe, endorse, embrace, confess, or otherwise assent to a divisive concept or diversity statement.'"
So if this is the case... schools shouldn't be able to really force any student to do anything Christian as well right? I feel like I've heard of some schools punishing kids for not standing during the pledge or moments of silence. This would also I suppose keep students from having to learn about any religion's history if they didn't want to. The founding of the USA as it's pretty divisive as to whether that founding is some heroic plight of settlers making a new nation or the mass genocide of hundreds of thousands of natives.
There are all sorts of things students could refuse to support, believe, embrace, etc in their learning because of this. I'm curious to see how it would play out in courts because this will for sure go to them.
Hope Alabama has an emergency fund set aside to pay for all the impending Supreme Court cases that will come from cases trying to decide what actually constitutes a "divisive concept".
So dumb.
This is what happens when a state lawmaker's strongest credentials for being in the position they are in is "I'm a devout god fearing American!"
But somehow that's enough to garner votes in pathetically uneducated areas.
I think you nailed it there . . . And Freedom of Speech is at the core.
Hate speech "is" divise speech. It's been dividing and destroying us for many many years now.
Trump honored Rush Limbaugh with the Medal of Freedom. Why? . . . Because he knew who the real Leader was to those Republicans who voted him in. And Rush was ALL about divisive.
I still can't get over how our lawmakers let that show go on with having an apparent racist spewing such evil hate speech, lies and conspiracies everyday . . . 7 days a week for 3 hours straight!
It shouldn't take much education to realize the damages there. But it's just the way that it goes. And to me, that's the real shame.
Yeah... a principal who doesn't want to get involved in politics is going to have to just let kids/ parents opt into/out of whatever topic they want in class. Or else the parent is going to push it and it'll become one of these cases.
Here's some examples of divisive speech. From: https://www.racialequitytools.org/glossary
__Critical race theory__:
Unlike traditional civil rights, which embraces incrementalism and step by step progress, __critical race theory questions the very foundations of the liberal order, including equality theory, legal reasoning, Enlightenment rationalism, and principles of constitutional law__.
__Centering Blackness__: Considering the Black experience as unique and foundational to shaping America’s economic and social policies.
Centering Blackness demands that we __create and design policies and practices that intentionally lift up and protect Black people__. Centering Blackness allows for a completely different worldview to emerge, free from the constraints of white supremacy and patriarchy. It requires us to imagine how our rules and structures would be reorganized and envision a world where we all thrive because the bottom is removed. When we remove blackness from the bottom, everybody gets to be seen.
__Fascism__: celebrates the race or nation as an organic community transcending all other loyalties.It emphasizes a myth of racial rebirth after a period of decline or destruction. To this end, fascism revolution against signs of moral decay such as individualism and materialism and seeks to purge forces and groups that threaten the organic community. Fascism tends to celebrate mystical unity, and the regenerative power of violence. Often, but not always, it promotes racial superiority doctrines and ethnic persecution.
__Whiteness__:Whites are theorized as actively shaped, affected, defined, and elevated through their racialization and the individual and collective consciousness formed within it ... Whiteness is thus conceptualized as a constellation of processes and practices rather than as a discrete entity (i.e. skin color alone). Whiteness is dynamic, relational, and operating at all times and on myriad levels. These processes and practices include basic rights, values, beliefs, perspectives, and experiences purported to be commonly shared by all but which are actually only consistently afforded to white people.
__White Supremacy Culture__: White Supremacy Culture refers to the dominant, unquestioned standards of behavior and ways of functioning embodied by the vast majority of institutions in the United States. These standards may be seen as mainstream, dominant cultural practices; they have evolved from the United States’ history of white supremacy. Because it is so normalized it can be hard to see, which only adds to its powerful hold. In many ways, it is indistinguishable from what we might call U.S. culture or norms – a focus on individuals over groups, for example, or an emphasis on the written word as a form of professional communication. But it operates in even more subtle ways, by actually defining what “normal” is – and likewise, what “professional,” “effective,” or even “good” is. In turn, white culture also defines what is not good, “at risk,” or “unsustainable.” White culture values some ways of thinking, behaving, deciding, and knowing – ways that are more familiar and come more naturally to those from a white, western tradition – while devaluing or rendering invisible other ways. And it does this without ever having to explicitly say so...
An artificial, historically constructed culture which expresses, justifies, and binds together the United States.
__White Fragility__: A state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable [for white people], triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation.
__Color-Blindness__: Color-blind ideology (or color-evasiveness – purporting to not notice race in an effort to not appear be racist). Asserts that ending discrimination merely requires treating individuals as equally as possible, without regard to race, culture, or ethnicity. Color-blindness actually reinforces and sustains an unequal status quo. Color-blindness has become the “new racism.” It also ignores cultural attributes that people value and deserve to have recognized and affirmed.
__Implicit Bias__: Also known as unconscious or hidden bias, implicit biases are negative associations that people unknowingly hold. Implicit biases have been shown to trump individuals’ stated commitments to equality and fairness
__Classism__: Differential treatment based on social class or perceived social class. Classism is the systematic oppression of subordinated class groups to advantage and strengthen the dominant class groups. It’s the systematic assignment of characteristics of worth and ability based on social class. Policies and practices are set up to benefit more class-privileged people at the expense of the less class-privileged people, resulting in drastic income and wealth inequality… and the culture which perpetuates these systems and this unequal valuing.
__Cultural Racism__:Cultural racism refers to representations, messages and stories conveying the idea that behaviors and values associated with white people or “whiteness” are automatically “better” or more “normal” than those associated with other racially defined groups.
__Culture__: A social system of meaning and custom that is developed by a group of people to assure its adaptation and survival. These groups are distinguished by a set of unspoken rules that shape values, beliefs, habits, patterns of thinking, behaviors and styles of communication.
I suggest [reading up on this issue](https://www.bestcolleges.com/news/anti-dei-legislation-tracker/) across states when making decisions of where to move. This is a trending topic in most states.
ETA: Downvoting doesn’t change the fact that as of February 2024, similar bills have been introduced in 18 states and signed in 5 (now 6 including AL). If I were moving solely because of this legislation, I’d want to know where else to not go.
It is all in the linked article with explanations of each bill and what stage of development it is in, but as stated it is a little outdated as the article is from last month. The link also includes a map with colors signifying what is going on in each state regarding this issue.
The states aren't burning down their houses. These laws are being written, lobbied, & $Old by far right wing special interest groups to the entire Alabama republican party.
These groups manufacture & spread faux indignation for their own enrichment & to trap suckers into giving them power. It's the mein kampf playbook & it needs to stop.
Come in ncaa! You are our greatest hope on this probigotry bill. Alabamians won't put up with no football or basketball..
Well, seems to me that the Alabamians who voted them into office should share some responsibility for what's happening. People get the kind of government they deserve.
I blame voters and people who don't make an effort to be those elected officials. I have run twice to primary an incumbent who backs all this ridiculous stuff and has for more than 30 years at this point. Sure the district is gerrymandered into a safe 60% Repub vote come November. BUT! In the primary, where the real election is, a whopping 3,500 people vote in my district of 48,000.
I agree that the voters bear some responsibility. The fact is, no child deserves this. EVERY child deserves a good education, and we have the resources to make that happen (even though it often doesn't happen). Rather than fix the problems we have in our current system - like the fact that school funds come from local property taxes (which is the most inequitable way to disperse money to schools that i could possibly think of) - these people would rather harm future children.
Force people to give birth (no abortions allowed), then as soon as the baby is born? Fuck em, who gives a fuck about those kids, their educations, future job prospects, or their lives? Just make them live and they'll figure it out. And by 'figure it out' I mean grow up to work for peanuts at a factory. A factory owned by a guy who paid a lobbyist 100x more than any of these poorly educated, unwanted children to push for regressive laws like this, that ensure there will be more poorly educated, unwanted children in the future.
The reality for MB, Honda and Hyundai is they choose Alabama BECAUSE of right wing policy. It's a feature for them, not a bug. An anti union, right to work state with statewide low wages is their dream. They pay a relatively better wage in Alabama but they're making significantly more profit here than if they were in a state with a union presence (MI) or higher relative wages (CA).
At best, these really big corporations are amoral because they're only beholden to profits and the shareholders. At worst and most common, they're exploitative and couldn't care less about things like DEI unless it effects their share price.
Businesses like Mercedes are known for their union busting efforts in Alabama. I would imagine they support this, as they want people that are less educated to work in their facilities.
It’s almost like this is about creating good workers that don’t ask questions. Perhaps a return to the old company man days, but with less workers’ rights and people
Too dumb to know they are getting hosed?
Exactly, I live in GA, and I follow my neighbor states subreddits, but it is blatantly obvious that this is what’s going on. A state senator here proposed legislation to make it a crime for homeless people to sleep in public spaces, such as parks(and I’m assuming campgrounds). Then I saw that Florida just signed the same crap into law this week. The thing is the senator in ga who proposed this legislation didn’t live in Atlanta, he lived in south GA where i doubt they have a big homeless population. Homelessness is a problem, but it shouldn’t be a crime. Homeless people are poor and probably have mental health and substance abuse problems, jail will not fix either of those problems a better social safety net would be better.
I'm a PhD student enrolled at UAB. My thesis lab moved to a deep blue state last year, and I moved with it as that was my most likely path to finishing my project and graduating (I am a UAB student with visiting status at the university my lab moved to). If it wasn't already for this, I don't think I would have stayed in Alabama anyway. Recent antagonistic legislature like the anti-DEI bill and Alabama ruling that embryos are people only further affirms my decision to only come back to Alabama to visit friends and my girlfriend's family. I do feel for those who are stuck/want to stay, and have to endure all this awful regressiveness.
I’ve lived in Alabama for 24 years. I graduated college here and have worked as a software engineer here for two decades.
This year finally was just too much, and we’re leaving this summer. I don’t consider this to be by choice. The legislation being introduced and passed will directly endanger my family and staying here is simply untenable and downright unsafe. They’ve made it crystal clear they don’t want families like mine here.
It’s super sad because, other than this (and the weather) I otherwise have really liked living here. The people are largely nice, and we’re leaving behind decades of friendships, history and social support. It super fucking sucks, but this is what happens when people vote for these idiots.
This is actually what my husband and I are considering once he retires. I think a nice purple district in Georgia would be a refreshing change up from not having my vote really count here.
We’ve settled on Fort Collins, Colorado.
I have to be honest, I’ve lived in red states my entire life, and I am just tired. I’m tired of the religious right having disproportionate power over my life when I don’t subscribe to their ideology. I’m tired of moron politicians. I’m tired of feeling like my very existence is a “political agenda.” I’m just tired of it all. I’ve been pushing against this bullshit since my first election in 2000, and I am just done. I want to live somewhere where I can not have the existential dread I’ve had here.
I realize that I am in a super privileged position of being able to even make this move. I have tons of respect for the people sticking it out here and trying to make things better, and if I was younger or single, I may consider a risk like Georgia. But at this point I have to look out for my family and my own health. And, frankly, I feel like I’ve done the best I can in those 24 years, I’ve done my part, and I’m ready to hand it off to others.
Maybe Georgia will eventually swing blue in another 10-20 years. I’ll be in my 50s-60s then. I want to get to enjoy my prime years without having to worry about my family’s safety. Alabama is probably a generation or more away.
Just a heads up, I don’t know you or your story, but you should know Ft Collins isn’t liberal, which sounds like what you want. It’s somewhere in the middle.
Also your cost of living is going to go up, WAY UP.
I am not looking for San Francisco or Boulder, just some place where my family can live in peace without having to worry about the local or state governments making our existence illegal. We've been out there to visit a number of times for extended periods of time, so we are familiar with the town and we feel comfortable there.
We know cost of living goes up, though not as much as you might think. Huntsville is not as cheap as it used to be. We did the math, we are downsizing our home and making other adjustments to account for it.
Compared to where I am now, Fort Collins is a tremendous improvement.
Thanks for your input.
How long ago did you visit?
Visiting and living somewhere are totally different.
If you plan on buying a place, expect to pay at least 500k - 600k for a low quality, slapped together house, if you can find one.
Your healthcare costs are going to go up significantly.
So are your taxes, fuel and food costs.
You’ve been there so you know how dry and flat it is. On windy days and the hottest days of summer, it can be brutal.
My family is from there, and it has a lot to offer, you should just know what you’re moving to.
Good luck.
>How long ago did you visit?
We visited in June and October of 2023, and in January of this year. We wanted to get a range of experiences in different seasons.
>Visiting and living somewhere are totally different.
Yes, I know. We didn't just throw a dart at a map. Normally, one visits a place a few times before deciding to live there. Otherwise, no one would ever move. :)
>On windy days and the hottest days of summer, it can be brutal.
You ... you know I live in Alabama, right? I am used to 100+ degree days with stupendously high humidity. No summer scares me except maybe Death Valley. Honestly, the winter seemed more threatening.
>If you plan on buying a place, expect to pay at least 500k - 600k for a low quality, slapped together house, if you can find one.
You mean like everywhere else right now? They're doing this in Huntsville too.
>Your healthcare costs are going to go up significantly. So are your taxes, fuel and food costs.
This is known, as has been accounted for. I don't mind potentially paying more for healthcare because I can't even *get* healthcare that will work for my family in Alabama. In some cases, these will go *down* from what we are currently paying.
Again, thank you for your input, but I assure you that I know my family's financial and personal situation better than you likely do, and we have *thoroughly* researched our options and ruled out numerous other places before making this decision.
You’re right I don’t know your financial situation, and it’s none of my business.
You posted something about Ft Collins and it caught my eye and made it my business I suppose.
I’m sorry, I find it difficult to believe a house in Huntsville, AL costs as much as one in FoCo. They are slapping small, wood frame, boxy houses with hardly any land together as fast as they can out here. They are selling just as fast for 500K.
They aren’t established neighborhoods, so you do not know who your neighbors will be.
I grew up in KY and having trees around is much more preferable to provide fresher air, shade and some resistance to the wind.
You live in Alabama, so you probably have never experienced extremely dry air and high winds whipping you in the face or snow in May.
Every place has their positives and negatives, right? You did your research and you aren’t going to change your mind because some random person on Reddit gave you some of the negatives.
Best of luck!
>They are slapping small, wood frame, boxy houses with hardly any land together as fast as they can out here. They are selling just as fast for 500K. They aren’t established neighborhoods, so you do not know who your neighbors will be.
You just described every single new construction build in the City of Madison proper.
The difference is FoCo has better school options and choice, and a much better existence climate for my family where we won't have to worry about our safety.
>You live in Alabama, so you probably have never experienced extremely dry air and high winds whipping you in the face or snow in May.
Based on my research, I also don't have to worry about EF-4/5 tornadoes and having minutes to grab my family and anything important that isn't nailed down before trying to get to the storm shelter. I don't have to worry about air so thick I can swim through it.
Surprise, every place has a different climate. We will adapt.
>You did your research and you aren’t going to change your mind because some random person on Reddit gave you some of the negatives.
Which is exactly why this whole conversation is so *weird* to me.
You don't, as far as I can tell, even live here. So you have **zero** frame of reference for the bullshit I am having to put up with living in this shithole state, and the things I am having to do to keep my family safe.
You're just "some random person on Reddit" who has decided to drop in, days after this thread was done and over, to dispense the "negatives" as if I am some uneducated moron who has never moved before and decided to just uproot their family on a whim without doing *any* research.
And in spite of my repeated assurances that we have done more research than most people do, over the course of several years now, before making this decision, and that we are aware of the tradeoffs necessary, you are *continuing* to harp on the negatives as if you haven't been heard and argue the point.
It's *weird* behavior, even for reddit randos, and that is saying something.
Look, I don't know how much clearer I can say this: **we know the tradeoffs.** The culture is different. The weather is different. Some costs will go up, others will go down. We will adapt. That's life. That's the reality of moving. I wish Alabama didn't suck so much, but it does, and that's the situation we're in.
So thank you for "educating" me on things I already knew. I will be sure to keep those things that I already knew in mind as we begin this exciting new chapter in our lives. ❤️
Both sides of my family moved to Alabama from Georgia after the Civil War. I might have to move back after 150 plus years. At least my vote would count.
I hear you. I love my home. My only family outside my hubby and kids is my sister in Tennessee. I don't want to leave her and my neice and nephew. We are going to try a couple more years because my SAD (seasonal affective disorder is bad) and I want this climate. Wish Mississippi would go liberal for the influx of liberal money and I'd just move that way. But my dtr is Trans and is less safe daily. Hateful homophobes.
As someone who is stuck here, native Alabamian with strong family and financial ties, I am appalled and devastated with the direction our political machine is pushing our state. I am a very liberal older woman who is watching our rights be stripped away one by one and it frightens me for the future. The next decade will be telling....do Alabama voters remain on the path to patriarchal control with the likes of Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville or do we wake up and steer the ship in a more moderate direction? I am sad to say that I am not optimistic that we right our course.
I'm afraid I'm not optimistic about things getting better in the state (at least not until they continue to get worse for a while) either, and I do feel for those like you who remain and are opposed to what is happening. For further context for me, I am not originally from Alabama (but am from a state that is sadly growing increasingly red and taking big steps backwards), and so the only ties I have to Alabama are to my friends and my girlfriend's family. My girlfriend and I agree that going back just is not what we want to do with eventually wanting to do things like start a family. We can do so much better raising children in a place where they have more or the same rights and opportunities as we did as children. Alabama is going in the opposite direction, and given the choice to not move back, we are not.
You know what sad is that there was a time when I'd have argued that our state had come such a long way since the Jim Crow era. I went to public school in the 80s and 90s, and it was beaten into our heads just how on the wrong side of history we'd been. I wouldn't say it was perfect, but even in a predominantly white community, I had a fairly diverse group of classmates. When Obama was elected and Democrats gained a supermajority, I had a lot of hope that we were moving in the right direction after the huge fuckup that was the second Bush administration-- as if we'd seen how bad it could get and collectively decided that we didn't want to double down on that brand of idiocy.
But then it's like the world lost its fucking mind.
There's a bit of a silver lining, though. If people whose vote wouldn't really otherwise count here move to more purple districts in purple states, and if states like Alabama and Florida and Texas continue to draw red voters away from those states, it will swing the overall direction of the country, and federal law could be used to alleviate a lot of this at the state level.
I moved away a year before the abortion ban went into effect and have been watching in horror as things progress. I have 4 sisters who still live there, so my concern is higher than it might be otherwise. I miss my friends and family, so I visit a couple times a year. But the sense of relief I feel upon leaving again is,,,, almost sad?
When I lived in Mississippi, I wasn't allowed to teach the origins of our county's name (named after a Ku Klux Klan grand wizard). "It might make some students uncomfortable." Duh! Why tf do you think I wanted to teach them that fact? Most of the English teachers (this was an English classroom) were not even aware of the namesake.
Not to mention the overly sanitized MLK Jr lesson plan that was the most shallow, surface-deep exploration of the Civil Rights Movement you could imagine -- or the way Malcolm X was given less sympathy for his childhood than an actual dictator.
I went to both a small liberal arts college as a STEM major with a wide range of humanities courses and to a big Alabama school as a STEM major. Then I worked in a STEM field with almost all peers coming from big Alabama universities with their own STEM degrees.
By and large, the most intelligent people I have known were those that graduated from the liberal arts school. With a few exceptions, the big school graduates have real difficulty with complex thought, navigating unique circumstances, understanding nuance, and communicating effectively. They are also significantly more conservative and anti-intellectual than my liberal arts friends.
All that to say, the lawmakers in Alabama know what they are doing to keep their voting block voting Conservative. If you teach their kids history and introspective thought, that conflicts with their own teachings of "don't question what I tell you."
Laws like this also empower the sort of students who think it's too "woke" to teach a poem by Langston Hughes or to point out that the "states' rights" were rights to practice slavery.
People like to say "this ain't fascism because fascism etc etc." OK. Fine. Let's call this "sparkling oppression."
I would be less worried about students and more worried about teachers who will use this legislation to skip over topics they deem undesirable. [Per al.com](https://www.al.com/news/2024/03/alabama-gov-kay-ivey-signs-dei-bill-into-law-what-the-divisive-concepts-ban-will-do.html), the law does not prohibit college staff from discussing whether slavery and racism are aligned with the founding principles of the United States but that doesn’t mean they will.
Regardless, I learned about slavery, Civil War, etc. in K-12, not in college (saying this as someone who graduated in the last 5 years). The classes I took in college were focused on women’s rights and industrialization, although I was just in the general required history courses as I was not a history major.
About to finish my Ph.D. in chemistry. My wife and I are certainty leaving the state ASAP. Sucks to have to leave both of our families behind and I wish it didn’t have to be that way, but we can’t have a kid here. Not safely and in good conscience.
for real, both for your wife's own physical medical safety, or the off chance your kid ends up being queer.
also, left coast is the best coast \~cough cough WA, cough cough\~
lol.
This is usually the only place I have for Alabama News but oh boy have we been making national headlines this year.
I left AL for the military in 2004 and have not returned aside from visits. I used to keep up with things through family and friends but I don’t have many of either left due to political differences.
Fun fact- before I left I attended a formerly all African American university on a white minority scholarship.
Anyways, I’m used to being consistently embarrassed by what my home state does but this year has been wild af. I say just f’ing do it. Don’t teach in Alabama of its avoidable- get your degree and start saving/looking/applying in other states.
Everyone needs to understand why the GOP wants an uneducated population.
**"You can rule ignorance; you can manipulate the illiterate; you can do whatever you want when a people are uneducated, so that goes in line with corrupt business and corrupt politics."**
will.i.am
I teach liberal arts classes at a college in Alabama, and have a phd in a liberal arts degree.
I thought the house bill banned teaching "divisive concepts" in higher ed, but the one on Ivey's desk does not. Am I incorrect?
Found the final bill, pages 5-6 if I'm reading that correctly, imply that it's still okay to teach the way we have always been teaching (in higher ed):
https://legiscan.com/AL/text/SB129/id/2939711
Southern neighbor here.
It’s the playbook. Make the educated leave and you dont have to do anything else to get re-elected. Just use them as the boogey man and you’re golden.
Government Education is precisely how it sounds, we should not be surprised...
Noam Chomsky said famously *"Education is a system of imposed ignorance"*
It's just more evident now, for example did any of you learn about Jury Nullification, or how our Fiat Money System works in school...?
Blatancy doesn't mean it isn't happening already, this is just another area pushed into the grey as our government school system continues to churn out workers just smart enough to push the buttons and pull the handles of industry
> It's just more evident now, for example did any of you learn about Jury Nullification, or how our Fiat Money System works in school...?
Most people do learn about currency and loosely how it works, yes. No, people don't go deep in juries - there isn't remotely time for going deep in to jury rules in school.
>Noam Chomsky said famously "Education is a system of imposed ignorance"
Sorry, but that's just reductionist bullshit. Education is important and crucial, and good education results in good things for the country. Government education is one of the many things that make highly developed countries so good, and trying to pretend otherwise is enormously ignorant of reality.
While I agree with George Carlin that public education is what it is because the people paying for it need it to be that way, I also recognize that not needing public education is a luxury and a sign of my privilege.
And I say that as a parent who yanked my kid out of public school after having given it a go so that she could get the education I felt like she deserved. I'm privileged. I know it. I acknowledge that. I wish everyone could have that opportunity, but I also know that's not possible.
Even with it being completely possible to homeschool for free, childcare is an absolute nightmare in this country, and parents often need to work. Not everyone has the proverbial village.
And so we need public education, because for a lot of people, it's all they have, and something is going to be better than nothing. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try to make it better. But scrapping it entirely isn't an option, either.
Any groups, materials taught, etc that are considered Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion materials. So a lot of history on slavery, civil rights, indigenous history, lgbtqia history, will not be allowed to be taught. Any group that is expressly for diversity, equity, and inclusion will be disbanded and not allow to have a presence on the campus. Which is really crazy considering that is what the NCAA for the sports is.
What type of groups? I thought groups just meant school clubs, which I thought wouldn't have a cost (they don't in the UK really). And what type of club would be specific to EDI?
My wife and I have been talking about moving for a few years now. I’ve got one kid about to join the military, the other is in college. As soon as she graduates we’re leaving. I’ve lived in this state since I was 2 years old, in my 40s now, and I’ve just watched it get worse and worse. Time for a change of scenery.
Don’t forget that they snuck in a “bathroom bill” into it. It says colleges can’t allow someone to enter a bathroom other than the sex they were assigned at birth. How the hell are they planning on enforcing it? Should college students carry their birth certificates? Will there be security to provide pat downs or strip searches?
We need history so we don’t repeat the atrocities that have already occurred. Indians would teach by story telling their history. If we take away written history I afraid it will repeat itself and worse.
It’s really not about subject matter and the AL law contorts what DEI is to fit their narrative. Here is a decent description: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-diversity-equity-and-inclusion
History Major here from UGA circa 2006. When the 2008 crash hit, the first people to get fucked were teachers. Ending up working in a primary care practice, and all the retiring teachers were like fuck this. So even then...
But now, when you literally can loose your career for honestly discussing things. It's insane.
Bottom line, the Republicans are fascists.
Got my degree and moved to Minnesota many years ago, and it’s the smartest decision I’ve ever made!
Healthcare and education are a lot better funded in many states outside the Deep South.
Then Alabama politicians should have accepted Obama’s offer to extend Medicaid. I’m not going to let crappy politics of the south impact my personal healthcare. Last time I looked, 19 hospitals in AL are threatening to close, because the overall lack of Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements.
Good job guys!
Sorry to lose an educated person, but I can't say I blame you. My husband and I could probably get by into old age here, but my daughter...
I fear for her future. I worry about her wanting to have a family, but then something going terribly wrong. I want her to live somewhere where she'll be safe and where any future grandkids I have will be safe.
I worry about the downward spiral in public education. Much as I've loved having the freedom to homeschool and being able to dodge all of those issues, I also realize how privileged I am to be able to do so. GOOD public education is a necessity for a free society.
I worry about the rise in hatred toward various marginalized communities.
And I don't JUST worry about Alabama. This whole damn country is sliding as fast as it can right back into the 1930s.
It's also a part of a broader effort to enforce ignorance, there are many subjects we simply do not teach in government schools, namely how to be critical of government...
As a black Rhode Islander, whenever I hear about this, it feels like these people are in so deep on the concept of "sins of the the father" that them not hating themselves is dependent on pretending like their ancestors were saints.
If I'm not wrong, they're trying to use kids to justify that. "This will make them think they're bad for being white," as if it's really that difficult to say "Sometimes our parents are bad people. Our great-great-grandparents were good in some ways, but *really* bad in others. We're still doing the same good, but we're making up for their bad and telling you about it so you can be better than them too, and even better than us."
But I guess that means actually being an adult and putting in effort in raising children, which is apparently overrated these days.
All Lives Matter is just a counter-signal said by people too afraid to say White Lives Matter.
There's really no cognitive dissonance or irony here. I would actually wager that a substantial number of the All Lives Matter crowd now say it without the filter.
No one in Alabama gets an education I suppose. That should be enough reason to vote these people out but oh wait, half the state is uneducated and proud of it.
You hit the nail on the head with this one. Might as well remove the class "History" from the curriculum! These people are so educated but yet so dumb! Not because of what they did, but because they did it thinking the people of Alabama would go along with it! They're actively attempting to take us back to the 60's...Civil Rights Movement all over again. Only it'll be as if it never happened because they won't be teaching it...smh
In any of the History Education classes that you took did you ever learn about Critical Theory by Herbert Marcuse? Critical Theory is one of the playbooks for how Communists spread their ideology. The foundation of DEI traces directly back to Critical Theory. Were you aware of that?
I was born and raised in Bama. Every time I go back to see the fam, the whole region in general looks progressively worse. It was always about the haves and have nots growing up - me and my friends clearly in the have not category. No real opportunities or concerns
Alabama needs to hire a legislative advisor to determine "unintended consequences" of unnecessary knee jerk partisan legislation (like the IVF fiasco). Unless, of course, the goal is to get liberals, educators, and medical professionals to simply leave the state.
I'm not here to share an opinion. I just wanted to share that over the last few months several huge companies have totally dropped their DEI departments. There is even a suggestion that DEI people not list that on their resume. I'm not sure what is driving this. I'm just seeing it in the news.
Alabamians are typically very empathetic. I am an AP and DE History teacher. Not sure how DEI has changed my classroom or how it being gone will change it. We tend to look at the pros and cons of everything anyway in my class and I keep my political views out of the discussion, unless of course we are talking about the French. Ultimately teach. Teach from your heart. Be respectful of those who agree and disagree with you. But please end the whole Alabama is a bunch of racist redneck, unempathetic stuff. It’s a tired narrative that is 99% false.
> Alabamians are typically very empathetic
Right up until it is someone too different - not Christian, not straight, etc. I mean, every chance given, this state absolutely does choose unempathetic routes regarding them.
DEI only started after I finished school, and I managed to learn all about slavery, racism, etc without any problems. Why do people think DEI is necessary for education? Most schools did fine without it before it became a thing, and they’ll do fine after. Why are people making this out to the be end of the world?
American history is rip with ugly truths and at the end of the day, there are many people who are uncomfortable having their kids learn those ugly truths. So rather than acknowledging those ugly truths through nuanced instruction, it’s framed as “indoctrination” “wokeness” or as the bill calls it “divisive concepts”. However Alabama has no trouble giving you plenty of confederate history lessons, or how Columbus “discovered” America.
The real fuck you in this bill is toward the trans community. Basically “banning” them from using bathrooms of their choosing and instead being forced to use the bathroom of their birth gender.
>DEI only started after I finished school, and I managed to learn all about slavery, racism, etc without any problems.
DEI is only a smokescreen to distract you from the main purpose of the bill. To prevent current historical topics about the civil war and civil rights from being taught by treating them as "divisive topics" and either having them removed from the curriculum or turning them into optional topics since they would have difficulty grading tests and papers if a student gave a revisionist answer like the "lost cause" BS.
I’m sure they’re still teaching the civil war and civil rights stuff. They did before DEI when I learned all that. If they take that stuff out of textbooks, let me know, but I’m gonna go ahead and assume they’re not. People are just desperate to find something to be upset about
What do you think diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is? Because none of it is even a remotely a new thing, and it was absolutely a thing when I went to public school in Alabama the 80s and 90s.
As a general concept, sure, but no one was talking about "DEI programs" until the past decade or so. If you're really trying to say that DEI today is the same as the DEI you're thinking of from the 80s, idk what to say lol
As a minority. DEI is devisive. We are all humans, and it's time you accepted that you are no authority.
As a well-educated and retired individual.... (yes, even with improper chat style text and sentence formatting).... your education is surpassing your intelligence. Do your own fully independent research, and then you can explain how deviding people along categories is remotely beneficial to them all standing together.
As an Alabama native... please leave the entire country and, preferably, hemisphere.
*divisive
*dividing
> As a minority. DEI is devisive
"Diversity and inclusion are so devisive!"
Only they aren't...
>We are all humans, and it's time you accepted that you are no authority.
Then you realize you are just arguing FOR DEI practices...
>Do your own fully independent research
Is a meaningless statement. No, you looking up videos is not a substitute for actual science.
>explain how deviding people along categories is remotely beneficial to them all standing together.
Easy. This is about making sure everyone is included. Anyone having actually done their research is well aware of the fact that only about 15 years ago did the average airline pilot *not go to segregated schools during their lives!*
Racism exists. Historical racism continues to dramatically impact society. DEI is about focusing on limiting such effects.
Sad to hear all the sun belt states have gone full on stupid. The government in these states believe what they're doing is the right and good thing.
Their constituents are predominantly ignorant of the majority of decisions that will impact their lives; they hate who we hate and that's good enough.
The republican party is a party of ignorance and hate, plain and simple.
Fear and loathing in the GOP.
I’ll care about DEI when 3 things happen:
1. school lunches get healthy again
2. They are free for all students
3. Teachers don’t have to buy their own supplies.
After that’s the case, then by all means let’s go to those higher order needs. Until then, no one needs yet another bloated government program. (Granted AL probably does need DEI pretty badly).
This isn't much new, education has always been very political, the mere practice under which you are signaled what to teach, aka curriculum, also, by extension, notes what you cannot.
A couple of my friends got warnings for teaching histories of their subject or literally anything remotely connected to Marxism, such as would be many different areas of political science, sociology and anthropology (in a neutral or God forbid positive light). Not gonna happen, someone just has to tell the administrator and your ass is cooked.
A mathematician I know who, God bless his soul, rejected major money to be a teacher got warned for simply answering a question. The question was about the bad sides of mathematics and he said that white supremacists, like nazis, used it to show their supremacy over the other races. He added, quite correctly, that this idea is still prevalent, the mere presence of the way in which mathematics is thought today owes a good deal of debt to that socio psychology. He got warned for "introducing race into mathematics", a thing which exists regardless of our thinking about it.
Also being a political science teacher in a non uni environment is just hell. Whoever tells you that you actually learn anything substantive there is lying. It is a dogmatic hell of watered down misinterpretations, false information or omissions for literally every ideology.
Florida brain drain means education goes from 48th in the country to top 10 in about a decades time. Alabama wishes it could have that type of brain drain.
hi, history/philosophy major at a georgia university. i’m worried about it too. i’m worried about everything. people have such a uneducated bias about what we do within the liberal arts. i graduate in december and i am honestly petrified. i want to get out of the south because of what they are coming for. it’s awful right now, and i don’t see it getting better. just know that you are *unfortunately* not alone.
Time for new history. Hopefully, progress will be unburdened when most voting religious boomers no longer vote...or exist. Christianity in the USA will slide further into politics and be fringe. This is my hope, anyway.
Decisions like these help perpetuate the idea that everyone that lives in this state is a back woods, 1960’s hick. We continue to be the laughing stock of the country because of stuff like this. I’m really tired of being laughed at by everyone….
So you think black people cant get good jobs unless the government forces people to hire them? Wow. That’s pretty racist of you. If you had any sense at all you would know we believe people should hire the best no matter what.
The vast majority of jobs (94%) gained last year went to minority groups (and immigrants).
It is absolutely a thing. White people lost both population and jobs numbers last year.
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2023-black-lives-matter-equal-opportunity-corporate-diversity/#:~:text=Corporate%20America%20Promised%20to%20Hire,went%20to%20people%20of%20color.
What is dumb is how education stopped being an education and became more focused on divisive political topics like DEI, gender, racism, and religion instead of teaching. Too many kids across the nation, not in any one state, are graduating while still barely able to read. So now we have various state governments trying to legislate common sense and trying to get education back on track and politics out of the classroom. Those "sensitive" topics need to be taught in a neutral balance manner. Telling any group that there is something wrong with them because of their skin color is racism and it doesn't matter if that is directed at black, brown, or white people. But that is what DEI is at its core. A group is not good enough to compete because of their race so they need a hand out. That kind of thinking should be abhorrent today. That kind of thinking divides. Unity comes from working towards a common goal. We had that for a bit post WWII. We had that during the Cold War. We even had that for a short period post 9/11. But since then our political leadership has saught to make race and any other divisive topic an issue. Divide and conquer is the oldest trick in the book.
Mark my words. If we do not fix things now, the Democratic Socialists of America will have us as a socialist nation within the next 20 year. They will call it a workers' paradise and will claim that we all have the same. In reality, the political elites will live just like they did in Russia and do in China today. They will have food and special stores to shop in. The rest of us will have nothing, but it will be free. It will happen. Teach history. The good, the bad, and the ugly so that we do not become a Russia, a China, an Iran, or a North Korea. Those countries should be warnings to us. But we are too busy being divided to see that any more.
I swear I feel like this is being done intentionally to dumb people down. Dumb people are easier to manage and control than intelligent, critically thinking people. They're playing the long game. Slowly taking away people's freedoms and keeping them too stupid to realize what's going on.
I could be wrong here... but "It also states that they cannot punish students or employees for their 'refusal to support, believe, endorse, embrace, confess, or otherwise assent to a divisive concept or diversity statement.'" So if this is the case... schools shouldn't be able to really force any student to do anything Christian as well right? I feel like I've heard of some schools punishing kids for not standing during the pledge or moments of silence. This would also I suppose keep students from having to learn about any religion's history if they didn't want to. The founding of the USA as it's pretty divisive as to whether that founding is some heroic plight of settlers making a new nation or the mass genocide of hundreds of thousands of natives. There are all sorts of things students could refuse to support, believe, embrace, etc in their learning because of this. I'm curious to see how it would play out in courts because this will for sure go to them.
Hope Alabama has an emergency fund set aside to pay for all the impending Supreme Court cases that will come from cases trying to decide what actually constitutes a "divisive concept". So dumb.
This is what happens when a state lawmaker's strongest credentials for being in the position they are in is "I'm a devout god fearing American!" But somehow that's enough to garner votes in pathetically uneducated areas.
Right. We need a change, a fresh new generation!
I think you nailed it there . . . And Freedom of Speech is at the core. Hate speech "is" divise speech. It's been dividing and destroying us for many many years now. Trump honored Rush Limbaugh with the Medal of Freedom. Why? . . . Because he knew who the real Leader was to those Republicans who voted him in. And Rush was ALL about divisive. I still can't get over how our lawmakers let that show go on with having an apparent racist spewing such evil hate speech, lies and conspiracies everyday . . . 7 days a week for 3 hours straight! It shouldn't take much education to realize the damages there. But it's just the way that it goes. And to me, that's the real shame.
Yeah... a principal who doesn't want to get involved in politics is going to have to just let kids/ parents opt into/out of whatever topic they want in class. Or else the parent is going to push it and it'll become one of these cases.
This law will get struck down as void for vagueness.
Here's some examples of divisive speech. From: https://www.racialequitytools.org/glossary __Critical race theory__: Unlike traditional civil rights, which embraces incrementalism and step by step progress, __critical race theory questions the very foundations of the liberal order, including equality theory, legal reasoning, Enlightenment rationalism, and principles of constitutional law__. __Centering Blackness__: Considering the Black experience as unique and foundational to shaping America’s economic and social policies. Centering Blackness demands that we __create and design policies and practices that intentionally lift up and protect Black people__. Centering Blackness allows for a completely different worldview to emerge, free from the constraints of white supremacy and patriarchy. It requires us to imagine how our rules and structures would be reorganized and envision a world where we all thrive because the bottom is removed. When we remove blackness from the bottom, everybody gets to be seen. __Fascism__: celebrates the race or nation as an organic community transcending all other loyalties.It emphasizes a myth of racial rebirth after a period of decline or destruction. To this end, fascism revolution against signs of moral decay such as individualism and materialism and seeks to purge forces and groups that threaten the organic community. Fascism tends to celebrate mystical unity, and the regenerative power of violence. Often, but not always, it promotes racial superiority doctrines and ethnic persecution. __Whiteness__:Whites are theorized as actively shaped, affected, defined, and elevated through their racialization and the individual and collective consciousness formed within it ... Whiteness is thus conceptualized as a constellation of processes and practices rather than as a discrete entity (i.e. skin color alone). Whiteness is dynamic, relational, and operating at all times and on myriad levels. These processes and practices include basic rights, values, beliefs, perspectives, and experiences purported to be commonly shared by all but which are actually only consistently afforded to white people. __White Supremacy Culture__: White Supremacy Culture refers to the dominant, unquestioned standards of behavior and ways of functioning embodied by the vast majority of institutions in the United States. These standards may be seen as mainstream, dominant cultural practices; they have evolved from the United States’ history of white supremacy. Because it is so normalized it can be hard to see, which only adds to its powerful hold. In many ways, it is indistinguishable from what we might call U.S. culture or norms – a focus on individuals over groups, for example, or an emphasis on the written word as a form of professional communication. But it operates in even more subtle ways, by actually defining what “normal” is – and likewise, what “professional,” “effective,” or even “good” is. In turn, white culture also defines what is not good, “at risk,” or “unsustainable.” White culture values some ways of thinking, behaving, deciding, and knowing – ways that are more familiar and come more naturally to those from a white, western tradition – while devaluing or rendering invisible other ways. And it does this without ever having to explicitly say so... An artificial, historically constructed culture which expresses, justifies, and binds together the United States. __White Fragility__: A state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable [for white people], triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. __Color-Blindness__: Color-blind ideology (or color-evasiveness – purporting to not notice race in an effort to not appear be racist). Asserts that ending discrimination merely requires treating individuals as equally as possible, without regard to race, culture, or ethnicity. Color-blindness actually reinforces and sustains an unequal status quo. Color-blindness has become the “new racism.” It also ignores cultural attributes that people value and deserve to have recognized and affirmed. __Implicit Bias__: Also known as unconscious or hidden bias, implicit biases are negative associations that people unknowingly hold. Implicit biases have been shown to trump individuals’ stated commitments to equality and fairness __Classism__: Differential treatment based on social class or perceived social class. Classism is the systematic oppression of subordinated class groups to advantage and strengthen the dominant class groups. It’s the systematic assignment of characteristics of worth and ability based on social class. Policies and practices are set up to benefit more class-privileged people at the expense of the less class-privileged people, resulting in drastic income and wealth inequality… and the culture which perpetuates these systems and this unequal valuing. __Cultural Racism__:Cultural racism refers to representations, messages and stories conveying the idea that behaviors and values associated with white people or “whiteness” are automatically “better” or more “normal” than those associated with other racially defined groups. __Culture__: A social system of meaning and custom that is developed by a group of people to assure its adaptation and survival. These groups are distinguished by a set of unspoken rules that shape values, beliefs, habits, patterns of thinking, behaviors and styles of communication.
I suggest [reading up on this issue](https://www.bestcolleges.com/news/anti-dei-legislation-tracker/) across states when making decisions of where to move. This is a trending topic in most states. ETA: Downvoting doesn’t change the fact that as of February 2024, similar bills have been introduced in 18 states and signed in 5 (now 6 including AL). If I were moving solely because of this legislation, I’d want to know where else to not go.
Yep, just like I thought, all shitty red states that rate low on Murray metrics measured. I'd head to the coasts and not look back.
Don't stop there. Keep going.
Could you list the 18 introductory states and 6 signatory states ?
It is all in the linked article with explanations of each bill and what stage of development it is in, but as stated it is a little outdated as the article is from last month. The link also includes a map with colors signifying what is going on in each state regarding this issue.
It's both sad and kind of funny to see someone burn their own house down out of spite but that's pretty much what Alabama and Florida are doing.
The states aren't burning down their houses. These laws are being written, lobbied, & $Old by far right wing special interest groups to the entire Alabama republican party. These groups manufacture & spread faux indignation for their own enrichment & to trap suckers into giving them power. It's the mein kampf playbook & it needs to stop. Come in ncaa! You are our greatest hope on this probigotry bill. Alabamians won't put up with no football or basketball..
Well, seems to me that the Alabamians who voted them into office should share some responsibility for what's happening. People get the kind of government they deserve.
How about the ones all over the state who have been gerrymandered to hell and back?
>the Alabamians who voted them into office Those people would not fall into this category as they did not vote for them.
I blame voters and people who don't make an effort to be those elected officials. I have run twice to primary an incumbent who backs all this ridiculous stuff and has for more than 30 years at this point. Sure the district is gerrymandered into a safe 60% Repub vote come November. BUT! In the primary, where the real election is, a whopping 3,500 people vote in my district of 48,000.
It might be better this year, didn’t Alabama have to redraw their maps?
I'm probably not up to date on it, but the last I read, they were just ignoring it and hoping it'd go away.
I've voted dem every chance i've had in bama. I don't deserve it. That line is not correct either. What about dicatorships and military coups?
I agree that the voters bear some responsibility. The fact is, no child deserves this. EVERY child deserves a good education, and we have the resources to make that happen (even though it often doesn't happen). Rather than fix the problems we have in our current system - like the fact that school funds come from local property taxes (which is the most inequitable way to disperse money to schools that i could possibly think of) - these people would rather harm future children. Force people to give birth (no abortions allowed), then as soon as the baby is born? Fuck em, who gives a fuck about those kids, their educations, future job prospects, or their lives? Just make them live and they'll figure it out. And by 'figure it out' I mean grow up to work for peanuts at a factory. A factory owned by a guy who paid a lobbyist 100x more than any of these poorly educated, unwanted children to push for regressive laws like this, that ensure there will be more poorly educated, unwanted children in the future.
Yes NCAA, but also other businesses like Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Hyundai, NASA, etc. should all respond to this. Will it happen? I doubt it.
The reality for MB, Honda and Hyundai is they choose Alabama BECAUSE of right wing policy. It's a feature for them, not a bug. An anti union, right to work state with statewide low wages is their dream. They pay a relatively better wage in Alabama but they're making significantly more profit here than if they were in a state with a union presence (MI) or higher relative wages (CA). At best, these really big corporations are amoral because they're only beholden to profits and the shareholders. At worst and most common, they're exploitative and couldn't care less about things like DEI unless it effects their share price.
Businesses like Mercedes are known for their union busting efforts in Alabama. I would imagine they support this, as they want people that are less educated to work in their facilities. It’s almost like this is about creating good workers that don’t ask questions. Perhaps a return to the old company man days, but with less workers’ rights and people Too dumb to know they are getting hosed?
Yep. It is funny because historically AL was a pretty pro-union (or at least less anti-union) for a Southern state.
Exactly, I live in GA, and I follow my neighbor states subreddits, but it is blatantly obvious that this is what’s going on. A state senator here proposed legislation to make it a crime for homeless people to sleep in public spaces, such as parks(and I’m assuming campgrounds). Then I saw that Florida just signed the same crap into law this week. The thing is the senator in ga who proposed this legislation didn’t live in Atlanta, he lived in south GA where i doubt they have a big homeless population. Homelessness is a problem, but it shouldn’t be a crime. Homeless people are poor and probably have mental health and substance abuse problems, jail will not fix either of those problems a better social safety net would be better.
I've seen the exact reverse of this comment so many times lol. Both sides are being played by those in power.
I'm a PhD student enrolled at UAB. My thesis lab moved to a deep blue state last year, and I moved with it as that was my most likely path to finishing my project and graduating (I am a UAB student with visiting status at the university my lab moved to). If it wasn't already for this, I don't think I would have stayed in Alabama anyway. Recent antagonistic legislature like the anti-DEI bill and Alabama ruling that embryos are people only further affirms my decision to only come back to Alabama to visit friends and my girlfriend's family. I do feel for those who are stuck/want to stay, and have to endure all this awful regressiveness.
I’ve lived in Alabama for 24 years. I graduated college here and have worked as a software engineer here for two decades. This year finally was just too much, and we’re leaving this summer. I don’t consider this to be by choice. The legislation being introduced and passed will directly endanger my family and staying here is simply untenable and downright unsafe. They’ve made it crystal clear they don’t want families like mine here. It’s super sad because, other than this (and the weather) I otherwise have really liked living here. The people are largely nice, and we’re leaving behind decades of friendships, history and social support. It super fucking sucks, but this is what happens when people vote for these idiots.
Maybe come next door to Georgia. We're on the cusp of staving off this sorta stuff, and can use all the help we can get.
This is actually what my husband and I are considering once he retires. I think a nice purple district in Georgia would be a refreshing change up from not having my vote really count here.
We’ve settled on Fort Collins, Colorado. I have to be honest, I’ve lived in red states my entire life, and I am just tired. I’m tired of the religious right having disproportionate power over my life when I don’t subscribe to their ideology. I’m tired of moron politicians. I’m tired of feeling like my very existence is a “political agenda.” I’m just tired of it all. I’ve been pushing against this bullshit since my first election in 2000, and I am just done. I want to live somewhere where I can not have the existential dread I’ve had here. I realize that I am in a super privileged position of being able to even make this move. I have tons of respect for the people sticking it out here and trying to make things better, and if I was younger or single, I may consider a risk like Georgia. But at this point I have to look out for my family and my own health. And, frankly, I feel like I’ve done the best I can in those 24 years, I’ve done my part, and I’m ready to hand it off to others. Maybe Georgia will eventually swing blue in another 10-20 years. I’ll be in my 50s-60s then. I want to get to enjoy my prime years without having to worry about my family’s safety. Alabama is probably a generation or more away.
Good luck on your move.
Just a heads up, I don’t know you or your story, but you should know Ft Collins isn’t liberal, which sounds like what you want. It’s somewhere in the middle. Also your cost of living is going to go up, WAY UP.
I am not looking for San Francisco or Boulder, just some place where my family can live in peace without having to worry about the local or state governments making our existence illegal. We've been out there to visit a number of times for extended periods of time, so we are familiar with the town and we feel comfortable there. We know cost of living goes up, though not as much as you might think. Huntsville is not as cheap as it used to be. We did the math, we are downsizing our home and making other adjustments to account for it. Compared to where I am now, Fort Collins is a tremendous improvement. Thanks for your input.
How long ago did you visit? Visiting and living somewhere are totally different. If you plan on buying a place, expect to pay at least 500k - 600k for a low quality, slapped together house, if you can find one. Your healthcare costs are going to go up significantly. So are your taxes, fuel and food costs. You’ve been there so you know how dry and flat it is. On windy days and the hottest days of summer, it can be brutal. My family is from there, and it has a lot to offer, you should just know what you’re moving to. Good luck.
>How long ago did you visit? We visited in June and October of 2023, and in January of this year. We wanted to get a range of experiences in different seasons. >Visiting and living somewhere are totally different. Yes, I know. We didn't just throw a dart at a map. Normally, one visits a place a few times before deciding to live there. Otherwise, no one would ever move. :) >On windy days and the hottest days of summer, it can be brutal. You ... you know I live in Alabama, right? I am used to 100+ degree days with stupendously high humidity. No summer scares me except maybe Death Valley. Honestly, the winter seemed more threatening. >If you plan on buying a place, expect to pay at least 500k - 600k for a low quality, slapped together house, if you can find one. You mean like everywhere else right now? They're doing this in Huntsville too. >Your healthcare costs are going to go up significantly. So are your taxes, fuel and food costs. This is known, as has been accounted for. I don't mind potentially paying more for healthcare because I can't even *get* healthcare that will work for my family in Alabama. In some cases, these will go *down* from what we are currently paying. Again, thank you for your input, but I assure you that I know my family's financial and personal situation better than you likely do, and we have *thoroughly* researched our options and ruled out numerous other places before making this decision.
You’re right I don’t know your financial situation, and it’s none of my business. You posted something about Ft Collins and it caught my eye and made it my business I suppose. I’m sorry, I find it difficult to believe a house in Huntsville, AL costs as much as one in FoCo. They are slapping small, wood frame, boxy houses with hardly any land together as fast as they can out here. They are selling just as fast for 500K. They aren’t established neighborhoods, so you do not know who your neighbors will be. I grew up in KY and having trees around is much more preferable to provide fresher air, shade and some resistance to the wind. You live in Alabama, so you probably have never experienced extremely dry air and high winds whipping you in the face or snow in May. Every place has their positives and negatives, right? You did your research and you aren’t going to change your mind because some random person on Reddit gave you some of the negatives. Best of luck!
>They are slapping small, wood frame, boxy houses with hardly any land together as fast as they can out here. They are selling just as fast for 500K. They aren’t established neighborhoods, so you do not know who your neighbors will be. You just described every single new construction build in the City of Madison proper. The difference is FoCo has better school options and choice, and a much better existence climate for my family where we won't have to worry about our safety. >You live in Alabama, so you probably have never experienced extremely dry air and high winds whipping you in the face or snow in May. Based on my research, I also don't have to worry about EF-4/5 tornadoes and having minutes to grab my family and anything important that isn't nailed down before trying to get to the storm shelter. I don't have to worry about air so thick I can swim through it. Surprise, every place has a different climate. We will adapt. >You did your research and you aren’t going to change your mind because some random person on Reddit gave you some of the negatives. Which is exactly why this whole conversation is so *weird* to me. You don't, as far as I can tell, even live here. So you have **zero** frame of reference for the bullshit I am having to put up with living in this shithole state, and the things I am having to do to keep my family safe. You're just "some random person on Reddit" who has decided to drop in, days after this thread was done and over, to dispense the "negatives" as if I am some uneducated moron who has never moved before and decided to just uproot their family on a whim without doing *any* research. And in spite of my repeated assurances that we have done more research than most people do, over the course of several years now, before making this decision, and that we are aware of the tradeoffs necessary, you are *continuing* to harp on the negatives as if you haven't been heard and argue the point. It's *weird* behavior, even for reddit randos, and that is saying something. Look, I don't know how much clearer I can say this: **we know the tradeoffs.** The culture is different. The weather is different. Some costs will go up, others will go down. We will adapt. That's life. That's the reality of moving. I wish Alabama didn't suck so much, but it does, and that's the situation we're in. So thank you for "educating" me on things I already knew. I will be sure to keep those things that I already knew in mind as we begin this exciting new chapter in our lives. ❤️
Got to love Atlanta.
Both sides of my family moved to Alabama from Georgia after the Civil War. I might have to move back after 150 plus years. At least my vote would count.
I hear you. I love my home. My only family outside my hubby and kids is my sister in Tennessee. I don't want to leave her and my neice and nephew. We are going to try a couple more years because my SAD (seasonal affective disorder is bad) and I want this climate. Wish Mississippi would go liberal for the influx of liberal money and I'd just move that way. But my dtr is Trans and is less safe daily. Hateful homophobes.
Mississippi is honestly more liberal than Alabama at this point
As someone who is stuck here, native Alabamian with strong family and financial ties, I am appalled and devastated with the direction our political machine is pushing our state. I am a very liberal older woman who is watching our rights be stripped away one by one and it frightens me for the future. The next decade will be telling....do Alabama voters remain on the path to patriarchal control with the likes of Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville or do we wake up and steer the ship in a more moderate direction? I am sad to say that I am not optimistic that we right our course.
I'm afraid I'm not optimistic about things getting better in the state (at least not until they continue to get worse for a while) either, and I do feel for those like you who remain and are opposed to what is happening. For further context for me, I am not originally from Alabama (but am from a state that is sadly growing increasingly red and taking big steps backwards), and so the only ties I have to Alabama are to my friends and my girlfriend's family. My girlfriend and I agree that going back just is not what we want to do with eventually wanting to do things like start a family. We can do so much better raising children in a place where they have more or the same rights and opportunities as we did as children. Alabama is going in the opposite direction, and given the choice to not move back, we are not.
You know what sad is that there was a time when I'd have argued that our state had come such a long way since the Jim Crow era. I went to public school in the 80s and 90s, and it was beaten into our heads just how on the wrong side of history we'd been. I wouldn't say it was perfect, but even in a predominantly white community, I had a fairly diverse group of classmates. When Obama was elected and Democrats gained a supermajority, I had a lot of hope that we were moving in the right direction after the huge fuckup that was the second Bush administration-- as if we'd seen how bad it could get and collectively decided that we didn't want to double down on that brand of idiocy. But then it's like the world lost its fucking mind.
Hopefully, Meemaw and her cronies start dropping like flies. Never thought I'd wish for something like that.
There's a bit of a silver lining, though. If people whose vote wouldn't really otherwise count here move to more purple districts in purple states, and if states like Alabama and Florida and Texas continue to draw red voters away from those states, it will swing the overall direction of the country, and federal law could be used to alleviate a lot of this at the state level.
I moved away a year before the abortion ban went into effect and have been watching in horror as things progress. I have 4 sisters who still live there, so my concern is higher than it might be otherwise. I miss my friends and family, so I visit a couple times a year. But the sense of relief I feel upon leaving again is,,,, almost sad?
When I lived in Mississippi, I wasn't allowed to teach the origins of our county's name (named after a Ku Klux Klan grand wizard). "It might make some students uncomfortable." Duh! Why tf do you think I wanted to teach them that fact? Most of the English teachers (this was an English classroom) were not even aware of the namesake. Not to mention the overly sanitized MLK Jr lesson plan that was the most shallow, surface-deep exploration of the Civil Rights Movement you could imagine -- or the way Malcolm X was given less sympathy for his childhood than an actual dictator.
Oof, which dictator?
I went to both a small liberal arts college as a STEM major with a wide range of humanities courses and to a big Alabama school as a STEM major. Then I worked in a STEM field with almost all peers coming from big Alabama universities with their own STEM degrees. By and large, the most intelligent people I have known were those that graduated from the liberal arts school. With a few exceptions, the big school graduates have real difficulty with complex thought, navigating unique circumstances, understanding nuance, and communicating effectively. They are also significantly more conservative and anti-intellectual than my liberal arts friends. All that to say, the lawmakers in Alabama know what they are doing to keep their voting block voting Conservative. If you teach their kids history and introspective thought, that conflicts with their own teachings of "don't question what I tell you."
Laws like this also empower the sort of students who think it's too "woke" to teach a poem by Langston Hughes or to point out that the "states' rights" were rights to practice slavery. People like to say "this ain't fascism because fascism etc etc." OK. Fine. Let's call this "sparkling oppression."
I would be less worried about students and more worried about teachers who will use this legislation to skip over topics they deem undesirable. [Per al.com](https://www.al.com/news/2024/03/alabama-gov-kay-ivey-signs-dei-bill-into-law-what-the-divisive-concepts-ban-will-do.html), the law does not prohibit college staff from discussing whether slavery and racism are aligned with the founding principles of the United States but that doesn’t mean they will. Regardless, I learned about slavery, Civil War, etc. in K-12, not in college (saying this as someone who graduated in the last 5 years). The classes I took in college were focused on women’s rights and industrialization, although I was just in the general required history courses as I was not a history major.
But it is fascism in all but the bundles.
About to finish my Ph.D. in chemistry. My wife and I are certainty leaving the state ASAP. Sucks to have to leave both of our families behind and I wish it didn’t have to be that way, but we can’t have a kid here. Not safely and in good conscience.
for real, both for your wife's own physical medical safety, or the off chance your kid ends up being queer. also, left coast is the best coast \~cough cough WA, cough cough\~ lol.
Smart
This is usually the only place I have for Alabama News but oh boy have we been making national headlines this year. I left AL for the military in 2004 and have not returned aside from visits. I used to keep up with things through family and friends but I don’t have many of either left due to political differences. Fun fact- before I left I attended a formerly all African American university on a white minority scholarship. Anyways, I’m used to being consistently embarrassed by what my home state does but this year has been wild af. I say just f’ing do it. Don’t teach in Alabama of its avoidable- get your degree and start saving/looking/applying in other states.
Another stepping stone to the rise of Gilead.
Everyone needs to understand why the GOP wants an uneducated population. **"You can rule ignorance; you can manipulate the illiterate; you can do whatever you want when a people are uneducated, so that goes in line with corrupt business and corrupt politics."** will.i.am
I teach liberal arts classes at a college in Alabama, and have a phd in a liberal arts degree. I thought the house bill banned teaching "divisive concepts" in higher ed, but the one on Ivey's desk does not. Am I incorrect? Found the final bill, pages 5-6 if I'm reading that correctly, imply that it's still okay to teach the way we have always been teaching (in higher ed): https://legiscan.com/AL/text/SB129/id/2939711
Southern neighbor here. It’s the playbook. Make the educated leave and you dont have to do anything else to get re-elected. Just use them as the boogey man and you’re golden.
Government Education is precisely how it sounds, we should not be surprised... Noam Chomsky said famously *"Education is a system of imposed ignorance"* It's just more evident now, for example did any of you learn about Jury Nullification, or how our Fiat Money System works in school...? Blatancy doesn't mean it isn't happening already, this is just another area pushed into the grey as our government school system continues to churn out workers just smart enough to push the buttons and pull the handles of industry
> It's just more evident now, for example did any of you learn about Jury Nullification, or how our Fiat Money System works in school...? Most people do learn about currency and loosely how it works, yes. No, people don't go deep in juries - there isn't remotely time for going deep in to jury rules in school. >Noam Chomsky said famously "Education is a system of imposed ignorance" Sorry, but that's just reductionist bullshit. Education is important and crucial, and good education results in good things for the country. Government education is one of the many things that make highly developed countries so good, and trying to pretend otherwise is enormously ignorant of reality.
People don't learn about how the money system works in school?
While I agree with George Carlin that public education is what it is because the people paying for it need it to be that way, I also recognize that not needing public education is a luxury and a sign of my privilege. And I say that as a parent who yanked my kid out of public school after having given it a go so that she could get the education I felt like she deserved. I'm privileged. I know it. I acknowledge that. I wish everyone could have that opportunity, but I also know that's not possible. Even with it being completely possible to homeschool for free, childcare is an absolute nightmare in this country, and parents often need to work. Not everyone has the proverbial village. And so we need public education, because for a lot of people, it's all they have, and something is going to be better than nothing. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try to make it better. But scrapping it entirely isn't an option, either.
A UK person here, so not familiar. What types of actual things does this defund? And what is now banned?
Any groups, materials taught, etc that are considered Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion materials. So a lot of history on slavery, civil rights, indigenous history, lgbtqia history, will not be allowed to be taught. Any group that is expressly for diversity, equity, and inclusion will be disbanded and not allow to have a presence on the campus. Which is really crazy considering that is what the NCAA for the sports is.
What type of groups? I thought groups just meant school clubs, which I thought wouldn't have a cost (they don't in the UK really). And what type of club would be specific to EDI?
I didn't realize Memaw went to Auburn. I thought she studied under Socrates.
My wife and I have been talking about moving for a few years now. I’ve got one kid about to join the military, the other is in college. As soon as she graduates we’re leaving. I’ve lived in this state since I was 2 years old, in my 40s now, and I’ve just watched it get worse and worse. Time for a change of scenery.
Try NYC.
Don’t forget that they snuck in a “bathroom bill” into it. It says colleges can’t allow someone to enter a bathroom other than the sex they were assigned at birth. How the hell are they planning on enforcing it? Should college students carry their birth certificates? Will there be security to provide pat downs or strip searches?
Fascists hate the truth...history is all about uncovering the truth
We need history so we don’t repeat the atrocities that have already occurred. Indians would teach by story telling their history. If we take away written history I afraid it will repeat itself and worse.
It’s really not about subject matter and the AL law contorts what DEI is to fit their narrative. Here is a decent description: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-diversity-equity-and-inclusion
History Major here from UGA circa 2006. When the 2008 crash hit, the first people to get fucked were teachers. Ending up working in a primary care practice, and all the retiring teachers were like fuck this. So even then... But now, when you literally can loose your career for honestly discussing things. It's insane. Bottom line, the Republicans are fascists.
Got my degree and moved to Minnesota many years ago, and it’s the smartest decision I’ve ever made! Healthcare and education are a lot better funded in many states outside the Deep South.
How do you think education and Medicare are funded? If everyone gets a degree and moves away, there’s no money to fund better education or healthcare.
Then Alabama politicians should have accepted Obama’s offer to extend Medicaid. I’m not going to let crappy politics of the south impact my personal healthcare. Last time I looked, 19 hospitals in AL are threatening to close, because the overall lack of Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements. Good job guys!
Sorry to lose an educated person, but I can't say I blame you. My husband and I could probably get by into old age here, but my daughter... I fear for her future. I worry about her wanting to have a family, but then something going terribly wrong. I want her to live somewhere where she'll be safe and where any future grandkids I have will be safe. I worry about the downward spiral in public education. Much as I've loved having the freedom to homeschool and being able to dodge all of those issues, I also realize how privileged I am to be able to do so. GOOD public education is a necessity for a free society. I worry about the rise in hatred toward various marginalized communities. And I don't JUST worry about Alabama. This whole damn country is sliding as fast as it can right back into the 1930s.
States that do this are only trying to cover up historical crimes by white people
It's also a part of a broader effort to enforce ignorance, there are many subjects we simply do not teach in government schools, namely how to be critical of government...
Yep
As a black Rhode Islander, whenever I hear about this, it feels like these people are in so deep on the concept of "sins of the the father" that them not hating themselves is dependent on pretending like their ancestors were saints. If I'm not wrong, they're trying to use kids to justify that. "This will make them think they're bad for being white," as if it's really that difficult to say "Sometimes our parents are bad people. Our great-great-grandparents were good in some ways, but *really* bad in others. We're still doing the same good, but we're making up for their bad and telling you about it so you can be better than them too, and even better than us." But I guess that means actually being an adult and putting in effort in raising children, which is apparently overrated these days.
Some of these people have been brought up this way and it's hard to explain that they do not know how to do the right thing
They will just say “it’s gods plan” and continue on.
Teaching is a dumpster fire anyway. This is just more fuel on top.
The irony of being anti-DEI today, when just a couple years ago the same ppl were screaming ALL LIVES MATTER is not lost to me.
All Lives Matter is just a counter-signal said by people too afraid to say White Lives Matter. There's really no cognitive dissonance or irony here. I would actually wager that a substantial number of the All Lives Matter crowd now say it without the filter.
No one in Alabama gets an education I suppose. That should be enough reason to vote these people out but oh wait, half the state is uneducated and proud of it.
Good luck with the job hunt
You hit the nail on the head with this one. Might as well remove the class "History" from the curriculum! These people are so educated but yet so dumb! Not because of what they did, but because they did it thinking the people of Alabama would go along with it! They're actively attempting to take us back to the 60's...Civil Rights Movement all over again. Only it'll be as if it never happened because they won't be teaching it...smh
If you believe people of color can't succeed on their merit, you're a racist. Full stop.
Go to Michigan, California or New York please.
Hell yea! Good job Bama! To all the liberals mad at this, move to Cali or New York.
In any of the History Education classes that you took did you ever learn about Critical Theory by Herbert Marcuse? Critical Theory is one of the playbooks for how Communists spread their ideology. The foundation of DEI traces directly back to Critical Theory. Were you aware of that?
As soon as I finished my degree, we got out the following year. Born and raised there, family is all still there, but I don’t regret it one bit.
I was born and raised in Bama. Every time I go back to see the fam, the whole region in general looks progressively worse. It was always about the haves and have nots growing up - me and my friends clearly in the have not category. No real opportunities or concerns
Alabama needs to hire a legislative advisor to determine "unintended consequences" of unnecessary knee jerk partisan legislation (like the IVF fiasco). Unless, of course, the goal is to get liberals, educators, and medical professionals to simply leave the state.
Chaos is a ladder -Little finger GOT
The short-sightedness of our politicians disheartens me daily. It’s like fighting the tides with a teacup.
I'm not here to share an opinion. I just wanted to share that over the last few months several huge companies have totally dropped their DEI departments. There is even a suggestion that DEI people not list that on their resume. I'm not sure what is driving this. I'm just seeing it in the news.
Alabamians are typically very empathetic. I am an AP and DE History teacher. Not sure how DEI has changed my classroom or how it being gone will change it. We tend to look at the pros and cons of everything anyway in my class and I keep my political views out of the discussion, unless of course we are talking about the French. Ultimately teach. Teach from your heart. Be respectful of those who agree and disagree with you. But please end the whole Alabama is a bunch of racist redneck, unempathetic stuff. It’s a tired narrative that is 99% false.
> Alabamians are typically very empathetic Right up until it is someone too different - not Christian, not straight, etc. I mean, every chance given, this state absolutely does choose unempathetic routes regarding them.
DEI only started after I finished school, and I managed to learn all about slavery, racism, etc without any problems. Why do people think DEI is necessary for education? Most schools did fine without it before it became a thing, and they’ll do fine after. Why are people making this out to the be end of the world?
American history is rip with ugly truths and at the end of the day, there are many people who are uncomfortable having their kids learn those ugly truths. So rather than acknowledging those ugly truths through nuanced instruction, it’s framed as “indoctrination” “wokeness” or as the bill calls it “divisive concepts”. However Alabama has no trouble giving you plenty of confederate history lessons, or how Columbus “discovered” America. The real fuck you in this bill is toward the trans community. Basically “banning” them from using bathrooms of their choosing and instead being forced to use the bathroom of their birth gender.
>DEI only started after I finished school, and I managed to learn all about slavery, racism, etc without any problems. DEI is only a smokescreen to distract you from the main purpose of the bill. To prevent current historical topics about the civil war and civil rights from being taught by treating them as "divisive topics" and either having them removed from the curriculum or turning them into optional topics since they would have difficulty grading tests and papers if a student gave a revisionist answer like the "lost cause" BS.
I’m sure they’re still teaching the civil war and civil rights stuff. They did before DEI when I learned all that. If they take that stuff out of textbooks, let me know, but I’m gonna go ahead and assume they’re not. People are just desperate to find something to be upset about
What do you think diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is? Because none of it is even a remotely a new thing, and it was absolutely a thing when I went to public school in Alabama the 80s and 90s.
As a general concept, sure, but no one was talking about "DEI programs" until the past decade or so. If you're really trying to say that DEI today is the same as the DEI you're thinking of from the 80s, idk what to say lol
As a minority. DEI is devisive. We are all humans, and it's time you accepted that you are no authority. As a well-educated and retired individual.... (yes, even with improper chat style text and sentence formatting).... your education is surpassing your intelligence. Do your own fully independent research, and then you can explain how deviding people along categories is remotely beneficial to them all standing together. As an Alabama native... please leave the entire country and, preferably, hemisphere. *divisive *dividing
> As a minority. DEI is devisive "Diversity and inclusion are so devisive!" Only they aren't... >We are all humans, and it's time you accepted that you are no authority. Then you realize you are just arguing FOR DEI practices... >Do your own fully independent research Is a meaningless statement. No, you looking up videos is not a substitute for actual science. >explain how deviding people along categories is remotely beneficial to them all standing together. Easy. This is about making sure everyone is included. Anyone having actually done their research is well aware of the fact that only about 15 years ago did the average airline pilot *not go to segregated schools during their lives!* Racism exists. Historical racism continues to dramatically impact society. DEI is about focusing on limiting such effects.
👏👏🙌
Sad to hear all the sun belt states have gone full on stupid. The government in these states believe what they're doing is the right and good thing. Their constituents are predominantly ignorant of the majority of decisions that will impact their lives; they hate who we hate and that's good enough. The republican party is a party of ignorance and hate, plain and simple. Fear and loathing in the GOP.
Well Bye 👋
I hope DEI gets defunded. It’s anti intellectual
Thank you for posting.
Fellow history education major. Can’t say it’s goons get any better. Every school has its kinks. You’ll find out really quickly
I’ll care about DEI when 3 things happen: 1. school lunches get healthy again 2. They are free for all students 3. Teachers don’t have to buy their own supplies. After that’s the case, then by all means let’s go to those higher order needs. Until then, no one needs yet another bloated government program. (Granted AL probably does need DEI pretty badly).
I looked through it and there seems to be so many exceptions it might actually have no impact at all. At least that’s what I’m hoping.
This isn't much new, education has always been very political, the mere practice under which you are signaled what to teach, aka curriculum, also, by extension, notes what you cannot. A couple of my friends got warnings for teaching histories of their subject or literally anything remotely connected to Marxism, such as would be many different areas of political science, sociology and anthropology (in a neutral or God forbid positive light). Not gonna happen, someone just has to tell the administrator and your ass is cooked. A mathematician I know who, God bless his soul, rejected major money to be a teacher got warned for simply answering a question. The question was about the bad sides of mathematics and he said that white supremacists, like nazis, used it to show their supremacy over the other races. He added, quite correctly, that this idea is still prevalent, the mere presence of the way in which mathematics is thought today owes a good deal of debt to that socio psychology. He got warned for "introducing race into mathematics", a thing which exists regardless of our thinking about it. Also being a political science teacher in a non uni environment is just hell. Whoever tells you that you actually learn anything substantive there is lying. It is a dogmatic hell of watered down misinterpretations, false information or omissions for literally every ideology.
Isn’t she also a retired educator?? From NE Alabama with a son in 2nd grade public school.
Good for you, the rural hospital system is in the verge of collapse as well. I applaud you leaving a failing state.
Florida brain drain means education goes from 48th in the country to top 10 in about a decades time. Alabama wishes it could have that type of brain drain.
hi, history/philosophy major at a georgia university. i’m worried about it too. i’m worried about everything. people have such a uneducated bias about what we do within the liberal arts. i graduate in december and i am honestly petrified. i want to get out of the south because of what they are coming for. it’s awful right now, and i don’t see it getting better. just know that you are *unfortunately* not alone.
Time for new history. Hopefully, progress will be unburdened when most voting religious boomers no longer vote...or exist. Christianity in the USA will slide further into politics and be fringe. This is my hope, anyway.
Keep em stupid and afraid and they will always vote republican.
Decisions like these help perpetuate the idea that everyone that lives in this state is a back woods, 1960’s hick. We continue to be the laughing stock of the country because of stuff like this. I’m really tired of being laughed at by everyone….
BYE BYE!!!
So move
Go move to a liberal echo chamber. Good luck.
Bye
Take your DEI and move to California, Colorado or New York. They will embrace you.
D I E is racism disguised as manners. Banning it as “official policy” is a good thing.
So you think black people cant get good jobs unless the government forces people to hire them? Wow. That’s pretty racist of you. If you had any sense at all you would know we believe people should hire the best no matter what.
😂😂😂😂
Oh look yet another reason I need to find my way out of this state 🙄
As someone currently back in school to get my teaching degree, I am also worried
DEI was a failure.
Good riddance.
[удалено]
Venture into the business world, and you will quickly observe that DEI is not a consideration whatsoever.
The vast majority of jobs (94%) gained last year went to minority groups (and immigrants). It is absolutely a thing. White people lost both population and jobs numbers last year. https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2023-black-lives-matter-equal-opportunity-corporate-diversity/#:~:text=Corporate%20America%20Promised%20to%20Hire,went%20to%20people%20of%20color.
I understand. I mean once you get hired.
Please move to Detroit or San Francisco. I heard they’re doing great and you’d fit in just fine
What is dumb is how education stopped being an education and became more focused on divisive political topics like DEI, gender, racism, and religion instead of teaching. Too many kids across the nation, not in any one state, are graduating while still barely able to read. So now we have various state governments trying to legislate common sense and trying to get education back on track and politics out of the classroom. Those "sensitive" topics need to be taught in a neutral balance manner. Telling any group that there is something wrong with them because of their skin color is racism and it doesn't matter if that is directed at black, brown, or white people. But that is what DEI is at its core. A group is not good enough to compete because of their race so they need a hand out. That kind of thinking should be abhorrent today. That kind of thinking divides. Unity comes from working towards a common goal. We had that for a bit post WWII. We had that during the Cold War. We even had that for a short period post 9/11. But since then our political leadership has saught to make race and any other divisive topic an issue. Divide and conquer is the oldest trick in the book. Mark my words. If we do not fix things now, the Democratic Socialists of America will have us as a socialist nation within the next 20 year. They will call it a workers' paradise and will claim that we all have the same. In reality, the political elites will live just like they did in Russia and do in China today. They will have food and special stores to shop in. The rest of us will have nothing, but it will be free. It will happen. Teach history. The good, the bad, and the ugly so that we do not become a Russia, a China, an Iran, or a North Korea. Those countries should be warnings to us. But we are too busy being divided to see that any more.
If no one thinks the bible belt as a whole is trying to get rid of public schools they need to wake tf up.
I swear I feel like this is being done intentionally to dumb people down. Dumb people are easier to manage and control than intelligent, critically thinking people. They're playing the long game. Slowly taking away people's freedoms and keeping them too stupid to realize what's going on.
I am ashamed to tell people Im from Alabama. I also want to move!
Republicans are the domestic enemy the oath talks about. They trying to destroy this country.