A pair of GOP-led states have passed measures this week that their respective lawmakers believe uphold the founding principles of the country.
In Mississippi, for instance, Gov. Tate Reeves has signed a bill that bans the teaching of highly divisive critical race theory in the state’s public schools, according to The Daily Wire.
Critics of CRT say that it improperly claims that the country is systematically racist because its founding institutions were created by whites. Critics say those institutions clearly do not simply favor whites over other ethnic groups in the U.S. and as such, any curriculum pushing those narratives is divisive and not aligned with the Constitution’s pledge of equality under the law.
Public schools may not teach students “that any sex, race, ethnicity, religion or national origin is inherently superior or inferior” or “that individuals should be adversely treated on the basis of their sex, race, ethnicity, religion or national origin,” the law states.
“Across this great country, we’re seeing a full-court press by a vocal minority of well-organized and well-funded activists who seek to tear down the unity that has helped make our country great,” Reeves Monday in a video message during the bill-signing ceremony.
“Children are dragged to the front of the classroom and are coerced to declare themselves as oppressors, taught that they should feel guilty because of the color of their skin or that they are inherently a victim because of their race,” the governor continued.
“That’s why today, Mississippi is taking another step toward ensuring our kids receive the unbiased and impartial education they need to reach their full potential as individuals not as liberal operatives.”
Reeves said he expects Critical Race Theory proponents to accuse Mississippi of preventing children from learning about “important historical events” like slavery or the Civil Rights Movement, an accusation he called “flat-out wrong.”
“All elements of Mississippi and all elements of American history, both the good and the bad, should be taught in our schools, period,” Reeves said.
Meanwhile, in Ohio, GOP Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation that will allow residents to carry a concealed weapon without first obtaining a state-sanctioned permit.
The so-called “constitutional carry” law makes Ohio the 23rd state in the country to have adopted one.
Senate Bill 215 allows anyone over 21, and who is legally eligible to own a firearm, to concealed carry. It also removes the requirement that citizens inform a police officer they are carrying a weapon, although they must disclose the fact if asked. The law takes effect 90 days after its signature,” The Daily Wire reported.
“A person who lives, works and drives through areas that have recently exploded in violence should not have to complete government paperwork, submit to a background check, take a class, and then wait on the government to exercise a right guaranteed by the state of Ohio,” Rob Sexton of the Buckeye Firearms Association in January.
“Gov. DeWine made a campaign promise to Buckeye Firearms Association and to Ohio’s 4 million gun owners that he would sign a Constitutional Carry bill if it was put on his desk. And he has fulfilled his promise,” said Dean Rieck, executive director of Buckeye Firearms Association.
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