Thursday, February 23, 2023
Tampa Traveler Jeff Z in Amsterdam
Neo-Fascists target Hillsborough County School Board Members under guise of Parental Rights
Governor Ron DeSantis and his neo-fascist allies are wading into school board races as part of a calculated plan to up-end all the progress made since the Civil Rights movement. Public education has been the core component of social mobility in America. It now stands under attack at every avenue. Whether the efforts to decertify teacher’s unions, remove diversity and equity trainings, or out right erase history with white-washed fallacies, all these multi-pronged attacks serve one ultimate goal, the reversal of progress in America. Progress has been characterized as “Woke” ideology. To understand this fight, first allow me tell you what “Woke” truly means…
For those familiar with the 90s-2000s movie franchise of the Matrix, a dystopian future where artificial intelligences utilize human beings asleep in a virtual reality as batteries in the real world, being woke is to unplug from the artificial reality. Much in this way the moniker of “stay woke” was popularized by young African American scholars in last 20 years as a reminder to avoid falling prey to the artificial realities created by the mainstream media and global political systems. And, somehow right-wing activists and politicians have co-opted and appropriated “woke” as a blanket term to classify any policies which forward diversity, equity, and inclusion. Their long standing war on LGTBQ+ culture has now allowed them to target African American culture and any allies to either group. Gone are the days when political correctness would have right wingers call these folks special interest groups. Political correctness itself is now seen as woke ideology. Where their grandfathers had no problems dropping racial epithets in public speech, now Ron DeSantis and his Moms for Liberty now utilize the term woke in its place. These are dog whistles to a conservative base that fears the progress in America. Years ago I recall the warnings that conservatives were going to begin targeting school board races to reverse the work of desegregation. Now it is clear that they affirm to go much further in controlling curriculum from pre-K to PhD. Fascism in America was always going to be wrapped up in rallying cry for liberty while carrying a cross. This is exactly what DeSantis and his allies intend. To play victim and say their freedom is under attack, that their Christian values are lost in a public school system separated from Church by the State.
Their next target is Hillsborough County. Jessica Vaugh and Nadia Combs, two outstanding school board members are being targeted in this next election cycle by Moms for Liberty for their progressive ideals and desire to keep kids safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Make no mistake, if DeSantis gets his way, Hillsborough County will no longer be a school system that produces scholars that can compete on an international level. We will become a bastion of pseudo-science, fascism, and false history instituted by a regime of his choosing as part of the greater culture war to destroy American progress. Gone are the days when David Duke and Klan are actively working to reverse our hard fought progress, now its Karens claiming their parent rights are infringed upon because their kids have to learn that their grandparents didn’t want to attend integrated schools. I would encourage any human being with an ounce of sanity and the right to vote to get out in this next election and ensure that these Moms for Liberty have several seats, and not ones on the school board.
Christopher C. Cano, MPA, Concerned Tampeño
DeSantis' Fascist Anti-woke Agenda Nearing The 'Finish Line'
Fight the extreme policies of Ron DeSantis
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Wednesday, February 22, 2023
The Tampa Soulwalk will pay tribute to the city's rich Black history
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Kate Connolly for New Port Richey Mayor
Sumner Visits Ybor City
Progressive Millennials for Office
Hello Ybor City Stogie readers,
This local election year is fantastic for young, progressive people to run for office. Here are a few that you should support:
Kate Connolly, former Campaign Manager for Commissioner Pat Kemp, consultant, & activist, running for Mayor of New Port Richey! Help her here
Tyler Barrett, Southern Strategies President, activist, & Ybor Stogie highlight running for Tampa City Council! Help him here
Asher Edelson (that’s me!), School Board member, Democratic Town Chair, & teacher running for Bennington Select Board! Help him Here
Please contribute, spread the word, and — depending on where you live —vote for us. Thank you! Stay groovy! - Asher
Local independence or State overreach?
If you want to keep them in office and prevent a far right ideologue from entering, please volunteer for and vote for school board members who are on the people’s side. I guarantee you that Ron DeSantis and company do not care about technical education, teacher pay, or mental healthcare. He wants to control Florida and exercise quasi authoritarian policies to shape the state into his political playground. Support your local officials over the malfeasance above them.
— Asher
DeSantis’s preferred brand of Fascism
Gov. DeSantis targets 5 Tampa Bay area School Board members, including Jessica Vaughn
As feds soften on pot, Tina Polsky sees traction for bill protecting medical marijuana users
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Congressman Maxwell Frost Interview
Lawmakers give DeSantis $10 million more to move migrants
Florida high school athletes won't have to report their periods after emergency vote BUT...
Ron DeSantis’s war on “woke” in Florida schools, explained
- The ongoing book banning campaign
- Rejecting AP African American studies with the Stop WOKE Act
- Eliminating DEI programs and initiatives
- Cracking down on coursework
- Dismantling tenure and tamping down on hiring
- Targeting trans health care
- The Hostile takeover of the progressive New College of Florida