Fla. bill bans businesses and schools from making anyone feel guilt about race

Fla. bill bans businesses and schools from making anyone feel guilt¹ about race

Transcript²

Under a bill proposed by Florida's governor, schools and businesses would be banned from teaching courses and offering training that cause white people to feel "discomfort³" on account of their race.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

More than a dozen states have placed restrictions⁴ on how race and inequality are taught in schools. Florida's one of them, and the state's governor wants to go further. He's proposed a bill that would ban schools and businesses from teaching subjects or conducting training that would cause white people to feel guilt or discomfort on account of their race. NPR's Greg Allen has the story from Miami.

GREG ALLEN, BYLINE⁵: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis calls critical race theory crap. Although it's an academic theory discussed mostly in college education courses, the Republican governor feels it's trickled⁶ down to elementary and secondary public schools.

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RON DESANTIS: And I think what you see now with the rise of this woke ideology⁷ is an attempt to really delegitimize our history.

ALLEN: Last year, DeSantis' administration adopted regulations banning schools from teaching critical race theory. Now he wants to strengthen those regulations and broaden them to include not just schools but also businesses that conduct training to promote diversity and equity⁸.

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DESANTIS: Just understand, when you hear equity used, that is just an ability for people to smuggle⁹ in their ideology.

ALLEN: The Florida Legislature is now considering a bill proposed by the governor that would prohibit educational lessons or training that cause people to feel, quote, "discomfort, guilt or anguish¹⁰ on account of their race." It doesn't name white people, but DeSantis says it will make sure no race is scapegoated¹¹ in lessons or training influenced by critical race theory.

The bill's sponsor in the House, Representative Bryan Avila, a Republican, says the measure doesn't suppress discussions of topics like slavery and racial oppression. But others ask, how can teachers be sure a discussion of disturbing historical events like slavery won't make some students uncomfortable? At a House hearing, Avila said he believes teachers know what they should and shouldn't say.

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BRYAN AVILA: The moment that there is any sort of hesitation¹² from an educator as to whether they should say something or not, it's always safe and prudent¹³ for them to basically err¹⁴ on the side of caution and not say it.

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DOTIE JOSEPH: That is the very definition of a chilling effect...

ALLEN: Democratic Representative Dotie Joseph.

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JOSEPH: ...Which is a telltale sign of a violation¹⁵ of the First Amendment¹⁶. This bill is un-American.

ALLEN: At a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee last month, Democratic Representative Ramon Alexander told Republicans on the panel he believed it was written for a single purpose - to mobilize the party's conservative voter base. That drew a rebuke¹⁷ from the chair, Republican Representative Erin Grall.

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ERIN GRALL: Representative Alexander, if you can keep your comments to the bill and not direct it to the motivations of the members that are on this committee in either party, please.

RAMON ALEXANDER: Yes, Madam Chair, but I think the motivations is the reason why we're having the bill.

ALLEN: Republicans say the regulations and proposed law aimed at banning critical race theory don't stop the teaching of historical facts. But Michael Butler, a history professor at Flagler College, says that's already happened. Last month, Butler was set to lead a seminar for public school teachers on the history of the civil rights movement that was abruptly¹⁸ canceled. Osceola County School District said it needed to review the materials in light of current concerns about critical race theory. Butler is angry.

MICHAEL BUTLER: I teach historical truth. I know what critical race theory is, and what I was teaching was absolutely, in no way, shape or form, critical race theory.

ALLEN: Osceola County School District says it remains¹⁹ committed to teaching, quote, "the facts and realities of the history of our country." But in the meantime, Butler says, teachers, especially history teachers, are afraid.

BUTLER: I've had several teachers reach out to me and ask, how are we supposed to teach African American history during Black History Month? And I think that's a valid²⁰ concern.

ALLEN: It's a discussion playing out in Florida and across the country. A measure similar to that nearing adoption²¹ in Florida has sparked a federal lawsuit²² in Oklahoma, filed on behalf of students and teachers who say it violates their freedom of speech.

Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami.

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1 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 discomfort   

n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便

参考例句：

• One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
• She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 trickled   

v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动

参考例句：

• Blood trickled down his face. 血从他脸上一滴滴流下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The tears trickled down her cheeks. 热泪一滴滴从她脸颊上滚下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

8 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

9 smuggle   

vt.私运；vi.走私

参考例句：

• Friends managed to smuggle him secretly out of the country.朋友们想方设法将他秘密送出国了。
• She has managed to smuggle out the antiques without getting caught.她成功将古董走私出境，没有被逮捕。

10 anguish   

n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼

参考例句：

• She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
• The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

11 scapegoated   

v.使成为替罪羊( scapegoat的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• As employees gathered around television sets Friday, they groused about getting scapegoated in Washington. 高盛员工周五聚集在电视机前收看相关消息，他们抱怨说自己成了华盛顿的替罪羊。 来自互联网

12 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

13 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

14 err   

vi.犯错误，出差错

参考例句：

• He did not err by a hair's breadth in his calculation.他的计算结果一丝不差。
• The arrows err not from their aim.箭无虚发。

15 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

16 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

17 rebuke   

v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise

参考例句：

• He had to put up with a smart rebuke from the teacher.他不得不忍受老师的严厉指责。
• Even one minute's lateness would earn a stern rebuke.哪怕迟到一分钟也将受到严厉的斥责。

18 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

19 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

20 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

21 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

22 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。