Authoritarianism Advances On Little Cat Feet in North Carolina

 

Sit down and shut up

The bill that limits what can be taught about the nation's racial past in public schools, designed to ensure teachers don't "indoctrinate" students, was approved by the state Senate yesterday along party lines. Talk about indoctrination. The Republicans in the NC Senate, and pretty much everywhere else, have been indoctrinated to believe that any history that makes them uncomfortable must be a communist plot.

On Tuesday night, the state Senate passed HB 805, the "Prevent Rioting and Civil Disorder" bill, on a 25–19 partisan vote, a law -- let's face it! -- which is a reaction to Black people's reaction to our racist past. A riot is defined as a public disturbance involving three or more people “which by disorderly and violent conduct, or the imminent threat of disorderly and violent conduct, results in injury or damage to persons or property or creates a clear and present danger of injury or damage to persons or property.”

Three or more people. If they also happen to be Black, that's a clear and present danger, O my brethren! And they don't even have to be destroying the local police station. If someone -- who? -- decides they are "a clear and present danger," then Katie bar the door. Bring on the SWAT team!

Jeffrey Billman has published a fully fleshed dissertation on everything that's just wrong about this bill.

What's clear is that the Republican leadership in this state intends to disciple the rest of us about what we think and about how we react to the injustices they dish out.