The cast of CNN Newsroom accused Florida of "limiting freedom" on Thursday with a new bill that seeks to combat Critical Race Theory in schools and the divisive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion movement in the workplace. Throughout the segment, CNN would repeatedly mischaracterize what the bill actually says.
Host Jim Sciutto got the segment going by sloppily summarizing the bill as one "that would ban public schools and private businesses from making people feel discomfort on the basis of race, sex, or national origin."
Fellow host Bianna Golodryga offered more specifics, but in doing so, spread some fake news, "So, here's what it does. It prohibits training or instruction that could cause any guilt or anguish in one group based on the actions of their ancestors. Critics say it's an obvious attempt to whitewash history."
In addition to the bill being sponsored by a Hispanic, State Sen. Manny Diaz, the actual text of the bill says, "An individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress" on those bases. There is a big difference between could and should.
After playing a clip of Gov. Ron DeSantis invoking Martin Luther King. Jr's quote about judging people by the content of their character, Sciutto also ignored Diaz's ethnicity, "We should note, MLK, Martin Luther King Jr., also said, quote, 'whites, it must frankly be said, are not putting in a massive effort to reeducate themselves out of their racial ignorance. It is an aspect of their sense of superiority that the white people of America believe they have so little to learn.' Bianna, consistent phenomenon here, right, as taking quotes out of context?"
Sciutto didn't note that quote came four years later, in 1967. But he's copying the left in general, like Ibram X. Kendi, and the Joy Reid blog, and columnists like Petula Dvorak and Leonard Pitts.
The hosts then welcomed Early Start anchor Laura Jarrett who declared, "So, the bill is known as Individual Freedom, but as you pointed out, aside from selective MLK quotes, the bill actually appears aimed at limiting freedom not only in schools, as we've seen across the country, bills aimed at doing that, but this one actually takes aim at what's happening in workplaces, specifically workplace training."
Leading into a clip of State Sen. Shevrin Jones, Jarrett added, "The bill also talks about teachers addressing things in an age-appropriate manner, and then it also prohibits employee trainings that makes people feel guilty on account of what others of their race have done, essentially going after white guilt. Now, you can imagine there is some pushback, some strong pushback from the Democrats on this bill."
Nobody ever explained the problem with making sure material is age-appropriate, but after the clip of Jones alleging the bill is a solution in search of a problem, Jarrett returned to add "this is really going to do is open the door to censorship and lawsuits that's really going to stifle academic freedom, guys."
CNN wants schools to have the "freedom" to teach children to view each other as inherent victims or oppressors.
This segment was sponsored by SoFi.
Here is a transcript for the January 20 show:
CNN CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto
1/20/2022
9:34 AM ET
JIM SCIUTTO: Well, Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, is now backing a bill that would ban public schools and private businesses from making people feel discomfort on the basis of race, sex, or national origin. The bill just passed out of committee on a party line vote.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA: So, here's what it does. It prohibits training or instruction that could cause any guilt or anguish in one group based on the actions of their ancestors. Critics say it's an obvious attempt to whitewash history. Here's how the governor has defended the bill.RON DESANTIS: If you think about what MLK stood for, he said he didn't want people judged on the color of their skin but on the content of their character. You listen to some of these people nowadays, they don't talk about that.
SCIUTTO: We should note, MLK, Martin Luther King Jr., also said, quote, “whites, it must frankly be said, are not putting in a massive effort to reeducate themselves out of their racial ignorance. It is an aspect of their sense of superiority that the white people of America believe they have so little to learn.” Bianna, consistent phenomenon here, right, as taking quotes out of context?
GOLODRYGA: People choose to hear…
SCIUTTO: Yeah, pick and choose.
GOLODRYGA: … and repeat what they want to, right?
SCIUTTO: Yeah
GOLODRYGA: So, let's bring in CNN anchor of Early Start, Laura Jarrett. Laura, from a legal perspective, what else do we know about this bill?
LAURA JARRETT: Guys, good morning. So, the bill is known as Individual Freedom, but as you pointed out, aside from selective MLK quotes, the bill actually appears aimed at limiting freedom not only in schools, as we've seen across the country, bills aimed at doing that, but this one actually takes aim at what's happening in workplaces, specifically workplace training. So you went through a little bit of this. But let's just sort of walk through what the bill actually does. The most controversial part, it seems, is that it bans making people feel uncomfortable, to use its words, discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress, not only on account of race but sex. So you can imagine someone sitting through a workplace training on sexual harassment, feeling under attack about that, they would now be able to do something about it and say that's unlawful. The bill also talks about teachers addressing things in an age appropriate manner, and then it also prohibits employee trainings that makes people feel guilty on account of what others of their race have done, essentially going after white guilt. Now, you can imagine there is some pushback, some strong pushback from the Democrats on this bill. One was on New Day, Shev Jones, here's what he said.
SHEVRIN JONES: I taught in a predominantly white school, and no time did a parent or a child come up and say, during Black History Month or any other time, that they were uncomfortable. This is a continuation of Donald Trump's and his allies and his base carrying over to Ron DeSantis and his allies and his base of the big lie that the Critical Race Theory is the biggest issue of our time, and it's just not.
JARRETT: So, you hear Jones there really cueing in on the fact that this much, this is a part of a much larger conversation about race and how history is taught in schools, but teachers, you see here say, basically, it's a solution in search of a problem. That Critical Race Theory is not being taught in schools. Children are not being taught that white people should feel guilty about slavery, and what this is really going to do is open the door to censorship and lawsuits that's really going to stifle academic freedom, guys.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and making it much more difficult for, for teachers and, and really complicated, right, to navigate how you even enforce this law.
JARRETT: Yeah, the language is so broad and so vague. It's going to get challenged.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. Well, Laura Jarrett, thank you so much for breaking that down for us.
