We”ve all heard the cries from Republicans and Teapartiers claiming that they “want their country back!” Have you ever wondered what exactly was meant by the phrase? Well, here’s one way they’re trying to take back their country… Republicans in Minnesota want their school system segregated, and they’re in the final phases of funding a bill that will do just that.
The language in the bill, appears in the “Repealer” section of the bill on page 53, and was discovered by Aaron Klemz at the Cucking Stool. The language itself is a bunch of jargon, you know… political language that the average person may overlook. It says;
(b) Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.86, subdivisions 1, 1a, 2, 4, 5, and 6; and Minnesota Rules, parts 3535.0100; 3535.0110; 3535.0120; 3535.0130; 3535.0140; 3535.0150; 3535.0160; 3535.0170; and 3535.0180, are repealed.
Aaron Klemz looked into this and discovered the following:
It’s well-known that Republicans would target school integration aid, which is the subject of Section 124D.86. But the repeal of the regulations under part 3535 would literally remove “Minnesota’s commitment to the importance of integration in its public schools” from Minnesota regulations. Additionally, it would eliminate regulations requiring collection of data about segregation and requiring action to integrate racially segregated schools.
So what excuse are Republicans running with? Rep. Pat Garofalo (R-Farmington) who chairs the committee drafting the legislation told the City Pages;
“Desegregation is an important goal, but a more important goal is reading, writing, and arithmetic. Candidly, I think it’s somewhat insulting to say that in order for a black child to be learning he needs to be sitting next to a white child.”
The assumption by Garofalo that desegregation in schools benefits a black child because that child is “sitting next to a white child” seems ludicrous to me, and it shows the type of mentality that will foster and entertain the language in this legislation. Desegregation is a necessary step for racial integration in our society.
And this step backwards, or “taking the country back” is also a violation of the Constitution.
When the United States Supreme Court passed its landmark decision on Brown vs The Board of Education in 1954, the court decided that any state law establishing separate public schools for black and white students was unconstitutional, a direct violation of the Equal Protection clause mentioned in the 14th amendment of the Constitution. That clause states;
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
They proclaim their love and commitment to the Constitution of these United States, but commitment is more than just words… it’s deeds!
