The Tennessee Dept. of Education is refusing to investigate a far right group’s claims that a second grade curriculum which includes books about Black Civil Rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is “anti-American” and “anti-white” – but on a technicality.

The Williamson County, TN chapter of the group Moms for Liberty had filed an 11-page complaint with the state, claiming that the “classroom books and teacher manuals reveal both explicit and implicit Anti-American, Anti-White, and Anti-Mexican teaching,” as The Tennessean reports.

“The relentless nature of how these divisive stories are taught,” the group’s complaint continues, “the lack of historical context and difference in perspective, and the manipulative pedagogy all work together to amplify and sow feelings of resentment, shame of one’s skin color, and/or fear.”

The complaint is signed by the local group’s chairperson, Robin Steenman, who Reuters has called “an Air Force veteran and white mother of three.” It claimed the Williamson County Schools district is violating the law:

Steenman also appears to suggest slavery and Jim Crow were “positive achievements, like unity and the overall improvement of our country.”

Her comments to some may sound straight out of a Fox News or right wing media reports. They claim the curriculum amounts to a “heavily biased agenda,” one that “makes children hate their country, each other, and/or themselves.”

Rather than be concerned that these events actually happened, Steenman appears to be suggesting teaching they happened is anti-Americanism:

ThinkProgress and Popular Information founder Judd Legum:

Moms for Liberty says learning about MLK Jr’s March on Washington is emotionally traumatizing for Tennessee students

Learning about past injustices, they say, violates Tennessee law pic.twitter.com/ElOx4ysfJ8

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) November 29, 2021

The Tennessean reports “the department declined to investigate the allegations because the lessons occurred during the 2020-21 school year.”

The department is only authorized to investigate allegations that have occurred during the 2021‐ 2022 school year and subsequent school years, according to the letter sent to Steenman by Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn on Nov. 23.

Which means the complaint could be filed again.

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar says she decided to accept a call from Congresswoman Lauren Boebert on Monday, believing it would be an apology for calling her a terrorist but instead the Minnesota Democratic lawmaker says she was once again subjected to “Islamophobic rhetoric” and decided to “end” the call. The GOP Congresswoman from Colorado is calling that “cancel culture” and demanding Omar apologize for what she says is “anti-American, antisemitic, anti-police” rhetoric.

“Instead of apologizing for her Islamophobic comments and fabricated lies,” Omar said in a statement, “Rep. Boebert refused to publicly acknowledge her hurtful and dangerous comments. She instead doubled down on her rhetoric and I decided to end the unproductive call.”

Omar’s statement about their call: pic.twitter.com/2RdPlOTX0t

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 29, 2021

Boebert took to Instagram where she posted a video (below) that appeared to joke about her conversation with Omar while once again calling her a terrorist. Last week she had compared Omar to a terrorist in what appears to have been a lie about seeing Omar in an elevator, remarks she made to supporters last week as if she were doing a standup routine.

Calling herself a “strong Christian woman,” Boebert questionably claimed, “I never want anything I say to offend someone’s religion.”

Boebert complained that Omar “said that she still wanted a public apology. Because what I had done wasn’t good enough. So I reiterated to her what I had just said, she kept asking for a public apology. So I told Ilhan Omar that she should make a public apology to the American people for her anti-American, antisemitic, anti-police rhetoric. She continued to press and I continued to press back, and then representative Omar hung up on me.”

Boebert called hanging up on her that “cancel culture 101 and a pillar of the Democrat Party.”

She also falsely claimed her attack on Omar is “about the horrible failed Democrat policies and anti-Americanism that I will call out each and every time I hear it.”

And Boebert also once again appeared to suggest Omar is a terrorist, or a terrorist sympathizer.

“Make no mistake, I will continue to fearlessly put America first, never sympathizing with terrorists. Unfortunately, Ilhan can’t say the same thing.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lauren Boebert For Congress (@laurenboebert)

Florida’s DeSantis administration is expanding the Republican governor’s anti-vaxx policies by altering state unemployment insurance rules to allow those fired for refusing the coronavirus vaccine to be eligible for benefits.

“Extending unemployment benefits to the unvaccinated is just the latest in a series of proposals aligning the GOP with people who won’t get a COVID shot,” Axios reports, noting that Iowa, Kansas, and Tennessee have also changed their rules to favor anti-vaxxers.

“Republicans see a prime opportunity to rally their base ahead of the midterms. No matter how successful their individual efforts, the campaign is a powerful messaging weapon,” Axios adds.

Up until now being fired for cause – for refusing an employer’s requirements, including being vaccinated – has made terminated employees ineligible for unemployment benefits.

“The general proposition is that it is lawful for an employer to mandate the vaccine and so if an employee doesn’t get it, it’s a choice,” labor attorney Domenique Camacho Moran told CBS News in October.

“It’s like if your employer said, ‘Come in at 9 o’clock and you said, ‘Thanks for sharing, I’ll come in at 11.’ If you engage in deliberate misconduct like that, you won’t be entitled to unemployment benefits which are designed to be provided to those who are separated through no fault of their own,” he added.

But DeSantis and his administration have been downplaying COVID and the coronavirus vaccine, promoting expensive COVID treatments over vaccines – treatments that financially benefit one of his top political donors.

Related:

DeSantis Hires New Surgeon General: A Hydroxychloroquine-Pushing Physician Who Appeared in ‘Demon Sperm’ Doc’s Video

Revealed: Ron DeSantis Has Been Taking COVID Advice From a California Psychiatrist Pushing Ivermectin

DeSantis Says ‘Deal With’ It as Coronavirus ‘Waves’ Rage Through Florida