What is White Christian Nationalism and How Is It Affecting Public Education Today?

What is White Christian Nationalism and How Is It Affecting Public Education Today?

Wow! This is the best explanation of Christian Nationalism I have read. Basically it comes down to tribalism. I want to thank politicians are poody heads at https://poodyheads.wordpress.com/2024/04/18/what-is-white-christian-nationalism-and-how-is-it-affecting-public-education-today/ for the link.

I want to give two quotes from the article.

All of these attacks exemplify pushback against inclusion and welcome for ‘the other’: “The first and most fundamental way in which white Christian nationalism threatens American liberal democracy is that it defines ‘the people’ in a way that excludes many Americans. White Christian nationalism is a form of what is often called ‘ethno-nationalism.’ Liberal democracy rests on what is usually called ‘civic nationalism’ It defines the nation in terms of values, laws, and institutions.’” (The Flag and The Cross, p. 114)

Throughout the book the authors explore and re-explore the meaning of the deep story of white Christian nationalism: “White Christian nationalism is our term for the ethno-traditionalism among many white Americans that conflates racial, religious, and national identity (the deep story) and pines for cultural and political power that demographic and cultural shifts have increasingly threatened…. (T)he term Christian in white Christian nationalism is often far more akin to a dog whistle that calls out to an aggrieved tribe than a description of the content of one’s faith.” (The Flag and The Cross, p. 44)

What’s a Holiday Without Some Christian Rage???

Another great video by the Rev. Ed Trevors. He shoots down the need of some who claim that Christ is king and all powerful lord to then go on constant screeds of outrage and making claims that god is being taken away. He shows how this is not Christian, he shows how this is simply using people and doing what the bible says not to do. I love this man’s message. Hugs. Scottie

Proposed Missouri bill would make teachers register as sex offenders if found supporting transgender students who socially transition

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/08/us/missouri-lawmakers-felony-transgender-students-reaj/index.html

Some people weirdly think they have the right to tell others what to believe, what to wear, what to call themselves. The fundamentalist seem to want to force everyone to be like them, live like them, read only what they read. Hugs Scottie

By Chandelis Duster, CNN

4 minute read

Updated 5:01 PM EST, Fri March 8, 2024

Clouds pass over the Missouri State Capitol on Sept. 16, 2022, in Jefferson City, Mo.
Jeff Roberson/AP

A newly proposed law in Missouri could charge teachers and counselors with a felony and require them to register as sex offenders if they’re found guilty of supporting transgender students who are socially transitioning.

Missouri state Rep. Jamie Gragg, a Republican, introduced HB 2885 last week. If passed and signed into law, the legislation would criminalize the act of “contributing to social transition” for anyone acting in an official capacity at their school, including providing informational or material support.

The proposed bill joins a string of anti-LGBTQ measures that have been filed in states across the US and comes amid a growing “parental rights” movement that seeks to empower parents to decide what can be taught in classrooms about gender, sexuality and race.

Numerous medical associations, including the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, have said gender-affirming care, like social transitioning, is clinically appropriate for children and adults.

The bill defines social transitioning as “the process by which an individual adopts the name, pronouns, and gender expression, such as clothing or haircuts, that match the individual’s gender identity and not the gender assumed by the individual’s sex at birth.”

In Missouri, a person charged with a class E felony could face a maximum of four years in prison. A Tier I sex offender could also remain on the Sex Offender Registry for up to 15 years, according to another Missouri statute.

CNN has reached out to Gragg for comment.

In an interview with CNN affiliate KY3, Gragg said the goal of the bill is to “put the social learning development of our children back in the hands of the parents.”

“Ultimately, whose children are these? They belong to the family that they come from. If there is a situation where they don’t have that parental or guardian to go back on or to talk to, there is other help, professional help they can get,” Gragg told the outlet.

It is unclear if Gragg’s bill will be taken up in the state House and it has not been scheduled for a hearing.

‘Hateful and malicious’

LGBTQ advocates and Missourians have criticized the bill, including Gragg’s brother.

During a news conference Thursday, Charles Gragg, Jr., a retired and disabled veteran who lives in Springfield, Missouri, said he was shocked by the bill his younger brother authored and that the measure “took his breath away.”

“This bill is removing valuable support that is important for children. It needlessly targets teachers in addition to attacking those that they don’t agree with. It also attacks anyone who expresses compassion or tolerance and seeks to silence them. I believe it’s intended to remove them from the future conversations,” Gragg Jr. said.

Robert Fischer, communications director for PROMO, a LGBTQ+ policy and advocacy organization in Missouri that organized Thursday’s presser, said students and teachers have contacted the group to express concern about how the bill could impact educators.

“We will certainly have conversations with legislators to see what can be done, but also we’ll mobilize our community of LGBTQ+ Missourians and allies to fight back against this because teachers are an incredibly crucial part of our educational system,” Fischer said.

RELATED ARTICLE

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/22/us/pew-survey-curriculum-debate-reaj

New survey finds a majority of teachers say state governments have too much influence over what’s taught in classrooms

GLSEN, an organization that aims to create safe and inclusive school environments for LGBTQ+ youth, also criticized the bill. Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, executive director of GLSEN, said the bill is “deeply transphobic.”

“While this egregious bill is expected to die in committee hearings, it is increasingly alarming to watch extremist state legislators peddle anti-trans hate and continue to introduce discriminatory policies,” Willingham-Jaggers said in a statement to CNN. “Hate speech, especially when enshrined into discriminatory policies like these transphobic bills in Oklahoma and Missouri, leads to hate crimes.”

Oklahoma’s governor signed a bill into law last year banning gender-affirming care for minors with the possibility of a felony charge for health care professionals who provide it.

Last month, Nex Benedict, a nonbinary high school student in Oklahoma, died a day after they told their family they were involved in a fight at school. Civil rights groups and advocates have blamed a heightened and hostile climate against the LGBTQ+ community for contributing to Benedict’s death.

In 2023, at least 510 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced in state legislatures, according to data from the American Civil Liberties Union. The organization is also tracking 478 bills in the 2024 legislative session that restrict LGBTQ rights.

Gragg Jr. said he has not spoken with his brother about the bill and does not know what would inspire him to sponsor it.

“It’s just hateful and malicious. This legislation will cost lives and recklessly destroy others just for the sin of being compassionate.”

CNN’s Jen Christensen contributed to this report.

Books on Black history, immigration found in trash by Staten Island school, sparking investigation

https://gothamist.com/news/books-on-black-history-immigration-found-in-trash-by-staten-island-school-sparking-investigation

It is a case of I don’t want my child to read these books so your child can’t read them either. These people want control over everyone, every child, they demand to rule your life. Hugs. Scottie

By
Jessica Gould

Published Mar 11, 2024

Holly Spiegel

Hundreds of new books featuring characters of color and LGBTQ+ themes were found by the trash at a Staten Island elementary school, outraging some parents and sparking an education department investigation.

Gothamist obtained photos from a Brooklyn book lover that showed boxes of kids’ books left with the garbage at PS 55, known as the Henry Boehm School. Some had sticky notes on them detailing themes and content in the books, which appeared to be part of a 2019 initiative to diversify school materials. The city education department launched an investigation after Gothamist shared the images.

A note on “My Two Border Towns,” about a boy’s life on the United States-Mexico border, read “Our country has no room and it’s not fair.” A note on “The Derby Daredevils,” about a girls’ roller derby team, read “Not approved. Discusses dad being transgender. Teenage girls having a crush on another girl in class.” And a note on “We Are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know” read “negative slant on white people.”

A note on a copy of “My Two Border Towns” taken from the school reads “Our country has no room and it’s not fair.”

Holly Spiegel

Even books about the Marvel Comics hero Black Panther and legendary singer and activist Nina Simone were discarded.

It was unclear whether the removal of the books resulted from an objection raised by staff or parents. The education department said no formal challenge to the books was raised through official channels, though a part-time librarian had inquired about the process.

Until this incident, New York City had seemed largely immune from the high-profile efforts to ban books that are roiling school communities in Florida, New Jersey and other parts of the country.

“Our public schools do not shy away from books that teach students about the diverse people and communities that make up the fabric of our society,” education department spokesperson Nicole Brownstein said, noting the removal of the books was not sanctioned.

The school principal and PTA president did not respond to inquiries.

Many PS 55 parents were surprised to learn the books had been removed.

The education department said it was investigating why the books were discarded from the PS 55 library.

Jessica Gould

“I don’t believe in banning books at all,” said Angela Hartje, whose daughter is in third grade.

“It’s one step closer to ‘Fahrenheit 451,’” she added, referencing the classic sci-fi novel by Ray Bradbury about a dystopian America where books have been outlawed.

‘Not approved’

Holly Spiegel, of East Flatbush, alerted Gothamist to the controversy. Her neighbor, who was working near the school in November, retrieved hundreds of the books from the trash and gave them to Spiegel, knowing she could use them for the free “Little Libraries” she manages around their neighborhood. Spiegel then got in touch with the school and made two additional trips where she recovered hundreds more books in boxes marked “not approved.”

Sticky notes on the books pointed to apparent reasons why they were censored. A note on “Julian Is A Mermaid,” about a boy who dresses as a mermaid, read “Boy questions gender.” A post-it on “Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code: A Navajo Code Talker’s Story,” cited a specific page, along with the question “white man’s world?”

A copy of “Derby Daredevils” had a note reading “Not approved. Discusses being transgender. Teenage girls having a crush on another girl in class.”

Holly Spiegel

Notes on pages of “Black Panther: The Young Prince” read “Witchcraft? Human skulls” and “Pact with Devil. Burned in fire.”

A note on “Nina: A Story of Nina Simone” read “This is about how black people were treated poorly but overcame it. (Can go both ways).”

“At its heart, this feels like censorship,” Spiegel said. “It feels like book banning.”

City statistics show the student body at PS 55 is 78% white, 11% Hispanic and 8% Asian. The teachers are 92% white.

Two parents at the school, located in Staten Island’s Eltingville neighborhood, said they had heard rumblings about some controversy over books. But Gothamist was unable to confirm who led the effort that led to the books being tossed.

An unusual book battle

School controversies over books are rare in New York City. Since 2019, there have been only three challenges of books at other schools under an official protocol that involves the formation of a committee of parents, librarians, teachers and administrators, the education department confirmed. None of those books were removed.

“Should a parent feel concerned about the literature in their child’s classroom, they are encouraged to reach out to the teacher, principal, or superintendent,” said Brownstein, the department’s spokesperson.

It’s more common for discussions in the city to focus on ensuring access to the materials. The Brooklyn Public Library runs a program where local students talk about controversial books with students in other parts of the country where they’re actually being banned.

Alissa Barakakos, a PTA member at PS 55, said she was surprised that books about race, culture and sexuality had been removed — and that she would have opposed the effort if she’d known about it. She noted her son’s class just finished a series of discussions on Black History Month, and a unit on Native Americans.

“I don’t know why the books would be thrown out,” Barakakos said. “I want my kid to be a part of the school community where everything is open and honest and kids are being educated.”

Spiegel said she was upset to see the books were kept from children. “The books aren’t getting into the hands of kids who would identify with the characters, but they’re also not getting into the hands of kids whose worldview would be broadened by reading about people who aren’t like them,” she said.

‘Mosaic’ problems

Some of the boxes Spiegel retrieved were labeled “Mosaic,” the name of a $200 million initiative launched late in the de Blasio administration to diversify school lessons and materials. An analysis by the New York City Coalition for Educational Justice found in 2019 that only 16% of elementary and middle school books were by authors of color.

“Black Panther: The Young Prince” was also removed from the Staten Island elementary school.

Holly Spiegel

De Blasio called for a total rethinking of the K-12 curriculum with an eye toward diversity. Mayor Eric Adams then scaled back the Mosaic plan, launching his own literacy initiative and supplementing lessons with materials reflecting LGBTQ+, Asian American and Black communities.

Thousands of Mosaic books were still sent to school and classroom libraries. But Natasha Capers, the director of the Coalition for Educational Justice, said schools received little guidance about what to do with the new books.

“They just were like, ‘here’s a big box of books,’” said Capers, whose group advocates for more equity in public schools.

She added that she was glad to know the books found with the garbage at PS 55 were “rescued.” But she said she was outraged to hear they had nearly been discarded.

“I watched my children throughout their schooling read so many books that used horrific language about Black people,” Capers said. “There’s a book [that] used the N-word. You just had to suck it up because it’s part of the ‘canon.'”

She scoffed at the apparent discomfort with witchcraft and human skulls in the Black Panther book.

“You read Shakespeare, and [“Macbeth”] starts out with three witches around a cauldron,” she said. “Hamlet,” she noted, “is legitimately talking to a skull.”

Tagged

BOOKS

EDUCATION

STATEN ISLAND

Jessica Gould

Jessica is the education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jessica reported on the shutdown and reopening of the nation’s largest school system, highlighting the unprecedented impacts on learning, health and mental health for students, staff and families. Got a tip? Email jgould@nypublicradio.org
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Naughty Nana DUZ Clips for Sunday.

Republican Clay Higgins went from being, in my opinion as racist cop and a bully, to a Congressman who bullies others. Bayou Brief Black parents warn their sons about cops like this guy.

I appreciate all points of view on my channel. However, when they get ugly, I have to remove those comments. If you disagree with me, great!! That’s how we get a good dialogue going. I don’t allow misinformation, and if you find that I have misspoke or was flat out wrong about something, I usually recheck my info and find that Snopes.com usually has both the conspiracy theories or whatever and gives the correct info. When some attack me, it’s not a problem, depending on how bad it is, if it is really bad it will be taken down. so don’t be afraid to correct me. We all make mistakes, and sometimes, stroke brain gets it wrong. I love, be safe, and take care of you 💗

*I found mire info, and there is some discrepancy and weather the Mom knew he was armed. I believe she knew because there were pictures of him before the BLM protests that WERE on his Facebook page. Apparently, his friend bought the weapon for him because he was underage, but she still knew what she was driving him into*

Drag King Kari seems to believe life begins at conception and thinks the 1864 law should prevail. Now that she is catching on that the script Trump gave her to memorize, lost her the election in 202. She is trying on trump’s revamped stance now that the Arizona Supreme Court handed down the Handmaid’s Gilead law.

Pierre Poilievre, the opposition leader of the Canadian Conservative Party, is reading Trump’s script almost verbatim! Both are Pro-Life, both are union busters, and they both think that immigrants are stealing our jobs and driving down wages! NOT TRUE! We have a federal minimum wage. It just went up to $17.30 as of April 1st. Server wage is $16.30/hr.

Let’s talk about the Region, the response, and the risk….

As I was listening to this video I was reading a reply from Roger deteremineddespitewp and we were talking about regional conflicts and the cycles of conflict and hate. I will post Roger’s grand comment and then the video from Beau. Hugs. Scottie BTW if you want to read the entire discussion which I recommend it is on this post.

https://scottiesplaytime.com/2024/04/08/the-times-of-israel-six-months-after-october-7-some-hostage-families-embracing-anti-government-protests/comment-page-1/#comment-17454

Oh Scottie you could loose track on become very depressed trying to compile a list of what are termed genocides, adding civilian deaths through wars, reprisal killings, mass communal violence, deaths through prejudice and on and on. By the time you’d finish you’d be thinking ‘Well at least conventional war on a battlefield is honest and upfront,’
Where and how to start to put a stop to this frustrates me, because I keep coming up with ‘knocking heads together’ solutions which kind of defeats the whole purpose.
rawgod gave me a challenge to write out a story where in 2643 Humanity finally quit this violence ‘kick’….. I had to write it from a sci-fi perspective it was my only way.

My problem is, as long as I can think back I’ve always hated prejudice and violence that goes with it, which in turns causes my own violent solutions, try as I might that idea still bubbles up. And actually that is something of a sin in true Christian terms.

You, like rawgod, Jill and Keith are so right we should learn, force ourselves to work together. These constant wars which pit communities against each other only leave a legacy of bitterness for another generation to feed off.
Take an extreme example of WWII. When the fighting had ceased some nations who had engaged in Total War just put down the guns and said ‘OK. That’s over. Some will have to pay for starting it, but as for the rest. OK.’ UK & USA did that with Italy, Germany and Japan and the populations of those nations did likewise; though it took some time.
Even with the USA and Vietnam, the veterans would meet up. Americans went back to help with projects, just to try and make sense of it all. It’s still a tight state run by a ‘communist’ government but is not what would call a North Korea. Hip-hop for instance is alive and vibrant (though I am sure the artists are careful with the lyrics)

When its communities; not so much, the hate is passed on down. The massacres are shared out. Even if the violence stops the hate simmers ready to break loose. Maybe not on issues across the board, but perhaps on certain sensitive points.

I’m tip-toeing around here a bit, lest I mention one example which triggers someone reading this.

I keep on hoping, when the evidence seems to be the opposite. I keep thinking of folk who wish for peace and have generous hearts, those who work for peace who try to reach out. I try and stifle my own little demons.

You are so right we should not be squandering our life span, in this useless Hate.

Israeli Govt. Goes On Psychotic 24h Rampage

Sorry I am late to posting this. Also I have been up since 12:30 am and every time I lay down due to pain and being so tired I couldn’t sleep. Welcome to steroids. Ron made a grand meal and I ate more than I have in months even on steroids. He made a perfect NY strip steak, a small baked potato drenched in melted butter, and a small salad. The steak was cooked to perfection being red inside and so well seasoned I told him he should write it down. I ate every bite of everything after offering Ron some choice bits of steak. He doesn’t eat much red meat, he has Hemochromatosis and so has to watch his iron intake, where I was told by my doctors to eat as much as I could due to anemia. Enjoy the video, I am closing down and going to bed. Ron told me he will soon be down to cuddle with me. Ya, it is not even my birthday. Hugs.

Apr 2, 2024

The Israeli government continues to escalate, including the targeting of aid workers from the World Central Kitchen as they delivered food, the targeting of a consulate, and the banning of journalists – all within a 24 hour period.

Division in Oregon highlights growing political rift between rural and urban areas

Thank you, Ten Bears for sharing this video so I could post it. What I want every one to understand is something the news reporters and the station buried. The people upset and demanding this huge change … are only 20% of the population. Now I listened to it three times and I couldn’t decide if they were saying the people in the county or the rural people in the country. To me it sounded like country wide the rural people were demanding and were 20% of the population. Which sounds right if you look at population maps. Do you understand what that is? A small minority is demanding the entire country abandon its progressive move forward into the modern age so a small segment of the population can be satisfied and happy. It is minority rule over the majority. It is not democracy! It is what the fundamentalist Christians are trying to do right now to every red state on LGBTQ+ issues. Are we as a country going to allow the most violent vocal segments of our society force us back to a regressive past that will eventually destroy what the US really is and could be? Hugs. Scottie

The divide between rural and urban areas in the United States has been growing in recent decades with grievances and political consequences on both sides. Judy Woodruff traveled across Oregon to learn more about that rift for her series, America at a Crossroads.

Kansas Bill Could Ban Minors From All LGBTQ Websites

Kansas Bill Could Ban Minors From All LGBTQ Websites

Read the full article. The bill has the backing of the “Christ-centered” anti-LGBTQ hate group, the Kansas Family Voice. Its author is GOP Rep. Susan Humphries, whose bio notes that she is a graduate of Texas Christian University.

I saw this story. I tried to post it from the newspaper but it was impossible. Then I see that Joe My God posted it. So here it is.

The author of the bill is a fundamentalist Christian and graduated from a Christian college. On democrat claims the bill is written too vague by mistake and would basically keep young people from any website that even mentions gay couples / LGBTQ+ information. Dude that is not a mistake it is what they want to use the law for. The goal is to remove any and all positive mentions from anyone under 18 in society. The further goal is to wipe the LGBTQ+ from society totally. The people behind these bills hate that LGBTQ+ people are treated with respect, affection, and equality. They hate that kids accept and like their LGBTQ+ fellow students. The right wants those kids to hate and target any other kid who is different for harassment and harm. Beat and scare those kids straight and cis. Hugs. Scottie

April 11, 2024 Christianists, Republicans

The Kansas City Star reports:

A Kansas bill could consider a photo of a same-sex couple holding hands pornographic, some Democratic lawmakers warn. They say a bill aimed at barring children from accessing online material considered harmful to minors could carry serious unintended consequences for LGBTQ+ communities.

The bill would require users to verify they are over 18 years old to enter any website where more than 25% of its content is deemed “harmful to minors.” It aims to restrict children’s access to pornography. However, homosexuality is listed in the statute alongside overtly sexual acts as harmful to minors.

The statute has raised questions about whether the law could be applied to censor LGBTQ+ content in books, chat rooms, and non-explicit photographs of same-sex couples. Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, would be in charge of determining what is considered obscene.

Read the full article. The bill has the backing of the “Christ-centered” anti-LGBTQ hate group, the Kansas Family Voice. Its author is GOP Rep. Susan Humphries, whose bio notes that she is a graduate of Texas Christian University.

Could a Kansas bill censor non-explicit, LGBTQ+ content? Lawyers, lawmakers disagree https://t.co/XrXtWlLkg0
— The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) April 11, 2024

BeccaMa day ago edited

For these fascist Rethugs, the “consequences” of LGBTQ erasure and eventual genocide are in no way “unintended.”

Myrikin BeccaMa day ago

Feature not a bug.

JoeMyGod Moda day ago

Theoretically, JMG could be banned in Kansas without an age verification feature.

DaddyRay JoeMyGoda day ago edited

I was thinking that as soon as I saw this.

Funny thing is that we didn’t have access to any websites yet still turned out gay.

I would have loved to have had access to a site like JMG when I was a kid, it would have been so nice to have a supportive community like we have here on JMG

Cel JoeMyGoda day ago

The fascists will go as far as they possibly can, implementing countless anti-LGBTQ laws, before they are pushed back. We still have time before we hit the iceberg but it’s a huge ship to turn around.

Uncle Mark’s Stormy Mood JoeMyGoda day ago

OMG…how much happier a struggling, self-tormented teen Mark would have been if there was a site like this, with so many wonderful, intelligent, funny & awesome people to let me know I wasn’t alone and that I would be alright.

Tim 🇺🇦a day ago edited

It’s hard enough being 2LBGTQIA+ today, with access to information and support, but without it would be a nightmare.

Nic Peterson Prost-😈XXX😈a day ago

The one on the easel more so. I am sure many of us have lived through some of the rest.

Cait Sidhe Tim 🇺🇦a day ago

In high-school I had a friend who came out to me as a transgender woman. Because this was the early 90’s, while she had come out to her parents who were supportive, she was waiting until she was 18 to go on HRT and living as her true self. One Monday in our junior year, she just never showed up for class. The teachers were told her parents had moved, but the administration was rather cagey when I tried to ask. I hope they had moved to help keep her safe, but I never saw her nor heard from her again. In a way, to me, she’s the sign on the easel. 😿

OTOH…a day ago

The “Party of Smaller Government” would like to check your browser history and sexual activity. Papers, please…

Raising_Rlyeh a day ago

“They say a bill aimed at barring children from accessing online material considered harmful to minors could carry serious unintended consequences for LGBTQ+ communities.”

How fucking naive can they be? This isn’t an unintended consequence. They want us to be considered legally obscene

Nassau County Republicans want an armed civilian militia. And they’re not alone.

https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/nassau-county-gop-moving-ahead-armed-civilian-militia-not-alone-rcna147236

This is not a normal blog / show I follow, I got pointed here by one I do. But the point is … take a breath … why are all these right wing governors and now republican office holders want their own private army. Remember that the republicans and their ideas are very much in the minority. Rather than change their idea to fit what the majority of the people want, they gerrymander districts and do other voter restrictive policies. They have increasing become a fundamentalist religious minority group trying to force their demands of lifestyle on the majority. So again, Why do these republican politicians want their own personal armies? Think of that. They are a minority trying to force unwanted policies on the rest of the country. So if the majority doesn’t want what they are demanding … they have gang thugs ready to back them up and enforce their demands by violence. By threats and violence. Hugs. Scottie

What we’re seeing in Nassau County is a continuation of the conservative movement’s troubling infatuation with vigilantes and other civilian forces that are even less accountable and subject to oversight than ordinary police.

Local conservatives in the New York county want an armed, civilian militia for “emergencies” that could also be used during civil rights demonstrations.

April 10, 2024, 5:02 PM EDT

By Ja’han Jones

Despite facing backlash from civil rights activists and Democratic lawmakers, Republicans in conservative-leaning Nassau County, New York, are moving forward with a plan to form an armed, civilian militia that the local government could operate as a de facto police force during “emergencies.”

The plan, proposed by County Executive Bruce Blakeman, has local o pponents compari ng the “special deputies” to other government-backed militias throughout history, including some Ku Klux Klan chapters and the Nazi brownshirts. Blakeman has taken umbrage at the comparison; according to the Long Island Press, he suggested that “This is not only a personal insult to me, as a Jew, but it is a personal insult on humanity.”

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.Alejandra Villa Loarca / Newsday via Getty Images file

By executive order, Blakeman has assembled a list of more than 100 civilians he wants to train to act as “special deputies,” or what is essentially a backup police force. All members are required to have firearms licenses, and Blakeman has said they would undergo background checks and mental health evaluations, though what either of those entail could be quite subjective.

“God forbid there is an emergency, do you want me to have to scramble at that point to try and find people?” Blakeman said in defense of the plan, according to WPIX-TV.

Since conservatives have made a point of portraying nonviolent protests as threats to state and national security, WPIX asked Blakeman whether his civilian militia could be used to crack down on civil rights demonstrations. And he didn’t say no:

Blakeman said he will call them up in only the most extreme situation like a natural disaster – with the mission being not to police, but to guard hospitals and other infrastructure to free up sworn Nassau Police. However, in theory, Blakeman could declare anything in an emergency, so PIX11 News pressed him about if a political protest he did not agree with might be declared an emergency. “So far our police have been able to handle any protest,” Blakeman said. “But if there was a riot I would consider it, especially at the level they were burning buildings.”

In recent years, conservatives have become more vocal in support of armed vigilante and militia groups that share their draconian and oftentimes illiberal view of criminal justice. This has been most evident in Republicans’ involvement with groups like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, both of which sought to overturn the 2020 election in Donald Trump’s favor. Trump has even portrayed the violent militiamen who fomented insurrection on his behalf as “patriots” and said their jailing has made them “hostages.” And Kyle Rittenhouse has become a cause célèbre among conservatives after he was acquitted of killing two men after he had joined up with a militia group that had stationed itself outside a used car lot in Wisconsin in 2020.

We’ve seen Republican leaders in states as varied as California, Michigan, Nevada and Florida throw their support behind civilian-led militia groups, as well, which scholar Rachel Kleinfeld wrote about in this 2022 article for Just Security. (Kleinfeld, a distinguished scholar who ran the Truman National Security project and served on the State Department’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board, reports that some GOP-led counties have even relied on such militia groups to provide security at events.)

Kleinfeld discussed this increasingly common alliance in a n interview with WBUR radio of Boston that year.

She said:

[W]hat we’re seeing in America is the next stage of this phenomena. You know, the first stage might be dehumanization and allowing a mass public to start having beliefs about violence, that it’s OK. The next stage is trying to get organized groups. These are really violence entrepreneurs or violence specialists. Regular people, even those primed to commit violence, are still — they’re wary of taking the first step. But if you get violence specialists involved who are very comfortable with violence, then it’s easier to get a crowd of people to commit violence. And that’s where the militias come in. So what we’re seeing is in Republican counties, often local officials, occasionally state level — we’re starting to see this willingness to work with militias.

What we’re seeing in Nassau County is a continuation of the conservative movement’s troubling infatuation with vigilantes and other civilian forces that are even less accountable and subject to oversight than ordinary police.

Ja’han Jones

Ja’han Jones is The ReidOut Blog writer. He’s a futurist and multimedia producer focused on culture and politics. His previous projects include “Black Hair Defined” and the “Black Obituary Project.”