Hey, Virginia lawmakers, the Lincoln-Douglas debates did not involve Frederick Douglass

[LetMyPeopleVote]

The Washington Post is having fun here

Link to tweet

Section B3 of the bill, which was sponsored by Republican freshman Del. Wren Williams, defined what could be taught as “the founding documents,” like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, excerpts from the Federalist Papers, the writings of the Founding Fathers and Alexis de Tocqueville’s classic “Democracy in America.” Oh, and one more thing: “the first debate between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.”

It was a clear reference to the famed Lincoln-Douglas debates, one of the high points in this country’s intellectual, moral and civic history, but there’s just one problem: Lincoln did not debate Frederick Douglass.

By Friday morning, Frederick Douglass was trending on Twitter, and the bill had been withdrawn.

Link to tweet

......The Lincoln-Douglas debates took place in the late summer and fall of 1858, when Lincoln was the Republican candidate for Senate challenging Democratic incumbent Stephen A. Douglas. At the time, senators were chosen not by popular vote but by state legislatures; their respective campaigns were designed to help their parties win control of the Illinois legislature, which would then install one of them as senator.

[abqtommy]

1. Good call. I noticed a similar thread earlier today and never twigged to it. nt

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Lincoln has the selfie to prove it. NT

[grumpyduck]

3. What a moron.

Unfortunately, some people will believe it.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

5. It took me a little bit to remember who the right "Douglas" was

I knew Frederick was wrong, but I couldn't remember Stephen right away. I think there is a "Mandela Effect" thing with this - but it's probably just bad history education in the US.

[grumpyduck]

8. Yeah, but this guy is a lawmaker.

You'd think he would at least look it up.

[patphil]

4. The Lincoln-Douglas debates were historic enough, but...

if there were Lincoln-Douglass debates back then it would have been several orders of magnitude more historic.
Imagine, a former slave representing the Democratic Party in his debates with Lincoln!

This is what happens when ignorant people get into government.

[keithbvadu2]

6. Super Trumper name on the bill

Super Trumper name on the bill

https://twitter.com/wrenwilliamsva

https://wrenwilliamsva.com/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/wren-williams-virginia-republican-house/2021/06/24/4f5e6ff2-cf8d-11eb-8cd2-4e95230cfac2_story.html

[underpants]

7. Don't forget about Trump's dumbass

[Vinca]

13. At least he didn't call him Fred. LOL.

[DeeNice]

9. "Founding documents" even.

I wasn't aware that our 16th president was involved in the founding of our nation.

[ProfessorGAC]

11. Wait! You Didn't Know....

...Lincoln helped write the constitution when he was negative 20 years old? What was your schools teaching?

[keithbvadu2]

10. Hey, Wren! Thank God you republicans won that war back in the 1860s.

[Mr.Bill]

12. The really sad thing is this was not the mistake of one man.

He likely has a staff that assisted in writing this law. And none of them caught it.