Governor Ron DeSantis: More chaos?

We all must embrace our civic duty by showing up to the voting booth in greater numbers. Being silent at this important time could hurt the futures of our children and grandchildren. Three cheers for our great country!

I am 86 (and not in the best of health) but still able to warn our citizens of the turmoil, distress and hostility coming out of the next presidential election cycle if ex-President Donald Trump or Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida win the Republican nomination.

Is Ron DeSantis qualified to take over the Executive branch of the U.S. Government?

Let’s take a look:

I am an Army veteran with 2 older brothers buried in Arlington Cemetery. I am a grandfather, a Christian, a retired former business owner and an amateur writer. I have high regard for our flag and the U.S. Constitution. Those 55 men who created that Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787 served a noble purpose and have earned the title of Founding Fathers. They wanted a country of laws and not of men; with accountability enforced through the court system. They rejected setting up an autocracy, dictatorship, or a kingdom. They warned of foreign interference in our governing process. The American voters (the people) were to be the arbiters of government.

Our Founders were not anti-science, anti-books, anti-professors or anti prosecutors. They were by and for seeking a more perfect union, and wanted allegiance to the new flag. They had a historical sense and wanted to protect their family name and the legacy of their time in service to the country. They cared about future historical analysis.

Governor Ron DeSantis is not mainstream and does not reflect our nation's core values. He champions permit less concealed fire arm carry laws with no limits or oversight (that concept failed even in the Wild West of 1880s!). He denies climate change and global warming and continues to pursue policies that exacerbate the problem for his own state. Fort Lauderdale had a recent rain bomb that delivered 25 inches of rain in a single day. Now Miami has every chance to become the Venice, Italy of Florida, as the Atlantic Ocean continues to rise. Hampering a single state's ability to combat the real threats of climate change is one thing, but how can an entire nation prepare for the future when the truth is politically hidden from our citizens?

The Governor has zero regard for immigrants, except to use them as a wedge of distain, by using Florida taxpayer money to put them on buses and planes and then dumping them unannounced like cattle in New York City and New England. He loves the word “woke” applied to Democrats. But fails to realize that Republican Presidents Eisenhower and Reagan were not anti-immigrant, were not bigots, and they both had strong negative feelings about communism and Russia. The Governor wants black studies removed from Florida high schools and colleges, (for fear of white children being uncomfortable over the early American treatment of minorities). Meanwhile, he is soft on Russia and Communism, soft on autocrats, soft on the rule of law, especially over his Executive power. Too often he assumes autocrat powers not granted to him.

The new abortion bill signed by Governor DeSantis signed on April 13 takes effect 6 weeks into a pregnancy. It appears that after that 6 weeks, the state of Florida will be able to exercise full authority over the outcome of any on-going problems with the fetus or the life of the mother. Now doctors may be hesitant to conduct thorough medical analysis of possible birth defects, simply because it calls for a situation that may require an abortion. So out of fear of a state prosecutor wanting to examine the outcome, what is the doctor likely to do? It appears to many of us that the state's obligations become peculiar, having so much authority over a fetus, because they don't want to provide child care, food assistance or other un-foreseeable support that may arise after the baby is born.

DeSantis boasts of giving Presidential pardons (if elected) to those in prison for attempting to trash and take over our capitol building on January 6, 2021. He governs in the pattern of his mentor, Donald Trump. Both act as if civility is a sign of weakness and compromise should not be on the table at all. Imagine, politicians who are afraid of showing empathy or sympathy for 9-year-old children killed in elementary schools, because of our tragic assault weapons policy. They offer smirks, growls, and make too many threats when calm thoughtfulness and reason are called for. They embrace the eighth-grade bully syndrome. They can dish it out but they can’t take it. Winston Churchill ran into these kinds of opponents often. He observed that when they used rants and exaggeration against him, they then became outraged when he fought back.

The fight with Florida’s number one employer, Disney, makes no sense. Trying to make Disney accept the Governor’s view of the LGBTQ community was autocratic. His "Big Government" approach will now cost Florida jobs because Disney canceled a major facilities expansion as a result of his interference. Finally, it should be pointed out that the Governor of Florida graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law. These two schools would never deny truth over the history of blacks in America. He earned his degrees scholastically but failed the subject of common sense. Abraham Lincoln, picked regularly by historians as our best President, had very little schooling, was mostly self-taught, and read enough law to obtain an appointment to the bar. The American political environment allowed Lincoln to exploit his great gift of being a presidential executive.

Everyone in this country should note: “God shed His grace on thee and crowned thy good with brotherhood…” We get what we deserve if we forsake the American dream, by surrendering to bullies and autocrats. We must do more to keep the core values of our Founding Fathers intact. A rebirth of freedom is needed in their names, right now. Note this French expression: “qui ne dit mot consent.” (who is silent consents) We all must embrace our civic duty by showing up to the voting booth in greater numbers. Being silent at this important time could hurt the future of our children and grandchildren. Three cheers for our great country! And we must all continue to pray for the success of the courageous Ukrainians.