“In Florida, we are taking an unapologetic stand for the rule of law and public safety,” DeSantis said while signing a bill that anticipated “mob violence” from Black Lives Matter protesters.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods put it this way: “Anyone who opposes or fears this law is an individual who cares more about a criminal and criminal acts rather than law and order.”
Heralded as “the strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement piece of legislation in the country,” the law created new felonies for those “anti-police” forces who took to the streets. It also denied them bail before their first court appearance and allowed non-violent protesters to be charged if they happened to be at a protest where other people committed violence.
Oops, the public disorder is coming from us
The Combating Public Disorder Act would now seem to be better suited as a cudgel to prosecute the Floridians it was pandering to in the first place.
It turns out that the focus on Black Lives Matter was all wrong. The real focal point of the blatant disregard for law and calls for violence is coming from Mar-a-Lago.
As former President Donald Trump is running out of bad excuses to explain his failure to relinquish some of the nation’s top secrets he kept without authority at his Palm Beach country club, he and others have hinted at a violent end if the matter isn’t dropped.
And as far back as 2016, when he was still a candidate for president, Trump dangled violence if Republicans found a way to deny him the nomination at the party’s national convention that year.
“I think you’d have riots,” Trump said then. “I’m representing a tremendous many, many millions of people.”
Time for Florida leaders to pick a side
I mention this because it seems that this would be a real opportunity for Florida officials to give a full-throated warning to those Trump supporters who may be making plans to riot in the streets.
It’s time to act. After all, consider Luis Miguel, a Republican candidate for the state House in northeast Florida.
“Under my plan, all Floridians will have permission to shoot FBI, IRS, ATF and all other feds ON SIGHT! Let freedom ring!” he posted on Twitter before the election.