The Republic party is allowing the wackiest voices of their party be the loudest. The idiots, autocrats, and conspiracy theorists are in the GOP minority, yet they are in control of a national narrative aimed at destroying our democracy and morality. Governor Ron De Santis is particularly lethal. His Harvard pedigree convinces the average constituent that they can trust his word because he graduated from a prestigious university. However, intelligent people with character flaws like narcissism and sociopathy can cause chaos and destruction. De Santis and Governor Greg Abbott fit this dysfunction profile.
Florida leads the country in COViD-19 cases and hospitalizations. Despite the alarming increase of children becoming infected with the Delta variant, De Santis has signed an executive order making it illegal for school districts to implement mask mandates for teachers and students. His position makes no scientific sense, but clearly he hopes it will rally the MAGA voters to support his 2024 presidential run. In a recent Washington Post, DeSantis is quoted as saying
“We can either have a free society or we can have a biomedical security state and I can tell you, Florida, we’re a free state.” People are going to be free to choose to make their own decisions about themselves, about their families, about their kids’ education and about putting food on the table.”
There is a lot wrong with this statement and Harvard is not proud of it. Mandates to wear masks and the expectation to get vaccinated against a deadly virus does not cause Florida or any U.S. state to lose it’s,” free society” status. That statement is transparent, political “BS”. We are a nation of laws where we are mandated to wear seat belts, wear clothes in a restaurant, and educate our children. In his much- flawed statement, DeSantis fails to acknowledge that the past Supreme Court rulings have “once an emergency is declared, state and local governments have the ability to issue orders to protect public health and the power to restrain certain liberties.”
Additionally, the 1905 Supreme Court case of Jacobson vs. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts found that a “community has the right to protect itself against an epidemic of disease which threatens the safety of its members.” DeSantis is a political animal who cherry-picks the law in ways that promote his self-interests and ignore public safety. The reckless policies he is forcing on Florida residents during the Delta virus will undoubtedly kill people in his state. Narcissists lack empathy. Parents and schools have resorted to suing DeSantis in a desperate move to protect themselves and their children.
Greg Abbott is another governor riding on the Trump clown-car enacting policies in his state that place public health and safety behind his political agenda. He has recently attempted to block local vaccine and mask mandates in his state. The Texas MBA reports, the governor is “doubling down on his push to ensure COVID-19 vaccines and mask-wearing remain optional in Texas”. Like DeSantis, Abbott has shown he will defer to policies he thinks will please Trump over what is the right and protective action to take for Florida residents.
The Constitution and Supreme Court rulings allow for the mandating of regulations that protect the health and lives of Americans during a pandemic, which is deemed a public health emergency. DeSantis and Abbott should consider joining with the brave Republicans who are breaking their addiction to Trump and his power and are choosing people’s health and the rule of law over the twice- impeached, one-term, highly investigated former president.
