Democracy at Risk

 Last week the famed Thunderbirds were at an air show at Sanford International Airport. Naturally, the Reale family was present, giving Cassidy an opportunity to meet and receive advice from some of the pilots present.

Photos by Susie Reale

 DEMOCRACY AT RISK

 I don't know if the deterioration of American politics (and most of the other nations allied against Hitler in World War II), began with:  

a) a cabal of Nazi survivors determined not only to revive fascism but to spread the concept of dictatorship to the most powerful nations in the world; 

b) a conspiracy of the Elite determined to hang on to the concept of an all-white "right to rule";

c) the determination of the all-powerful super-wealthy to reign supreme;

d) too many nations becoming so prosperous and "fat cat" that, like the Cloud People in the movie Wally, we sat back, overindulged ourselves and our children, and let the values that got us to the top slide.

Most likely, it's e) all of the above.

Whatever the reason, we are at risk of being overwhelmed by the Rabid Right. Of losing all that "Democracy" stands for. Of losing the Freedoms our ancestors fought for, the Freedoms that beckoned so many immigrants to our shores. 

Grace note:  Although I use Florida's governor and senator as examples below, the principles involved apply to just about every one of our fifty states.)

At the top of the list of Scary People are Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, and Florida Senator, Marco Rubio. DeSantis because he does too much, overstepping the purview of his office by a thousand miles or so, and Marco Rubio, who does too little—in fact, "nothing" would be more like it. 

MARCO RUBIO

I'd like to dismiss Marco Rubio as a lightweight do-nothing—I mean, as a Senator, he's nothing more than a vapid smile. And for that reason alone, he needs to be replaced. Florida deserves ACTIVE participation in government from its Senators. But Rubio has to go for another reason. As long as he opposes abortion, even for rape or incest, he is a menace. And since his opponent is the dynamic, intelligent, well-spoken, and politically active former Police Chief of Orlando, VAL DEMINGS, how can you consider voting for Rubio, the invisible man, unheard from except in his campaign ads?

Rubio, NO.   Val Demings, YES, YES & YES! 

 

RON DESANTIS

Ron DeSantis is so scary I hardly know where to start. He has all these campaign ads boasting about the "Freedoms" he's given to the residents of the State of Florida. Right. Here are some of his Freedoms:

1.  The "freedom" not to wear a mask during the height of Covid, thus ensuring our Freedom to die and pass along the virus to others so they can die with us.

2.  The "freedom" to visit our relatives in Nursing Homes during Covid; results, ditto.

3.  The "freedom" to worship without masks; results, ditto.

3.  The "freedom' of parents to tell teachers what to teach; resulting, among other things, in a white-wash (pardon the pun) of our history and the by-passing of the LBGTQ community.

4.  The "freedom" to tell schools which textbooks they can use, what books can be in their libraries. (All things that should be decided by educational professionals, not by politically minded Power Groups.)

And Ron DeSantis has granted the following "Freedoms" to himself:

1.  The right to declare doubts about the efficacy of vaccinations, while promoting the latest cockamamie ideas from a hopelessly unscientific State Surgeon General (after firing the highly competent previous Surgeon General).

2.  The right to threaten Disneyworld, because it demonstrated a few "woke" ideas and refused to be intimidated by Gov. DeSantis.

3. The right to do nothing about Gun Control, even though the Parkland school shooting was one of the worst in the nation.

4.  The right to spend $600,000+ in taxpayer money to send a two planes to Texas to "borrow" immigrants* and drop them in Martha's Vineyard, promising them jobs at the end of the Summer Season when even local residents were being laid off. (A purely political move intended to garner attention on a national scale but which, happily, back-fired, just about everyone horrified by this politically scheming high-handedness.)

*A ruthless necessity designed to make a political point with no thought for the immigrants' welfare, as beyond an occasional overloaded boat from Cuba or Haiti, Florida does not have an immigrant problem.

4.  The right to run again for governor, when everyone knows he'll be spending most of the next two years campaigning for nomination as President, Florida and its citizens no more than an afterthought.

I could go on and on, but surely that's enough. Nip this "more dangerous than Trump" candidate in the bud. Do not give him the power of a governorship to support his campaign for the White House. 

Ron DeSantis, NO.  Charlie Crist, YES!

 

Whatever your decision,

BE SURE YOU VOTE!

~ * ~

 

Please remember The Secrets of Stonebridge Castle is now available in paperback.

For a link to Secrets on Amazon, click here.

For a link to Blair's website, click here.

 For a link to Blair's Facebook Author Page  click here.

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Grace (Blair Bancroft)