Florida, or the Fourth Reich?
Fascism in Florida is Rising.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is vying for a presidential run in 2024 with the platform "Make America Florida." Indeed, Ron has spoken about how Florida is "where woke comes to die" and has done so by using his power to silence, intimidate, and destroy his political opponents. His recurring fascist policies put anyone that isn't white, straight, and Christian at risk. Is history about to repeat itself?
"But Colin, how are any of Florida's laws fascist? You're just pandering!"
Of course, I'm pandering. I'm trying to get reads here. But I'm also trying to raise awareness of the apparent rise of fascism. The more people I bring this horrific shit up to, the less they seem to know about it. Now, maybe that's because most people aren't chronically online like yours truly, but is that an excuse?
For starters, let's look at SB254, which allows the state of Florida to seize custody of any child they deem "being at risk or being subjected to" gender-affirming medical care of any kind. Essentially, it's state-sanctioned kidnapping of trans youth.
The infamous "Don't Say Gay" bill banned any discussion of sexual orientation or gender in schools and condoned the removal or censorship of books that discuss the topics of LGBT or racism. On top of that, a rumored bill or addition would ban the use of preferred pronouns in schools.
But wait, there's more!
Florida is also planning a copycat bill to Tennesse's recent ban on drag and "gender impersonation" bill. Say goodbye to your anime girl cosplays, nerds.
To top it all off, Florida now more-or-less owns the land Disney resides on after Disney halted political donations and lobbied against Florida's increasingly hostile anti-trans laws.
To add flames to the fire, Michael Knowles of The Daily Wire called for the extermination of transgenderism from society entirely during his CPAC speech. As if our transgender friends didn't have enough to worry about with more states copying Florida's regressive and, frankly, hate-fueled laws, now conservatives are actively and openly calling for their extermination.
Where have we heard and seen this sort of stuff before? Let's take a trip back to 1933 and the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany. They also called for the extermination of a particular group of people for the good of society. They also passed progressively more violent and hateful laws against groups that went against their political agenda.
They say those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I guess we haven't learned a damn thing after the Holocaust since we keep electing reincarnations of Hitler and Himmler to public office regularly. DeSantis is only the beginning, and if he becomes President, I shudder to think about what our country could become.
The Fourth Reich might be on the horizon if conservatives get their way. Why are we tolerating this rise of fascism and hate? Why is DeSantis allowed to continue abusing his power to persecute people? Where is the White House's response? Surely, there's more the Biden administration can do other than passive-aggressive tweets?!
I call myself an equal opportunity hater regarding the political right and left. Still, at least the left, for all their flaws, isn't calling for the persecution and state-sanctioned execution of people who just want to live life as themselves.
I call on all of you to reach out and ask what you can do to protect and help the trans community in your area. Whether that's providing event security, donating, or something in between, ask how you can help. Hate can be stopped. If we all unite, DeSantis, Knowles, and all their minions across the nation can be defeated. The time for unity is now because the future is dark, bleak, and uncertain; we should try to be the holdouts of light.
Spread the word and spread love. Watch each other's backs. We're all in this together. I stand with love, acceptance, and equality. If we all don't come together now, the true American Dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all will NEVER be achievable again.
