In what appears to be a transparent effort to protect Confederate monuments, the Florida legislature is considering a bill that would prevent localities from removing monuments that have been in place for at least 25 years.
A proposal that would prevent the removal of historic state monuments, like Confederate statues, has been making its way through the Florida House and Senate.
Senate Bill 1122 would punish local governments that try to take down historic monuments located on public property and would give someone the right to sue if one is removed. A similar bill, House Bill 395, is moving through Tallahassee as well.
On Tuesday, the Senate Community Affairs Committee voted favorably on SB 1122, but not without contention.
Many of those who spoke in opposition of the legislation at Tuesday’s meeting viewed the bill as a tactic to prevent the removal of Confederate monuments and also opposed the fact that the bill would take power away from local governments. Those who spoke in favor of the bill said they viewed it as a way to protect history — one commentator specifically said he was in favor of the bill as he saw it as a way to protect “white society.”
Count on the Florida legislature to protect the monuments to white history.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Snatching power from local governments and moving it to the state have been the trend in Florida ever since DeSantis has been in power. DeSantis does not govern; he dictates and the legislature rubber stamps any of his democracy crushing proposals.
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Exactly so.
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DeSantis reverses the fundamental principle of conservatism, which is to devolve decisions to people and localities. He uses the power of the state to control people’s lives and personal decisions. He wants government to control people and corporations (Disney), their right to read and speak.
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“DeSantis reverses the fundamental principle of conservatism. . . .”
That’s because he is not a conservative, he is a reactionary regressive or regressive reactionary-take your pick.
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Duane, that’s right. There is nothing “conservative” about politicians who want to use their power to control your life, if you are a law-abiding citizen. I don’t want the state to peer into my bedroom or criminalize medical decisions or ban entertainment or books. None of their business. Let them control their own families.
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Yes. Duane nailed it. There is nothing conservative about these people. Conservatives want to conserve things. These radicals want to take a wrecking ball to human rights and democracy.
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Exactly right.
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Insist they admit they wish to secede. Every state must follow the federal Constitution. So they should admit they do not wish to be part of the United States.
But also remind them there is no lawful “secession” from this country. The last time someone tried it, hundreds of thousands died. Only fair they understand this. Because it will happen again.
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Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens declared that slavery was the very cornerstone of why the Southern States betrayed our Constitution and seceded: “Our new government[‘s] …foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests upon the great truth, that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery — the negro’s subordination to the superior race — is his natural and normal condition.”
There should be no monuments at all to the traitorous Confederacy because they memorialize not only treason, but also white supremacy.
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Living in South Florida most of my life with fellow NY transplants, I rarely realized how Southern parts of Florida are. The last decade has sadly reminded me.
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