Add Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who wants to be president, to the list of armed Republicans brandishing guns at polling places.
In 2018, Florida voters approved a state constitutional amendment that restored voting rights to felons who’ve completed their sentences, except those convicted of murder or sex crimes. That exception created confusion, not least because of state bungling, such as allowing still-disqualified ex-felons to register to vote.
Republicans didn’t like that amendment at all, and did everything they could to inhibit ex-felons from voting, such as passing legislation requiring all fines to be paid first. Gov. DeSantis went farther, by deciding to treat innocent confusion as criminal acts. He set up a “task force” of special election cops to go after those confused ex-felons.
Like everything DeSantis does, it was a publicity stunt aimed at advancing his thriving political career — not a serious effort to crack down on actual voting fraud, which election experts have repeatedly pointed out is very rare. And when it’s found, and voting cheaters are caught, there’s a very pronounced white vs. black double standard.
Republicans don’t want black people to vote, and not just because of racist, although that’s part of it. It’s also because most blacks vote for Democrats. Why would they vote for a white supremacy party? So they try to discourage blacks from voting, and one of their tactics is to frighten them away from the polls (see photo below).
DeSantis’ method is more direct: He sends men with guns to black voters’ homes.
Last year, he held a press conference to very publicly announced his task force had arrested 19 people. According to the Guardian (here), 14 of them were black. So far judges have dismissed charges against 3, prosecutors have dropped charges against 1 “and reached a plea agreement that resulted in no additional punishment with another.” and 14 cases remain pending. Convictions: 0.
One of those whose charges were dismissed is Ronald Miller, 58, a black man who served time for a murder committed over 30 years ago. He was asleep when the cops sent by DeSantis knocked on his door, and when he came to the door sleepy-eyed in his underwear, saw drawn guns pointing at him.
If you’re a black man, that’s terrifying. Your whole life flashes before your eyes. His lawyer described this arrest, caught on video here, as “abominable” and said, “I think they’re trying to make an example of him because he’s Black. It’s horrible.”
That’s exactly what Florida’s racist governor wants to do. As for the cops assigned to this duty, one of those who arrested Miller complained out loud, “They dumped this shit on me,” as Miller sat in his shorts in handcuffs.
DeSantis is doing us a favor by showing us who he is before he becomes a presidential candidate. He’s issuing advance notice of what living in a country governed by him will be like. Florida’s white voters may like him, but voters in the other 49 states should pay close attention.
The worst thing that could happen is if his bullying of black people, immigrants, teachers, librarians, and college professors flies under the radar. People need to sit up and take notice of his eagerness to abuse people and trample on civil liberties before it’s too late.
