For Immediate Release: August 29, 2023 

     President Debbie Deland, Florida NOW

                                             president@flnow.org  

THE OUTCRY OF THE LOSS OF INNOCENT LIVES AND THE POLITICAL HYPOCRISY FOCUSED ATTENTION ON GOVERNOR DeSANTIS AND THE SYSTEMIC RACISM RAGING IN FLORIDA AND IN AMERICA 

More than 200 people gathered at a prayer vigil for the slain victims August 28th that Governor DeSantis decided to attend, where he was understandably booed due his racist record. DeSantis called the killer a ‘scumbag.’ When Reverend Jeffrey Rumlin spoke, he corrected DeSantis and said, “The [shooter] was not a scumbag. He was a racist.” DeSantis didn’t mention racism – an obvious politically driven omission.

FLORIDA NOW REACTS:

Florida NOW cannot tolerate the disconnect between blatant racism and the Florida laws that perpetuate the means for it. Rev. Rumlin said, “Call a spade a spade” and condemn the attack as a racist hate crime. Confront the truth and go in the direction that ameliorates racism.

Debbie Deland, FL National Organization for Women, said, “We will not tolerate gun laws and the perpetuation of racism hate that drives acts like these. Passing laws that attack diversity, equality, inclusion, and belonging programs at all levels of public education; revising curricula such as the AP Black History studies, banning books, and removing affirmative action are acts of denial and hate; changing voting laws to obstruct the voting rights of people of color; gerrymandering congressional districts to silence the voice of African Americans; and so many more dangerous statutes is not the way to address systemic racism. We don’t buy it, and others need to see the fascistic undercurrent that drives this governor. Governor DeSantis and this legislature’s racist white supremacist actions must be stopped. We must vote them out.”

CALL TO ACTION:

Keep informed. Discern rhetoric from the laws DeSantis signed. His rhetoric doesn’t tell the truth about the laws he has put in place. Recognize the ones that support racism, the ones that divide, the ones that create fear and hate in our state. Know which rights are being removed and which vulnerable populations are being crushed. Contact your representatives and voice your concerns, discuss issues with family, neighbors, friends. VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION and remember you need to re-enroll for the vote-by-mail option if you haven’t done so since January 2023.

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Florida NOW: is an intersectional grassroots organization that promotes feminist ideals, leads societal change, eliminates discrimination, and protects the equal rights of all women, girls, and non-binary people in all aspects of social, political, and economic life.

                               For Immediate Release: August 26, 2023 

     President Debbie Deland, Florida NOW                                                president@flnow.org

SUSPENDED A 2nd FLORIDA ELECTED STATE ATTORNEY: MONIQUE WORRELL, OF THE 9TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT (ORANGE-OSCEOLA COUNTIES) CLAIMING “DERELICTION OF DUTY” WHICH IS FALSE! 

EARLIER HE SUSPENDED ANDREW WARREN, OF THE 13TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY) FOR UNJUSTIFIED REASONS 

The Florida ACLU said, “Once again Governor DeSantis shows that he will do whatever he can in order to keep his power and control over the state, regardless of what the people want or how they voted. …Ousting elected officials because [DeSantis] disagrees with their leadership and installing hand-picked individuals to take over their job responsibilities is what happens in authoritarian regimes, not in a democracy.”

At the recent Republican Presidential Candidate Debate, DeSantis bragged about replacing two Florida elected State Attorneys without substantiated cause.

Florida House Representative Anna Eskamani said Worrell’s removal is absolutely disgusting and another example of DeSantis eroding our local control and democracy. “This politically motivated action should alarm everyone.”

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington noted that Worrell had been elected with nearly two-thirds of the vote in the district. “Make no mistake, State Attorney Worrell has done nothing wrong. This abuse of power by Governor DeSantis is not only an attack of Democratic Black leaders in Florida, but an attack on our democracy itself.”

Debbie Deland, FLNOW President said, “DeSantis is blustering ahead shamelessly in his quest for national power and arrogantly disregarding the will of the people. When duly elected officials who do not subscribe to a white supremacist, sexist, homophobic, and national Christian ideology can be removed from office, we are going fast down a dark road towards autocracy. We cannot tolerate assaults on public education, women’s rights, people of color, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, people in need of housing, medical care, voting access, etc., and our judicial system. We must step up to protect our democratic rights and human values. The Florida DeSantis is crafting is not what Floridians want! We want our constitutional rights to be enforced, we want our democratic values to direct our governance. If we want change everyone has to vote!” 

CALL TO ACTION:

Keep informed. Push through the chaos, confusion, distractions, fear and hate DeSantis is thrusting upon us. Know which rights are being removed, perverted, and crushing vulnerable populations. Contact your representatives and voice your concerns, discuss issues with family, neighbors, friends. REGISTER TO VOTE and VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION (remember you need to re-enroll for the vote-by-mail option if you haven’t done so since January 2023).

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Florida NOW: is an intersectional grassroots organization that promotes feminist ideals, leads societal change, eliminates discrimination, and protects the equal rights of all women and girls in all aspects of social, political, and economic life.