Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) held a press conference today in Jacksonville to address COVID mandates and the permanent legal parameters Florida has put in place to protect the rights of its residents and businesses. In 12 minutes (and several rounds of applause), he assured attendees and viewers that Florida is prepared to stand by the scientific evidence and say no to mandates from “paranoid hypochondriacs.”
As a communications professional, the event was gloriously uneventful until the end — when the governor opened the floor for questions. An unnamed, unseen black man began by thanking DeSantis for his military service (which was reciprocated by the governor and those in the room when it was revealed the speaker was an Air Force combat veteran) and then stated he did not agree with all of DeSantis’s policies.
“You have allowed weapons to be put on the street in the hands of immature, hateful people that have caused the deaths of the people who were murdered a couple of weeks ago.”
The man alluded to the August 26 shooting at a Dollar General Store in Jacksonville that took the lives of three black people: Angela Michelle Carr, 52; Jerrald Gallion, 29; and Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre, Jr., 19. The killer obtained the guns legally earlier this year and did not have a criminal background. The killer, a white man whom I will not name, expressed racist motives before and during the attack.
(AP Photo/John Raoux, File)
“I’m not going to let you accuse me of criminal activity. I am not going to take that! I am not going to take that.”
As the two spoke over each other, the unidentified man could be heard saying, “That is not true, sir.”
DeSantis stood his ground, first with the phrase that elicits fist-pumps from his base, “There is the truth—everyone doesn’t have their own truth,” followed by the assertion that the man is not entitled to blame him for the actions of a “mad man.” Then things got spicy.
“You have allowed people to hunt people like me,” the attendee said.
The governor, supported by boos and jeers from the audience, slammed the claim as “nonsense” and provided a litany of policies that support law enforcement, public safety, and reduction in crime. As the camera zooms out, we can see a couple of rubberneckers trying to catch a glimpse of the accuser. Given the line DeSantis’s eyes follow, one would assume the man was leaving the event before the governor finished his final sentence.
🚨 MUST WATCH 🚨
DeSantis SHUTS DOWN left-wing activist: “I am not going to let you accuse me of committing criminal activity. I am not going to take that!”
“There is THE truth — it’s not everyone has their own truth…You don’t get to come here and blame me for some mad man.” pic.twitter.com/SQ8zSKG54e
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) September 7, 2023
When he’s speaking off-the-cuff, DeSantis is full of fire, professionalism and courage. These moments are reminiscent of the early Trump days, without the mean tweets. And, having known and followed DeSantis for several years, it’s his usual self. When it comes time to prepare for the next debate, his staff would do well to provide a few talking points, statistics, and quips. Is it risky? I don’t think so. Compared to the rest of the field? Definitely not.
Gun violence is a problem, but so is misplaced blame.
Unhinged people are going to do unhinged things. When someone walks into a school, store, church, or festival with the intention to hurt people, they are going to hurt people. It is unreasonable to blame guns because not only are they inanimate objects, but if a gun is not available, a host of other deadly weapons will be. Knives, vehicles, bombs, knees, and blunt trauma can all cause death. It is the person wielding the weapon, however, that does the killing.
In the aftermath of every tragedy that claims innocent life, it’s natural for people to grasp for a reason it happened, for someone to blame. The Dollar General murderer killed himself, like most of the active shooter cowards, so he cannot face the anger and wrath of those he wronged. It doesn’t feel productive to rage against racism because that in and of itself cannot do anything. We need a person to aim our frustrations at and politicians are easy targets.
Instead of getting caught up in placing the blame, it would be better to channel energy into preventing it from ever happening again. The “I Love U Guys” Foundation was named for the last text Emily Keyes ever sent her parents; she was held hostage and killed in 2006 at Platte Canyon High School. Gavin De Becker was abused as a child and now spends his time helping others recognize the signs before the violence happens.
Racial tension is high, and racially motivated crimes are real. Unfortunately, emotional outbursts and accusations of being “hunted” in the streets are not helpful. Moreover, accusing an elected official of literally placing guns in the hands of evil people is, as the governor said, “nonsense.”
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