Florida's Suppression of Free Speech Even Has Newt Gingrich Squealing

Gingrich Demands Withdrawal of Insane Florida Republican Bill 

When Newt Gingrich starts whining about a bill introduced by Republican legislators, it must be pretty bad.  

In yet another freedom-squelching, conscience crushing piece of dictatorial fascism, a Florida legislator introduced a bill that would require bloggers who cover political figures in Florida to register with the state and report whether they receive compensation for their posts.  It's another blatant attempt to prevent Florida voters from having access to the truth when they cast their ballots.  On top of all of the other censorship that the governor and state legislature have launched since the 2022 election, it's evidence of the direction the state is headed if any of this is allowed to stand.  

Newt Gingrich is the king of the party loyalist breed, those Republicans who hate America because it guarantees the freedom to think differently than they do.  It's a sign of just how un-American things have become in Florida that something the Republican legislature there wants to do is a bridge too far.  In a tweet about the proposal, Gingrich called it "insane."  

That's an apt description of the proposed legislation.  It is, in fact, an apt description of all of the censorship and repression of free speech and conscience that has become the trademark of Florida's state legislature, and its governor, since he won re-election last November.  Everything's been a target, from elementary, middle and high schools to colleges and universities, virtually anything funded by the state, and even one of the state's biggest money makers, Disney.  

An Ideological Blitzkreig

Clearly, this attack on freedom was lined up before the election, waiting for the signal to launch.  I don't use the word "blitzkreig" by accident here, that's exactly how it happened and what it resembles, in its approach and politics, if not actual military invasion.  One by one, the governor of Florida attacked freedom of speech and freedom of conscience in public institutions and set about making the cost of freedom for businesses who don't get on board, like Disney, among others, higher than it was before.  It caught a lot of people off guard.  

At some point, I expect a cataract of court cases will follow all of this.  There's already been defiance, and I expect more of that, along with a whole lot of lawsuits.  All of that takes time, but I expect that by the end of this year, a lot of what has been done, especially in restricting objectives in school courses, will have been undone.  It will make headlines, which is what the governor wants, to aid his Presidential aspirations without having to pay for advertising.  He can look like the aggrieved conservative, bloodied in battle by the evil left, beating him over the head with courts that want to legislate.  And all of that right wing mumbo jumbo. 

Gingrich's Remarks Bring a New Dimension to the Culture War 

If this particular proposal is so extreme that it causes Gingrich to demand its withdrawal, then I'm going to suggest that this may be something that will collapse on itself.  How popular are the current governor's acts of suppression among Florida voters?  It's only been a couple of months, but there are news sources in the state who are indicating that a lot of opposition is building, and people who are unhappy with different aspects of the Desantis culture war are uniting in opposition.  

If there are Republicans along the Gingrich lines that see this as troublesome, and want it withdrawn for the sake of their party, that 's a pretty deep cut.  The moribund Florida Democratic party needed a kick in the pants after its success in 2008 and 2012 and this may just have done it.  This specific bill got Gingrich going, but there's plenty that has happened to motivate anyone who believes in free speech and the constitutional protection of freedom of conscience.  Desantis very likely doesn't care, since his goal appears to be winning the GOP nomination, and right now, he needs to be a culture warrior to achieve that.  Or so he thinks.  

And if something like this prompted Gingrich to call it "insane," I certainly hope it prompted Democrats in Florida, along with independents and fence sitters, and even some moderate Republicans, to see the insanity of it and decide that they won't let another ballot box opportunity slip past them without voting.  Consider the stakes, find candidates who can motivate voters and use this as an opportunity to save the state.  Otherwise, the outward migration of college students and tourists that are the inevitable outcome of this disaster will benefit the rest of us.  

This is an Independent Blog and the Author is not Compensated for His Word

The purpose of this blog is to join with other voices in promoting the American ideals of freedom and democracy, and opposing restriction and oppression.  We write independently, without endorsement or affiliation with any political party or religious group.  The writing reflects the values of the Christian gospel as we interpret it as a matter of religious liberty.  We believe it is a violation of the Constitution of the United States to require an independent voice to register with the state or be subject to any coercive attempt to use political power to either alter the message or shut it down.