Living in Florida I have heard some pretty ridiculous things by people that are stating unproven boasts, or let’s say boasts that can be proven as not true. Why do people come to Florida? The Attorney General of Florida says it is because they, the State, have the people’s back. Other States are taking away people’s freedom so they are flocking to Florida. Now, I am one of those people that moved to Florida three and a half years ago and Florida having my back never entered my mind. In fact I find that statement to be completely ridiculous. What does Florida have going for it? The weather, the fun in the sun. We baby boomers are retiring to a warmer climate. Did I look at the crime statistics? Not a bit? The Attorney General of Florida made is sound like people were leaving blue states because of crime and the fact that blue states don’t support the police. I knew that Florida would have more crime than where I came from and they do. I came from Wisconsin, you can look it up. From 2019 to 2020 the murder rate in Florida went from 6.7 per hundred thousand people to 7.8 per hundred thousand people. New York went for 3.2 per hundred thousand people to 4.7 per hundred thousand people. Wisconsin went from 4.2 to 6.10 per hundred thousand people. From what I see, the murder rate is going up in all three states with Florida being the highest of the 3. The two highest in the country are Mississippi and Louisiana.

To state that people are leaving blue States and flocking to Florida because of the “freedoms” in Florida is a ridiculous statement. Wisconsin has not had the growth that Florida has but it was had growth. New York’s three year average is actually a plus but the Red State of Mississippi has seen four years of decline. People are not flocking to Red states from Blue states. California has had a decrease in population in 2021 but that is after nine years of steady growth. The population statics are there for everyone to see. The problem is that politicians make these outlandish comments and too many people believe them. What I expect from all elected officials is the truth. If you can’t tell the truth just keep your mouth shut. Why is the press not calling out these lying politicians? The Media will jump all over if Trump is trailing a piece of toilet paper on his shoe or if Biden closes his eyes at a meeting, but really calling out the lies? Not so much. It is like we are constantly in a bad campaign commercial here in Florida because instead of governing they are just trying to make the other side look bad.

The Free State of Florida. What in the hell does that really mean? This is all because of Covid and people not wanting to wear a mask. Historians are going to have a field day with that one. Florida has had 82,000 deaths because of Covid and I don’t trust that number. Our Governor fired the person keeping the statistics because she would not manipulate them to please our Governor. I would bet that the number is much higher. Florida is a great place to social separate because you can be outdoors almost every day. All we had to be was smart and we could have been the safest place to be in the country. Our Governor who I feel loves to be a bully and a dictator used the fact that wearing masked was an infringement on our freedom. He then turned that into a campaign slogan and a very effect one even though it was a lie. He didn’t care that people died. I don’t care that he argued that they shouldn’t be mandatory. What I cared about was the fact he never even encouraged people to be smart and be safe. Never once did I hear this supposedly good Christian Governor say that we should be looking out for the safety of our neighbors.  He really didn’t care about our safety. His staying Governor and being able to run for President was more important than people’s lives. His building of his national brand cost lives. There is a vaccine. Never once did I hear him encourage people to get the vaccine even though it would save people’s lives. Peopled died thinking it was a hoax and too many politicians have let the myth go on even to today. People are still dying needlessly. Here again the press didn’t do their job. That is why we have a First Amendment. Not to protect the lies but so the press could expose those lies. If the press is not going to expose the lies and even help contribute to those lies like Fox News does then, we really no longer have a First Amendment?

Freedom is a serious word and in Florida they use suppression to talk about freedom. We are the “don’t say gay” state. We are the anti diversity state. We are the no Critical Race Theory state. We are the no abortion state. Does that really sound like a free state to you? It sure as hell doesn’t to me.