Today in why, Florida: why is this unmasked six-piece cover band doing “With a Little Help from My Friends” at a signing ceremony at the Florida state Capitol? Fine, okay, whatever: ladies and gentleman, Governor Ron DeSantis!
Yesterday, Trump’s living legacy used the musical stunt to lead into the news that Florida will effectively ban vaccine passports by blocking them from legitimate use at businesses.
“It’s completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply be able to participate in normal society,” he said. “I also wonder, what, you’re going to do this and give all this information to some big corporation? You want the fox to guard the henhouse? I mean, give me a break.”
The signing ceremony was for a bill that shields schools and businesses from covid-19-related lawsuits. “You look at some of these things that haven’t been happening as much,” DeSantis said, referring to live concerts, “and I think part of the reason is that there’s been a fear of liability, that, okay, if you have one of these events are you going to have to battle lawsuits.”
“I think a lot of people have governed themselves accordingly with that fear,” he added.
Or people might have wanted to avoid spreading the deadly virus. Even if that’s the case, DeSantis has deliberately made it difficult for them to enforce their own self-governed safeguards. He pushed indoor dining as cases headed toward the state’s highest spike, prevented restaurants from opening at less than 50% capacity, and blocked enforcement of mask mandates. All of which catapulted him to stardom at CPAC, where he described Florida as “an oasis of freedom.”
If anybody else out there spent the past year desperately wishing to helivac their grandparents out of Florida, join me in wishing a pox on the house of DeSantis!