After the Republican-led Florida House of Representatives introduced the HB1 legislation, which imposes stricter regulations on public disorder and doxxing, Florida Democrats are currently making an effort to delegitimize the bill as racist.
The proposed measure is intended to raise penalties for engaging in violent protests and riots, with no mention of targeting communities of color.
However, liberal voices such as Rep. Evan Jenne (D), have classified the bill as a 'muzzle' over communities of color.
The bill was originally drafted in September in order to respond to the aggressive and at times criminal Black Lives Matter activity in the Summer of 2020. One would assume that after the Right-Wing extremists broke into The Capitol, that this legislative action would be embraced ina bipartisan way.
While many Republicans across the nation have condemned the Capitol riot, Democrats insist that the convenient timing is just leverage to get the bill passed, saying that there were 'no similarities' between the BLM protests and the Capitol protest.
In all, the HB1 legislation should have amounted to an almost unanimous pass, but will sadly fall to partisan discourse.
HB1 could work as an efficient deterrent from engaging in rebellious activity and assist in healing the long-neglected wounds of division in the States. Such as raising the penalties for destroying public property.
At the end of the day, we have to stop using the First Amendment scapegoat when political convenience beckons it, and condemn violence of all strides, regardless of whether its storming Capitol Hill or chanting 'Dead cops!'
