U.S. Constitution: The law of the land
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation last week that his office says strengthens protections against two things — any implementation of religious laws and terrorism, foreign or home-grown.
“To uphold the rule of law, our state must operate under one legal system, the Constitution must remain the law of the land, and we must defend our institutions from those who would harm us-especially terrorist organizations that seek to infiltrate and subvert our education system. HB 1471 reinforces these principles in Florida, and I was proud to sign it into law today,” he said in a release sent shortly after he signed the legislation on April 6.
We are with the governor on this one.
But only with his claimed bedrock philosophy, which has long been our own.
We agree: To uphold the rule of law, our state must operate under one legal system, the Constitution must remain the law of the land, and we must defend the institutions so created against those who would harm us.
Unfortunately, the institutions whose actions carry the greatest potential for harm too often are peopled by individuals we elect.
HB 1471 is a case in point.
Set to go into law on July 1 unless the two lawsuits already filed against it prevail, the Systems of Law and Terrorist Organizations enactment replaces presumptive innocence with what its critics call “guilt by designation.”
The new law states that a “Chief of Domestic Security” to come from within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will have the authority to designate any type of organization as a domestic or foreign terrorist pending an approval vote by the governor and three members of the Cabinet.
This chief of Domestic Security is authorized to maintain and publish a list its declared “terrorist” organizations which now will face — along with their “terrorist” members and “terrorist” supporters — a litany of criminal and civil penalties up to and including administrative dissolution of any corporation so designated.
It also specifically bans Sharia Law in Florida.
Let us be blunt: These are the types of legislative enactments that would leave the founders of our democratic republic aghast though the shade of Sen. Joe McCarthy is no doubt hoof-steppin’ the happy dance.
A couple of things.
First, Floridians had a lot of concerns that needed to addressed during the regular legislative system and protection against any imposition of Sharia Law was not among them.
Second, we are no doubt not the only ones who long for the days when constitutional conservatism was more than philosophy and being conservative was a badge of honor, not a flag pin and greasy rhetoric as our rights are eroded from within.
Let us return to the Gov. DeSantis’ stated belief: “To uphold the rule of law, our state must operate under one legal system, the Constitution must remain the law of the land…”
Indeed.
Were that only so when political pap such as this comes to the table in the guise of legitimate legislation.
— Island Reporter editorial