It’s one of the easiest political moves: denounce hate groups whenever they pop up on the fringes of society. There is seemingly no downside to loudly and unequivocally condemning evil. No politician in their right mind is out there trying to court the Neo-Nazi vote. But silence in the face of unspeakable evil can be even more dangerous.
@amberc0825 Unbelievable for this to happen in our downtown area while families are trying to enjoy their evening. SMH #hatethis #stopthehate #butwhy #crazyflorida #floridagonewild #polkcounty
Related: Why is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Staying Silent on the Neo-Nazis at Disney World?
And now that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has remained silent after Neo-Nazi groups demonstrated outside the gates of Walt Disney World in Orlando, these groups feel empowered in Florida. And now they have struck again.
A few days after the demonstration outside Disney World, another Neo-Nazi group demonstrated outside a children’s museum in Lakeland, Florida. A small group set up outside the Explorations V Children’s Museum with Nazi and swastika flags and shouting “F– Joe Biden,” and “White Power.”
Related: The Neo-Nazi Gathering Outside Disney World is Nothing New in DeSantis’ Florida
The incident was shared on social media and has been viewed more than 200,000 times. The vast majority of comments showed outrage and disgust with the entire incident. It’s unclear why the group chose the Children’s Museum for their demonstration, but perhaps it has to do with Pride Month.
One commenter mentioned that her grandfather helped to defeat Nazi Germany in World War II, only for her to see hate groups promoting national socialism and flying a Nazi flag.
Florida has seen an increase in Neo-Nazi, anti-Semitic, and anti-LGBTQ+ activity over the past three years. This increased activity corresponds with Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature passing several anti-LGBTQ+ laws and laws that curtail discussions on race and racism in classrooms.
Associate Professor of Management and Social Policy at Indiana University–Bloomington told the USA Today:
Determing where to draw the line between allowing free speech and prohibiting hate speech can be very challenging. Less challenging, however, is for political leaders to condemn particular speech. By not responding Gov DeSantis is giving tacit consent to this activity and he is emboldening the activists.
While DeSantis is running for President, incidents like this one are becoming more common in Florida, And while DeSantis’ silence isn’t an explicit endorsement of Neo-Nazi beliefs, their flying of a ‘DeSantis 2024’ flag is an endorsement of him and his policies.
So, why hasn’t DeSantis spoken out about a group spreading hate and antisemitism outside of Walt Disney World? It only allows white supremacists to continue spreading their beliefs.
We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.
