Hypocrisy is bad, but violence is worse, so *no*, Brigitte Ziegler shouldn't resign her position

She's part of a school board there, and yes, she's a hypocrite, but, IMO, that's not enough.

That may be the idealist part of me speaking.

On the other hand, her husband, Christian Ziegler, (allegedly) committed rape.  He shouldn't resign as head of the Florida GOP, but that's just the partisan hack part of me speaking.

From Business Insider -

How Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, a supporter of 'parental rights' in schools, got caught in a sex scandal that may push her to resign from a school board

Hypocrisy will do it every time.

Bridget Ziegler, a co-founder of the rightwing Moms for Liberty group, knows that better than most.

She and her husband, Christian, are embroiled in a sex scandal that is costing them their positions in local Florida politics, as well as their moral high ground with the religious right, Business Insider previously reported.

Do I think that she's a hypocrite?  Yes.

On the other hand, I firmly believe that what happens between freely consenting adults in their business and only their business, but one shouldn't be privately something that one gets their hate on for publicly.

Got some advice for her -

1. Don't resign.  Unless you were involved in the violence.

2. Divorce the schmuck.  Best case scenario: he cheated.  Worst case scenario:  he's violent.  Either way: easy case for even a moderately competent divorce attorney.

3. Don't be a hypocrite.  This is a big one.

4. Don't ever run for any office again.  Ever.  You will get hammered on this.

Got some advice for him, too -

1. Hire a good defense lawyer.  This doesn't seem to be a best case scenario for the victim, your wife, or you.

Welcome to FL, where they attack bloggers before Ron DeSantis' presidential run

Pointed at this by Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.

Maybe coming to the next session of the AZ Legislature or even to a striker this session; either way, expect the proposal to  be sponsored by State Sen. John Kavanagh or someone else who has been equally criticized by bloggers.

From WFLA -

Florida bill would require bloggers who write about governor to register with the state

Florida Sen. Jason Brodeur (R-Lake Mary) wants bloggers who write about Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody, and other members of the Florida executive cabinet or legislature to register with the state or face fines.

Brodeur’s proposal, Senate Bill 1316: Information Dissemination, would require any blogger writing about government officials to register with the Florida Office of Legislative Services or the Commission on Ethics.

As a blogger, in the past I've written about DeSantis (more than once, actually). 

Selfish thought: Would a Florida law apply to me?

Less selfish thought: While the bill in question specifically states that it doesn't apply to a newspaper or other "similar" outlets, how long before they go after other journalists and publications? 

U of Florida tramples free speech rights to protect the sensibilities...of a Republican. Again.

From AP -

Protest ban at Florida university after anti-Sasse rally

The University of Florida is going to start enforcing a decades-old 

prohibition against indoor protests following a raucous 

demonstration earlier this month against the selection of 

U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse as a finalist for the school president’s job.

Sasse, a Republican in his second Senate term, has drawn 

criticism from some at the school for his opposition to 

same-sex marriage.

[snip]

The regulation against protests inside campus buildings 

has been on the books for two decades, but it wasn’t enforced 

in recent years because protesters “were respectful of 

others and their rights to speak and to hear,” Fuchs said.

The policy will be enforced next week when the school’s 

board of trustees meets to consider Sasse’s candidacy, 

and students who violate it may be subject to 

discipline, [current university president] Fuchs said.

This isn't the first time that UF has stepped out of line regarding free speech.

From Axios, dated 11/1/2021 -

UF experts barred from sharing expertise

Three University of Florida political science professors have been barred by the University from testifying in a case challenging the new Republican-backed state election law that imposes more restrictions on voting, the Times/Herald reports.

Why it matters: The university's decision to reject the professors' request for permission to testify could have far-reaching free speech implications for higher education faculty across Florida.

Of course, they were slapped down for their efforts.

Also from Axios, dated 1/22/2022, emphasis added by me -

Judge sides with University of Florida professors in academic freedom case

A federal judge on Friday in a decisive free speech ruling ordered that the University of Florida stop enforcing its conflict of interest policy against six professors who were barred from giving expert testimony in lawsuits against the state.

Driving the news: Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker for the Northern District of Florida accused the university of silencing the professors and granted them a preliminary injunction.

• Walker likened the university's actions to Hong Kong University removing a sculpture commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre.
• "In many ways, the Pillar’s demise was emblematic of the demise of academic freedom in Hong Kong," Walker said, linking it to the University of Florida's conflict of interest policy.
• "Defendants must take no steps to enforce its conflict-of-interests policy with respect to faculty and staff requests to engage as expert witnesses or provide legal consulting in litigation involving the State of Florida until otherwise ordered," Walker ordered.

[snip]

What he's saying:  "UF has bowed to perceived pressure from Florida’s political leaders and has sanctioned the unconstitutional suppression of ideas out of favor with Florida’s ruling party."

What to watch: Walker set a bench trial for Nov. 7.

It's almost like they *know* Ron DeSantis, Florida's current governor, plans to run for president in 2024 and UF leaders think that if their students and faculty are anything other than Stepford students and faculty, they may upset that particular apple cart.

Following the Supreme Court's lead, Florida trains teachers to to put religion in classrooms

The U.S. Supreme Court has thoroughly weakened the separation of church and state in the U.S. and now Florida is taking the next step.

From Axios -

Florida training program: "Misconception" that founders wanted separation of church and state

A new civics training program for public school teachers in Florida says it is a “misconception” that “the founders desired strict separation of church and state,” the Washington Post reports.

Driving the news: That and other content in a state-sponsored training course has raised eyebrows among some who have participated and felt it was omitting unflattering information about the country's founders, pushing inaccuracies and centering religious ideas, per the Post.

• The Constitution explicitly bars the government from “respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Scholars interpret the passage to require a separation of church and state, per the Post.
• In another example, the training states that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were against slavery, while omitting the fact that each owned enslaved people.

Guessing that when this scheme makes it to AZ, they'll NEVER teach the religions of the Navajo, Apache, Yaqui, Hopi, Havasupai, Yavapai, Pima, Tohono O'odham, etc., peoples.

Much less Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Satanism, Pastafarianism, etc.

Florida, the gift that keeps on giving...to wiseasses

Since 2000, when they screwed up counting ballots/running an election, Florida, home of the happiest place on Earth, has been known as the Stupidest Place on Earth.

And that's saying something, given that the Earth is the home of places like Texas and Arizona.

Still, every once in a while, something happens in FL that testifies to the incredible stupidity there.

From NBC -

Florida man asks police to test meth for authenticity

A Florida man was arrested after calling police and asking them to test his methamphetamine's authenticity, according to officials.

Thomas Eugene Colucci, of Spring Hill, Florida, called the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, asking for officers to test meth he had recently purchased, according to a Facebook post by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

[snip]

Officers conducted a test on the substance Colucci provided and found that it was, in fact, meth.

Maybe Colucci should have realized that he was high when he thought that calling the police to test his meth was a bright idea.