In his quest to embrace every far-right fringe idea on behalf of his presidential candidacy, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has raised millions of dollars for Daniel Penny, the man who choked out Jordan Neely on a subway train in NYC.
During today’s presser on Facebook, DeSantis was asked (was it a planted question?) about the Penny situation. [The plant] discussed the incident saying Trump has refused to comment on it so far, “and a lot of people believe this man is a hero, would you like to comment?”
Softball, anyone?
DeSantis claimed that “inmates are running the asylum.” You saw a guy that was very dangerous.
[Neely] was putting people in harm’s way. He was boasting that he may do harm. I think to be able to step in as a good Samaritan and protect people, I think that that’s something that was the right thing to do and I don’t think he should be prosecuted.I think you have a prosecutor there that sides with the criminal element over law-abiding citizens and when people have the temerity to fight back against the criminal element, he goes after them.
And so hopefully with him raising all this money, he’s going to be able to beat this case. are dropped but if they’re not I think he’s going to be able to win in the end.
DeSantis and the Republican party have made civil law and order their top priority except when a vigilante kills someone they disapprove of, because of their nationality, skin color, or mental stability.
Daniel Penny’s motivations may have been good, but acting like a ‘good Samaritan’ is not a license to kill, especially over a subway disturbance that hadn’t turned violent. This wasn’t television that shows a TV star taking ten seconds to put to sleep a bad guy with a chokehold. It takes a lot to strangle someone to death.
Greg Sargent writes, “The right in recent years has repeatedly portrayed vigilantes as heroic, and victims as deserving of death. Fox News valorized Edward Gallagher, the Navy SEAL accused by members of his own unit of killing multiple unarmed civilians, and Trump pardoned him. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) vowed to pardon a man convicted for the 2020 murder of a Black Lives Matter protester; the killer had texted about his intent to kill.”
“For some on the right, it is self-evident that Neely was mere “filth” that called for a “clean up.” To them, the real criminals are the administrators of the justice system who are pursuing the superfluous exercise of determining whether violently ending his life was justified. As Tanenhaus bluntly concluded of the right’s campaign: “We’re really talking about lawlessness.”
DeSantis turned this horrible situation into an attack on George Soros.
Of course, he did.
Digby writes, “To sanction the “pre-preemptive” murder of an unarmed person who is having a mental breakdown just because it might get violent is anarchy. Have they lost their minds?”
It’s not the first time that vigilantism has become defensible in America. Like before, there is a real sense among a whole lot of people that they have the right to kill anyone who offends them and makes them feel insecure in their presence and there’s often a racist component to their “feelings.” It looks like we’re in for another round.”
‘Open carry without a license’ laws, as well as stand-your-ground laws are leading to more of this.
If someone gives you a dirty look or says something you disagree with, (your left-leaning friend or family member), you can claim you were worried they might do something and blow them away.
But if you’re Ron DeSantis, and you laugh in an insane manner? That’s what the security team is for.
