At a prayer gathering this week, protesters who were booing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) were stopped by Jacksonville Council member Ju’Coby Pittman (D).
DeSantis stated he is already taking measures to prevent more attacks during a prayer vigil held close to the Dollar General store where a 21-year-old shooter killed three people in an incident that law enforcement described as being “racially motivated.”
People in the room laughed at the governor as he spoke. That’s when Pittman spoke up. She grabbed the microphone and told the people who were yelling that not everything has to do with politics.
“Listen, all of you. Listen, we’re going to stop having parties because today isn’t about parties,” she said. “A bullet doesn’t know a party. So, don’t even get me started.”
“We’ve already gone through enough, and I do not want to have to go through any more, so if the governor wants to come here and deliver presents to my town, you guys know that I’m taking the gifts. Now, everyone, be quiet for a minute so the governor can say what he wants to say.”
Pittman managed to calm the mob, and DeSantis then pledged money to bolster security at Jacksonville’s historically black Edward Waters University, where the shooter was originally discovered before he started shooting at the Dollar General store.
He said, “We won’t let people be picked on because of their race. To ensure that evil does not prevail in the state of Florida, we will rise up and take the necessary action.”
This week, DeSantis did what he said he would do. His office said that EWU would get “an initial, immediate award of $1 million” to help make the school safer. He also said that $100,000 will be given to help the families of the victims.
DeSantis, on the other hand, has canceled campaign meetings this week so that he has time to deal with what happened this weekend. He is also helping the Sunshine State get ready for storm Idalia, which is presently due to hit this week as a major storm.
