Island Issues

‘Avoid Florida’ Says NAACP But It Can’t Explain Why

‘Avoid Florida’ Says NAACP But It Can’t Explain Why

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is warning blacks to avoid Florida but it can’t explain why.

Other than spouting baseless generalities such as “Florida is not a safe place for them” and calling the state’s inhabitants “openly hostile” this antiquated and pathetic organization is coming up empty attempting to justify its absurd position.

In its official “travel advisory” it failed to mention that its board’s chairman, Leon Russell, lives in Tampa. Is he going to move? They didn’t say.

If he wants to hit the bricks and put the “hostile” and “unsafe” Sunshine State in his rearview mirror he won’t even have to put his money where his mouth is. Florida GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler has generously offered to pay his moving expenses.

The NAACP’s anti-Florida stance confirms that this organization has outlived its usefulness as a civil rights organization and is nothing more than a whiney, yappy arm of the Democrat Party’s far left and has been for the past 20 years or more. The large number of  blacks living in Florida, moving here, and visiting here are examples of how irrelevant this tone-deaf far-left  organization has become. Did they hire the former Bud Light marketing team to develop their new strategy?

What’s this group’s beef with Florida other than it’s a deep red state whose 30 Electoral College votes are a sure thing for the Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential race?

In its false scenario the flummoxed NAACP paints all 22 million Floridians as bigots, homophobes, transphobes and any other “phobe” on its phony baloney Floridaphobe list. It apparently considers Governor Ron DeSantis the Grand Kleagle of the KKK and a racist homophobe with no redeeming qualities.

NAACP official and spouse recently enjoying Clearwater Beach.

In its official travel advisory The NAACP said: “Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.” These idiots, who say Florida is transphobic and bigoted, have never been to Miami or Key West.

What Governor DeSantis is guilty of is making Florida family friendly and protecting its citizens and visitors from unhinged lunatics that make outrageously stupid pronouncements like this one.

Not only is their statement contemptibly ridiculous, false and inflammatory, but this silly group doesn’t realize that there are many “communities of color” in the state that cater to the tourist industry. “Up yours Florida!” they proclaim even though they can’t explain why, other than they hate Republican Governor DeSantis.

DeSantis, a strong 2024 Republican presidential candidate, has passed a plethora of legislation in this year’s state legislature including expanded gun rights by making Florida a “constitutional carry” state; protections against “unwanted medical interventions”;  and an attack on hot-button cultural issues including critical race theory in education and sex-reassignment surgeries and hormone therapies for transgender minors.

His exemplary handling of the COVID crisis opened the state’s schools and businesses putting Floridians far ahead of those Democrat-run states that are still lagging behind in education and economically, no matter their color or sexual preference. Florida has some of the highest rated school systems in the country. Its literacy rate for black students exceeds most other states.

DeSantis has an uncompromising approach to the “woke” left, especially on parental rights with tough laws to get the groomers out of classrooms and homosexual porn out of school libraries. This along with the banning of the racist anti-white bigotry of Critical Race Theory have proven unpopular among far left groups like the NAACP. They oppose his defense of defending parental rights in education and standing up to the “bio-medical security state” by opposing “jab or job” vaccine mandates and mutilating sex change surgery on children.

Florida ranks number one for immigration from other states, number one in economic growth among large states, number one in tourism and has record-low unemployment and record-high budget surpluses. More tourists have visited Florida since the  beginning of this year than at any comparable time period in the state’s history. Also more blacks have moved here than ever before.

The NAACP has its work cut out for it. “Stop being excellent!” they demand. Apparently it wants no part of any of this and considers these valid reasons to avoid the state.

Do folks actually listen to anything this faux group has to say anymore? Those that do will no longer enjoy trips to Disney World, relaxing and fishing on the hundreds of miles of beautiful beaches and lakes, colorful wildlife, great weather, enjoying festivals, camping, spring breaks, theme parks, and so much more.

They’ll love the weather, prices and beaches of New York, Michigan, Illinois, and Massachusetts. Folks following the NAACP’s advice will also relish dodging bullets in tourist-friendly Detroit, St. Louis, and Baltimore, riding the filthy crime ridden subway in New York and sharing hotels with illegal unvetted immigrants, and walking the “safe” streets of Chicago, a city with one of the country’s highest rates of black-on-black homicides. Have fun and stay safe. We’ll miss you.

Oh, if you decide to cancel your Florida reservations there’s a long waiting list of grateful folks ready to take your places. And good luck explaining your decision to cancel your trip to Disney World to the  kids.

(An abridged version of the above commentary appears on the national news site Biz Pac Review at https://www.bizpacreview.com/2023/05/24/avoid-florida-says-naacp-but-it-cant-explain-why-1361870/)

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Wait! What? If America is systemically racist as lunatic groups like the NAACP, the Democrat party and the White House staff that control Joe Biden say, then explain why it is the only white majority country to ever elect and then reelect a black president? Also explain the millions of people of all races that seek to immigrate here every year and those that are illegally pouring across our southern border, most of them of color.

As black GOP presidential candidate Larry Elder says: “More black Africans have come to America of their own free will than were brought here on slave ships.”

Elder went on to declare: “Of all the reasons we must defeat Joe Biden and the Democrats in 2024, this — pitting Americans against Americans — is the most urgent one. America is not a racist country. We are the most accepting and most tolerant large, multi-racial society in human history.”

Name one country better or even equal. You can’t.

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Read All About It! But Not Here! I cancelled my subscription to the daily Jacksonville-based Florida Times Union newspaper in 2014 for the following reasons:

  • Its home delivery price exceeded my annual car insurance premium
  • Its coverage of the dreadful NFL Jaguars football team extended from the police blotter to the recipe section. If a Jaguar player wasn’t involved it wasn’t reported.
  • It stopped running major league baseball box scores and game summaries.
  • It started fluttering into my driveway instead of landing with a thud.
  • If I wanted nothing but liberal blather I could subscribe to the Jacobin or Monthly Review,
  • Did I mention that It stopped running major league baseball box scores and game summaries?

The 160-year old daily is the oldest daily newspaper in Florida. Its circulation went from 44,700 in 2017 to today’s 27,800. At one time it was well over 100,000. In 2016 its staff had shrunk to a meager 85 and conservative readers abandoned it. Its parent company Gannett has trimmed that to 27. It’s on its deathbed and won’t last much longer.

As a former daily newspaper reporter for the now defunct Tampa Tribune, it’s sad for me to witness a once respected news outlet slowly dying mostly by its own left hand.

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Speaking Of A Lousy Newspaper: The local Fernandina Beach News Leader, stumbled all over itself in faux outrage in an editorial this past Wednesday, May 24 (“Commission suppresses input”) attacking Commissioner Darron Ayscue and the three other commissioners who agreed with him by asking members of the community to wait until the end of the session to address items not on the agenda. If the paper is going to publicly criticizes Commissioner Ayscue it should at least get his name right. Its’ “Darron”, not “David”. The pompous gasbag, Chip Ross, the darling of the local left, was the lone commissioner disagreeing in the 4-1 vote, a sure indication the majority was correct.

Anyone who has ever sat through a lengthy schedule of local speakers knows how tedious and repetitious some of them can be. They most certainly have a right and a civic duty to speak up, but most of them need to polish their rhetorical skills, particularly the regular crowd of grey-haired, aging, finger-wagging liberal grannies. If you’ve never witnessed this parade of outraged hippie harpies do so at least once. You won’t find it enlightening, but you’ll get a few chuckles. However, this pathetic paranoid parade needs to wait until the agenda is completed. Those of us that don’t want to listen to their mindless blather can leave and not have to wait for the announced agenda items.

The News Leader editorial was unsigned with the exception of editor2@fbnewsleader.com which leads me to believe it was written either by the pretend reporter with the fortunate name of  Julia Roberts or her college alumni at the Close Cover Before Striking School of Journalism and Screen Door Repair, Editor Tracy Dishman. Hopefully Publisher Foy Maloy wouldn’t pen such rubbish.

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Bud’s bizarre bird-brained bubble bath bathing beauty Mr. Mulvaney.

Bud Light Sales Are Going Flatter Than Dylan Mulvaney: The bizarre partnership with transgender activist Mulvaney, a guy who says he’s a gal, has tanked sales of the once-popular Bud Light beer by an astounding 28.4% for the week ending on May 13, coming on the heels of similar sales drops.

While some of the decline is due to conservatives boycotting the beer, other people who are distancing themselves from the Anheuser-Busch InBev brand are apolitical, said Harry Schuhmacher, the editor and publisher of the trade publication Beer Business Daily.

“Most people don’t care about this issue and don’t want to get roped into a conversation,” he said. “Therefore they’re not going to buy the beer.”

I saw cases of Bud Light in Amelia Island grocery stores recently selling for a little over $20 that had a coupon on them offering a $20 rebate. Essentially they’re giving the stuff away. A guy stocking the beer shelves told me: “Nobody’s buying it.”

In a related news item, it was just reported by the Daily Caller yesterday that Target’s market value plunged $9 billion in one week after anger erupted over the store’s new “PRIDE” collection, which features clothing for children and babies as well as a chest-binding swim top and a “tuck-friendly” women’s bathing suit.

Are these Woke CEOs shorting their own stocks?

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Drinking, Dining & Dancing: There’s an online site called Mashed that rates foods from each state in the country and identifies the best restaurants nationwide to get specific foods.

After reading its reviews for the best foods in each state the site lost a huge chunk of credibility with me. For example if I was searching for a tasty meal, I would certainly avoid Mashed’s selections in Hawaii (Spam) and Utah (Jell-O). Really! JELL-O! And if I was hungry for shrimp Nevada would be the last place I’d head. But Mashed says Shrimp Cocktail is the number one choice there.

It redeemed itself somewhat by selecting boiled peanuts in South Carolina and Cincinnati Chili in Ohio. Read More: https://www.mashed.com/251111/the-most-famous-food-in-every-state/ With the exception of a couple the entire list read like a restaurant review in the Babylon Bee.

However, it made up for all of that state food silliness with the selection of restaurants that serve the best meals in each state when it tagged Florida’s Ted Peters in St. Petersburg. I’ve eaten at this St. Pete Beach joint and have had friends bring me meals from it so I can personally testify to its greatness. Yes Greatness!!! According to the website, Florida’s best meal is the smoked mullet fish dinner from Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish! Here’s why it was selected:

A smoked mullet meal!

“When digging into all of Florida’s bounties, the show turned its eyes and mouth towards Ted Peters smoked mullet fish dinner. Located in the beach city of St. Petersburg, Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish is renowned, fittingly, for its smoked fish. There’s truly little guesswork when choosing what to order at this restaurant… people come from all over to try this local delicacy. As one Tripadvisor review observes, this is a place that has withstood the test of time. This isn’t going to be an upscale experience, and that’s not the point. Come ready to de-bone your fish and drink in some local culture. Also, as per the St. Petersburg site, come with cash, as credit cards still aren’t accepted.”

I have no bones to pick with that review. I love smoked mullet. There’s only one place on Amelia Island I can get it and I can’t divulge its location because mullet isn’t on the menu and my favorite chef there doesn’t want folks swarming him because he has limited quantities and it isn’t always available.

Why doesn’t somebody open a smoked mullet joint hereabouts? All they need if a smoker a supply of mullet, ice cold beer, a few bottles of hot sauce, and some wooden benches. To read more about Ted Peters go to 72-Year-Old Florida Restaurant Serves The Best Meal In The State – Brightgram 

A Memorial Day ceremony will be held by American Legion Post 54 Monday, May 29 starting at 11 am, at Front and Centre Streets downtown Fernandina Beach.

24 Comments

Ray “Trinket” Greene - 29. May, 2023 -

While I stand patriotically with you mullet eaters on this solemn day, the truth is that the military has become an outdated institution and needs to be revamped to reflect modern life and prevailing values. I’ll be participating as an organizer of the upcoming Juneteenth festivities and hope to meetup with as many of you as possible after my performance. Come listen with an open mind and heart. Nothing but hugs and respect as we reconcile our differences.

Fred - 30. May, 2023 -

Obviously, you have never served or even been exposed to the reality of war. Have you ever heard the term, “There are no atheist in foxholes.”? War is brutal, it is deadly and it is not for the weak. In order to have a secure nation without the threat of our freedoms being taken from us, we MUST maintain a strong military presence on a global scale! Methinks you are too young to understand or appreciate the sacrifices made on YOUR behalf by anyone other than your own race. And even in that you dishonor the brave and accomplished black service men and women that went before you.

Bill Sherman - 31. May, 2023 -

I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all Moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell. Let us stand tall and come to the aid of our brothers and sisters in Ukraine who need and deserve our help and resources.

NEIL A. Borum - 26. May, 2023 -

Seems traditional “print” newspapers are going away. Times change and those of us that remember “coupons” are as well.
People get their “news” now online and it’s heavily influenced by its source….not an unbiased reporter.
Sorting out the “gnat sh*t” from the pepper takes a little digging.
I’m optimistic though that what used to be called common sense will make a comeback.

Julia - 27. May, 2023 -

Yup, as more and more of you extreme right wing old farts go away, common sense will ultimately prevail.

Jack Williams - 26. May, 2023 -

PS: Dave, sorry I addressed you as Ted.

Jack Williams - 26. May, 2023 -

Ted, I can attest to how really great the smoked mullet is at Ted Peters, as are the hamburgers and German potato salad. It was a must-stop-and-eat place when we ventured from the vicinity of HBPHS back in the late 50s and early 60s to Saint Pete Beach. Whenever my wife and I are in the Tampa-Saint Pete area,Ted Peters is a certain destination.

Harvey Slentz - 26. May, 2023 -

Bud Light, Target and other retailers would benefit from frequent application of two important words: “What if…?”

In this iteration of stupidity, the more perceptive decision makers could (I would hope) simply ask:

“So we’re thinking about selling trans products that many people don’t want to see and especially don’t want their children to see? If we offer store-front displays of trans merchandise, WHAT IF other groups want the same benefit? Merchandise in the front row of our stores featuring the Hispanics, the Blacks, and patriotic skinheads? Accessories for shooters? WHAT IF they want guns for sale too? WHAT IF a group is denied this storefront favoritism? When we open the door to any group, other groups will follow. This can alienate our customers or the public in countless dimensions. And we take this risk for what purpose?”

Eddie Brown - 26. May, 2023 -

I too cancelled my subscription to the FTU after Gannet began buying newspapers throughout the east and southeast. Each one of the now Gannet newspapers is 95% the same with only the front page, local page, and local sports page being different. If you subscribe to the electronic version you can read the library of Gannet papers simply by using the edition selection to select the city you want to read. Even with this option the cost is not worth the price due so much of the same reporting. The FTU had become the mouthpiece for the Democrats and will slam anyone with a “R” after their name or with Conservative leaning. One reporter, Nate Monroe, is so out of touch with his claims he is more oral diarrhea that actual reporting. Case in point is the Jacksonville Mayors election where the FTU was in bed with the Deegan Camp Daniel Davis had no chance of honest reporting of his candidacy. The end result is Jacksonville in for a very difficult four years one the new mayor is sworn in.

Tom Yankus - 26. May, 2023 -

That’s a tease, Dave. Not revealing (to me) where smoked mullet is here on the island. If you remember sir, I brought you a pound of that Ted Peter’s famous mullet dip AND I smoked several of this tasty but boney fish for you! My mouth is salivating waiting for your response. Growing up in St. Pete, it was rare when I didn’t stop at this diner, drive-in and dive on my way home from Pass-A-Grille Beach. Some still consider mullet to be “bait fish.” Why? I’ll never know. The secret ain’t the sauce (you know) but in that fish taste and hardwood aroma as they smoke them for hours.

Pierre - 26. May, 2023 -

I have tolerated criticism for enjoying the rat of the sea but I prefer to call them Texas Twinkies. Here’s link to my faverite recipe https://www.thegayglobetrotter.com/texas-twinkies

Julia - 27. May, 2023 -

Mullet is considered by most to be baitfish that is not really suitable for human consumption. However, because it is readily accessible it became a popular source of food for poverty stricken families in the south, most of whom were black. I find it difficult to understand why you and David would want to eat such a slimy, cheap and unhealthy dish when you live in a seafood lover’s paradise? Regardless, what is really disgusting is the irony of how in a single posting this blog can manage to make statements that are highly prejudicial towards blacks while at the same time appropriating their southern culture and celebrating how much they love the food dishes created out of necessity due to the oppression inflicted upon them by white society.

Harrison Waller - 27. May, 2023 -

You are a contradiction in one instance you say “I find it difficult to understand why you and David would want to eat such a slimy, cheap and unhealthy dish” and then you accuse David and others of “appropriating their southern culture and celebrating how much they love the food dishes…” Crawl back into the hole you crawled out of.

Frank - 27. May, 2023 -

Julia,
Speaking of “highly prejudicial statements”, could you enlighten us all on what you meant by”white society”? Any age limits, time in country, or location? Or is it just color-based thing? Might also want to elaborate on your age-insensitive comments about old men. You know, the ones you want to die. It would really help to have one as brilliant as you clarify whom it is that we should hate (as you clearly do). TIA!
Frank

Fred - 30. May, 2023 -

I love this! You talk about mullet being a bait fish, but I’ll bet you love Tilapia and Swai… talk about trash fish. LMAO It always impresses this “old fart” when someone quotes historical references as if they were the gospel, but then downplays the contributions of those who went before them. You need to grow up real fast if you’re going to make it in this world Julia… js

TheToadOfTruth - 26. May, 2023 -

The fact that this group still has “Colored People” in their name says everything about the “Advancement ” they espouse. I haven’t heard that term used since I was a child.

Todd r. - 26. May, 2023 -

Me thinks colored means they claim to represent the bigger group of all the non-whites. That group includes the negroes, chinaease and all the migrants trying to get across the border.

George Miller - 26. May, 2023 -

Florida has the largest black population in the USA. I can’t speak for black Floridians, but why aren’t they leaving en masse, including the NAACP Chairman- LOL that is rich! :-).

Todd R - 26. May, 2023 -

I’m concerned they planning an insurrection. Who agrees we need to defund NAACP.

Julia - 27. May, 2023 -

Surrender to a bunch of old farts? I am middle of the road and can co-exist with most people from both parties. Seems to be the prevailing attitude and this blog represents a very small, but annoyingly loud, portion of the local population. FB is already a nice place but it’s going to be a great, great place once it gets through these currently difficult times and more progressive leaders and policies take control.

Fred - 28. May, 2023 -

We just voted out the progressive leaders… LOL I won’t hold my breath until you grow up and realize that you too will be an “old fart” one day and probably will be shouting “get off my lawn” louder than anyone.

Harrison Waller - 28. May, 2023 -

Yep, she seems hung up on conservative “old farts”. Eventually, we all will become old farts, whether the old farts are conservative or progressive. And when the conservative old farts pass on, new old fart conservatives will take their place.

Naomi Fay - 26. May, 2023 -

President Trump did more for the colored folk than any other president in history and he lives in Florida.

Julia - 27. May, 2023 -

Right, and this blog is not bigoted, homophobic, misogynistic or anything else along those lines either.