By Lee Williams
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that he wants to create the Florida State Guard, a 200-member volunteer paramilitary force that he would control – not Joe Biden – which would assist the Florida National Guard in state-specific emergencies.
According to a press release, DeSantis wants to spend more than $100 million to beef up the Florida National Guard, and $3.5 million to create the new Florida State Guard.
“The establishment of the Florida State Guard will further support those emergency response efforts in the event of a hurricane, natural disasters and other state emergencies. The $3.5 million to establish the Florida State Guard will enable civilians to be trained in the best emergency response techniques. By establishing the Florida State Guard, Florida will become the 23rd state with a state guard recognized by the federal government,” the press release states.
More than 20 states already have similar state paramilitary forces, many of which were formed as state militias during the 18th Century.
The move comes as tension is brewing between DeSantis and Biden.
During a press conference, DeSantis noted that the Florida State Guard would “not encumbered by the federal government,” and that the unit would give him “the flexibility and the ability needed to respond to events in our state in the most effective way possible.”
Florida, he pointed out, has always been one of the most military-friendly and veteran-friendly states.
“We are proud of our veterans and active-duty military members and proud of what our communities do to support them,” DeSantis said in the press release. “Florida is one of the most veteran friendly states and I think there are very few places that you would rather be on duty than in the state of Florida. As a veteran, I really appreciate what everyone who wears the uniform does in our state and am excited about these proposals – they will go a long way and have a meaningful impact. In Florida, we are going to continue our momentum of supporting our military, supporting our veterans and being good stewards of our military installations.”
U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, a Democrat who is running for governor in 2022 and may face DeSantis, tweeted . . .
No Governor should have his own handpicked secret police. https://t.co/BWEPhM5rHa
— Charlie Crist (@CharlieCrist) December 2, 2021
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, another Democrat running to replace DeSantis, tweeted similar concerns.
Can’t believe I have to say this, but Florida doesn’t need a paramilitary force that only answers to @RonDeSantisFL. Millions of Floridians know what it’s like to live under regimes like this — and came to our state to escape them. This must be stopped. https://t.co/JoTgXmKTzc
— Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) December 2, 2021
Takeaways
In my humble opinion, the Florida State Guard is exactly what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they wrote the Second Amendment.
The only problem I foresee is the unit’s 200-member limit. I predict DeSantis will receive 1,000-times that many applications and letters of interest.
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About twenty states have their own state guard, including Oregon, California, Washington, and New York. Are these the “private militias” of their respective governors?
Liberals are not only mentally ill, they’re lazy.
” Are these the “private militias” of their respective governors?”
Overall, they are volunteer citizen militias paid for by public money but under the governors direct control. They are for emergency assistance in times of disaster. The use of the term “militia” here is sort of misleading, people tend to liken it to a military’ish type organization with weapons – that’s not the case here.
That was my point. Lefties are calling the proposed Florida state guard Desantis’ own “secret police,” despite the more mundane precedents set in other states and in Florida at one point in the past.
Hence my comment on Leftys’ mental illness and laziness.
The “backstory” is that the dimwit broad who is present Fl Ag Commissioner (in charge of CCW permits and emptying of bedpans) is bitching about this proposal. She is also running for Fl Gov against Desantis.
Apparently, Fl HAD such an organization in the recent past
All of the states should have authentic state Militias (paid for with state funds and accountable to the state governor and legislature) and disband the National Guard.
The states could choose to allow or not allow their militia to come under Federal control in the event of a legitimate war (meaning a war officially declared by Congress).
Checks and balances
Checks and balances
This step by Desantis is good, but tiny.
Also Charlie Crist is not only a Democratic candidate for governor. He is also the former governor (RINO fake Republican shill) of Florida.
OMG I love it. I can hear the heads exploding from here.
“OMG I love it. I can hear the heads exploding from here.”
Nation-wide, it’s a sound similar to a warehouse of firecrackers being consumed by a blaze… 🙂
my state (PA) has a unit like this made up of state police…basically a helicopter-borne SWAT team that can get anywhere quickly…back during the sixties my county had a similar unit made up of volunteers who arrived by bus…during one particular riotous incident a large group of blacks faced off with an equally large group of whites with the police station in the middle…they arrived on scene and proceeded to gas everyone with generators…the cops included!…end of story…
Every legal resident of the sate of Florida should be considered a member of the Florida State Guard.
I certainly consider myself one…
I would sign up in an instant but I’m quite sure I would be rejected due to age.
judging from what I’ve seen of the ‘state guard’ in our state, you qualify if you can walk, talk, and breath but not necessarily at the same time. I’m not kidding.
As a 52 year old FL resident, I’m going to apply tomorrow anyway. I noticed another article where they left out the couple dozen other states, including Kaliforniastan and Nueva York that have the same
That is certainly true of some State Guards, much less so of others.
The concept of a state force, controlled by the governor certainly existed in every state prior to the creation of the “National Guard” and still exists, one way or another, in many.
If anyone knows history, the Texas Rangers were (and to a large extent still are) a paramilitary force directly controlled by the governor.
As noted in the article, many states currently have a “State Guard” or similar organization entirely controlled and funded by the state. In general, the members of such State Guard organizations are volunteers who receive some training by the state and are available to fulfill whatever the state needs done.
Yes, most have a physical fitness level below that of the National Guard (which nominally has to meet federal military standards). But these are not some wildass bunch of good ol’ boys. Most are well organized and trained for those functions the state needs – such as flood control, operating supply centers after a natural disaster, or logistic support for wildland firefighting.
for your viewing pleasure:…”Southern Comfort”…free on you tube…..
What matters is if those governors will call out a state guard. Next, there may be allowance for a state guard; but is there one? I like Ron. I think he can make it real. Maybe, even replace demented Joe.
units like this can often respond quickly and should have arrest powers beyond those of the National Guard…not to mention loaded guns….they fill a niche….
And who is it that has their panties in wad? That would be sneaky democRats trying to act like they are appalled by the idea. Typical shenanigans coming the party that owns the legacy of slavery, segregation, Jim Crow, the KKK, lynching, Eugenics, Gun Control and other race based atrocities.
Rest easy democRats….Unlike your KKK Gun Control military wing DeSantis will have a well diverse citizen militia.
and Abortion. Planned Parenthood was a Liberal cause set up in predominantly black neighborhoods to control the black population through abortion and sterilization.
Margret Sanger the forerunner of Planned Parenthood believed in Eugenics and Abortion as a way of Controlling and Eliminating the Black Population in the United States. Don’t Believe It. Look it Up. Not saying i agree with It Because I Don’t. It’s just an Ugly fact of Democrat Politics.
The funny part is that the same people whining loudest about DeSantis are the same folks who want to be the next governor of Florida. Anyone want to bet that they would be happy to keep a State Guard in operation once it was under their own personal control.
well since New Jersey recently tried to use the state police to prevent
Republicans from taking their seats in the legislature…one thinks the leftists should take note
Nikki Fried statement is odd for a Wanna-Be-Governor as the State Guard would (A) NOT be a “SECRET POLICE” and (2) would serve the “sitting” Governor whomever He/She/It might be at the time and NOT just Ron DeSantis (who is destined to be the Commander in Chief of the entire US military) … I do agree that 200 is not an adequate number which should be more like 500/1000 with every other resident of the State sworn in as a “ready reserve” member.
I agree with ms. Fried in that she should never be in charge of any armed force, which she would inevitably treat as her own secret police.
Hitler (darling of the Far Right) started out with a few Storm Troopers who were independent of the German Army and soon grew to a force more powerful and numerous than the German Army and that did not go unnoticed by the German Generals who warned what Hitler was doing. De Insaneous is doing the same attempting to start a private army that can thumb its nose at the Federal Troops any time De Insaneous wants to ignore Federal Laws or Presidential orders.
“He who does not know the past is condemned to repeat it”.
The Far Right are posters boys for Historical Ignorance and have carried and supported Hitler’s ideas in the U.S. for decades i.e. hatred of minorities, immigrants, refugees, and are racists, bigots, Nationalists, Populists, and Xenophobes and cheerleaders for a Protestant Christian Caliphate.
Biden must not let History repeat itself and he should crush without mercy De-Insaneous before we again have people marching down cobblestone streets wearing twisted arm bands.
why is it that everything with you eventually gets tied back into Hitler with you? Even when you don’t have anything to contribute you start posting this weird off the wall off topic stuff about Hitler.
Do you like have a poster of him you masturb8 to or something?
Don’t worry about him. He doesn’t matter. Only serious men do. He’s not one of them.
Like I said. Ignore him. It makes him furious. It’s funny.
he’s just here to aggravate you…keep that in mind…
because he/she is a high school troll
Ignore it and it might crawl back under a rock
To Booger Brain
Typical response from a right wing Moron totally ignorant of history.
Get a job. R.
weak..even for you…having an off day?
Frank,
I’m sorry but, . . . has dacian the demented ever had an ON day?? If so, I missed it. Unless he is a great satirist (which I doubt, for obvious reasons) he is the living embodiment of Billy Madison.
Snore…
“DACIEN” – You very conveniently forget that Nazi Pelosi has her very own secret police, aka the “Capital Police”, who she helped spread out from the Capitol into CA & FL…
But, it’s only “Republicans” whose ideas are all bad, right?
I enjoy how Bush, Trump, and now Desantis still live in your head rent free, and go commando. Pro tip, you need to get your boxers out of a chronic bunch. Have some soup.
have a feeling that list will grow…much more promising people..and potential candidates.. on the right rather than the left where the supply is meager
Little d’s grasp of German history illustrates the inadequacy of the govt school system. (and/or she/he is a moron).
Further evidence that pencil necks restrict blood flow to the brain.
Do it. We must not rely on the Fed. govt. anymore. They’re power comes from fear of reprisal, not necessarily the reprisal itself. If a civil war starts, it will be because the Democrats/far-left started it.
Balkanization is becoming more likely and I love it.
still,..disturbing to see this…almost as though it is being directed by someone further up the chain who’s overall plan is to weaken us…
This sorry outfit will be lead by some fat loser. ‘Colonel Geoff Price reporting for Meal Team 6 duty, Gov. DeSatan’. What a complete joke.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5iqYuFmzqg
Ing,
This guy seems to be an occasional, drive-by, dacian the dim wannabe.
If all DeSantis accomplishes is to keep dem/leftist (sorry for the redundancy) hair on fire 24/7, it will be a job well done.
Any one else notice that the same people who claim the Second Amendment applies only to a “well regulated militia” object screamingly to establishing a well regulated militia?
Yes I did notice that and was going to call it out. Why do you think they don’t like that idea?
Oh never mind.
where in the hell is that “like” button?
Antifa, ideologically Communist with factions of Moaists, Marxists and other assorted flavors and BLM whose public Founders are self proclaimed Marxists are two groups that act as arms of the Democratic Party. They were supported, given bail relief campaigns by prominent Democrats, and given cover to riot, loot and to commit arson against Federal an civilian property. These groups are Militia. They have organization, communications, hierarchy, training and funding. In the case of the Antifa, they have uniforms. It seems the BLM is the civilian arm and Antifa is the military arm in organizational hierarchy.
What the Gov is re-creating is not similar at all. State Defense Forces are not political enforcers or criminals, they are to augment National Guard during State crisis or to take over State needs NG if the NG is deployed Federally. The SDF was started around 1916 a little too late to be slave chasers as some will suggest soon enough.
A explanation of the SDF
https://statedefenseforce.com/main/about-the-state-defense-force/history-of-the-state-defense-forces/
Deployments of SDF units and the missions :
https://statedefenseforce.com/main/about-the-state-defense-force/history-of-major-missions/
obviously this flies in the face of those who support a federalized police force…and only that
I suspect DeSantis is pushing the buttons of the communists and testing their reactions. He is not a stupid man like those communists running against him for governor. He is using psyops against them. And its working
Just imagine what the next democrat governor could do with a established state guard. I’m sure it would be all good…
If they take things seriously and have the balls to defy unlawful orders there would be no problem
Considering the People Most Likely to join a State Militia under DeSantas wouldn’t follow a Democrat anywhere, It’s a Moot point. Besides the fact that anyone in Florida willing to be on a Militia for a Democrat would be too busy keeping their makeup and hair done. Not to mention fighting in high heels.
Or he could keep the Florida national guard and not agree to any federalization requests and start funding it’s equipping and training at the state level.
That ship sailed long ago at the SCOTUS.
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/496/334/
NB that a liberal member of the SCOTUS wrote the majority opinion. NB2 that a DNC-controlled congress wrote the legislation that the Governor of MN was opposing.
The Governor of Florida has obviously done his homework, and he wants a state force that cannot be mobilized outside the state when the state of Florida needs them at home.
Stupid, meaningless, grandstanding nonsense. The proposal is tiny, barely 3.3% of the requested budget increase. Take notice of that, it is only a small percentage of the requested increase, the complete budget has not been given. So the real percentage is far smaller.
Under the Florida Constitution the Governor already has the authority to call up a civilian militia separate from the National Guard. That makes this budget proposal a propaganda effort for DeSantis next election campaign, nothing more.
No, there is clearly no intrinsic value whatsoever to establishing such a force in advance, and providing training to increase their effectiveness, in a state subject to frequent natural phenomena that upset normal lines of first response. What a silly concept! It’s CLEARLY all for political advantage.
Does your unicorn fart rainbows???
A state guard, answerable to the governor of a state, is a good idea, since the National Guard is under the command of the DOD, and might not even be in the state, or have the necessary skills, that a governor might need in an emergency response.
In Florida, I’d make sure their state guard members knew something about:
– Emergency medicine
– Radio communications (both VHF and HF)
– Firearms and firearms safety
– the law in emergency situations
– had a CDL for at least a straight truck, with hazmat endorsement
– were physically fit (not a huge requirement here, only that the person be healthy, able to lift 75 pounds and do some physical work without danger of a MI)
– had ICS training
– had their own gear that would enable them to live three days without government support if called out
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