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Culture War Roundup for the week of May 1, 2023

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In tandem with Florida, a couple of weeks ago it was reported that several people from the 2017 torch-light march in Charlottesville on the UVA campus are being charged with felonies on the basis of burning an object with an intent to intimidate. So there seems to be a broader strategy of expanding the definition of "intimidation" to mean "politically incorrect protest" and ban those displays from public universities.

Wait just a moment. What makes you say that the charges at UVA are going to inform how DeSantis' new law is enforced?

What makes you say that the charges at UVA are going to inform how DeSantis' new law is enforced?

It's more accurate to say that political pressure is motivating both the charges at UVA and DeSantis' new law. I am not saying the law is due to the UVA case, I am saying the crackdown on right-wing protests is due to the same forces in both cases.

The protestors who were on the UVA campus are being charged with "intimidation" and the Florida law is outlawing displays of "intimidation" on state campuses. You could say that there's no indication Florida will interpret "intimidation" the same way as the new DA in Virginia, but you can't say it's just a coincidence that DeSantis is outlawing "intimidation" on Florida campuses while in Jerusalem.

the crackdown on right-wing protests is due to the same forces in both cases . . .the Florida law is outlawing displays of "intimidation" on state campuses.

You must live in a different universe than I do if you think a law outlawing "enter[ing] the campus of a state university or Florida College System institution for the purpose of threatening or intimidating another person" is aimed at right-wing protests, given that it has been the woke that has been doing that for the past few years. And given DeSantis's stance re wokeism.

You live in a different universe than I do if you think woke protests are going to be charged with felonies with hate crime enhancements. There is already a case, right now of protestors on a campus being charged with a felony for intimidation.

Hate crime enhancements by Florida.