Saturday, July 20, 2013

Florida: Not Nurturing, Not a Garden

My apologies to the millions of decent people who live there, but
I have no wish to visit Florida--for any reason.   Let me count the
ways why Florida isn't the Garden State:

(1) Hurricanes;
(2) Palmetto Bugs (large, flying cockroach-like insects);
(3) Primitive, permissive laws like "Stand Your Ground";
(4) Primitive, permissive politics that strip away people's rights;
(5) Very sketchy business practices by large companies.

Years ago I interviewed at the Chicago office of a huge,
Florida-based real estate company. About to be hired,
the interviewer let me in on a few of its sales secrets, which
included targeting Polish and Hispanic-speaking neighborhoods
with a view to selling mortgages to English-challenged buyers.
[I declined the job offer.] Various charges of fraud led to
this firm's bankruptcy and indictments, which were later
overturned. (-?)

Then there were the Florida Bush connections earlier this decade,
which allowed Bush II eight years in the White House, more death
and destruction by war than necessary, justifiable or reasonable.
In 2004 I called the Florida Secretary of State to ascertain Florida
policy regarding out of state poll watchers; there isn't one, they
aren't allowed. [Yet foreign nations allow the U.S. to monitor
THEIR elections....]


So what's so great about escaping to Florida? --Leaving
Winter behind? I'll keep Winter and forget  Florida,
not nurturing of anybody's rights, really. For all its lush         
growth,  a garden state it's not.

5 comments:

  1. Dear Amber. I have never been to Florida and from what many people have told me I may never or for a long time wish to visit there. My brother and sister in law went there after visiting family in Alabama.( Could make comments on Alabama I owned land in Mississippi several years ago also) Had a great day so I do not wish to go into a tizzy and will not go into any of that horror.

    My brother in his deeply straight up JUST LIKE MOM AND DAD used tobreak it down and tell it like it was said much of what you are stating mam and more I can not write here. He stated on the phone ( cell tx) I QUOTE Michael ( Laura and I have been driving quite a while now and have not seen any ---- oranges on any orange trees! Maybe we will see some oranges in the store we are about to stop at) UNQUOTE.


    We have commercials telling us of ILLINOIS financial state.( TODAY IS SATURDAY MAYBE WE NEED A COMMERCIAL TELLING US THAT ?) lol. Dear Lady Amber .I look forward to your blog( If you are moved mam to write one) ON DETROIT'S HORROR! Another national disgrace. Great post again Lady Amber! Well turn up the heat ( If we can afford to ) in winter Eat some oranges from Florida IF WE CAN FIND ANY.Remember how it once may have been could and should be.

    Have a great safe week end Lady Amber. Continue to communicate!

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    1. --Good one, Lester, about Saturday!

      I am sad about Detroit, but it's such a complicated problem; I need to research quite a bit more before taking it on here. If I wrote about all that worries me, I'd have at least ten posts a day. So please don't think these written here are my only concerns. Best Wishes!

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    2. Dear Amber . I realize these here are not all your concerns. Remember never let worry get to you. Been there sort of in the past. My late Aunt ( We called the general, long story) She left Mississippi years after my LATE GREAT DAD she died there. My family could have lived there or in San Fran so I feel a strange connection to it. A dear Special Lady from my youth was from Florida....Thank you. Take care mam. Always be Amber..

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  2. Your assessment of Florida seems to be right on point --- tragically.

    Unfortunately, there are other states with versions of the vicious "Stand Your Ground Law" as well. At least the murder of Trayvon Martin seems to have generated an awareness of the shabby treatment and humiliation that African-American have had to endure. Will the awareness last? Who knows.

    I'm glad that you also highlighted the highjacking of the 2000 election that brought us Dubya. As you've indicated the consequences have been horrendous.

    We shouldn't forget that Dubya's brother Jeb, who has recently been making presidential noises, was governor during that electoral travesty.

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  3. Oops! My copy-editing is subpar tonight. The second paragraph should read " --- the shabby treatment that African-American men and boys have had to endure."

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