I was in an elevator with several members of the Florida House. We had just gotten out of a committee hearing that passed the ludicrously unconstitutional anti-refugee bill (whose premise, may I add, is entirely bigoted and Islamophobic) and a Representative that should damn well know better walked into the elevator and jokingly hesitated while looking at me, "Oh, is it safe to ride the elevator with you." Everyone laughed. Every single one of them laughed (Democrat, Republican, white, black, old, young) as I was belittled with a wildly inappropriate remark that because I'm a Muslim this Representative should be afraid to ride in an elevator with me. It's not funny. It hurts.
Florida, nothing about our legislature reflects our amazing communities, my warm and loving neighbors and friends, and our Florida that I and many others fight for every single day. It's far past time that we take it seriously that the large majority of the 120 members of the House entrusted with the responsibility to govern and lead, are not fit to lead and are certainly not fit to govern.
Please help me get all of this
disconnected, bigoted, small minded, pos legislators out of office.
Oh, and on being an "ally": an ally, in moments such as today says, "Representative, that is not funny, it is offensive, please apologize." That's what it means to be a leader. That's what you should do when someone is belittled in your presence. Laila Abdelaziz
