Voice of the people: DeSantis' bully behavior was embarrassing

DeSantis' bully behavior was embarrassing

As a retired teacher and principal, it was easy for me to identify the governor's inappropriate and bullying behavior of Hillsborough County Public Schools students. We teach children to avoid exactly the kind of behavior the governor displayed. He had a chance to “make good choices” and to teach tolerance. Instead, the governor deliberately failed.

He displayed the anger and the false bravado that a bully employs to get his way. Instead of keeping his erroneous view of effective COVID health measures to a proper forum and not creating “theater” by interfering with the freedom those students and their families have to wear masks for his and their safety, he decided to bully them instead. It was childish and embarrassing to watch.

The governor needs to recognize his bullying behavior as a flaw in his character and apologize to those students and their parents.

The governor was wrong again on the facts about masking, and his disingenuous arguments for "parental freedoms" on this and other choices parents get to make reveals his hypocrisy. To berate children to score cheap political points is despicable. His actions were an embarrassment to every American and especially to his and my fellow Floridians.

John Gilboe, Auburndale

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This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Voice of the people: DeSantis' bully behavior was embarrassing