Governor Ron DeSantis promised to continue tackling woke agendas and supporting Americans’ right to practice their faith in remarks at the opening session of the National Religious Broadcasters International Christian Media Convention.
DeSantis, a 2024 presidential candidate, spoke at the Orlando World Center Marriott as he discussed his perspective on protecting family and faith. He started by telling a personal story about the importance of a bottle of holy water from the Sea of Galilee as attendees gathered for a four-day convention to commemorate 75 years of Israel’s independence.
He said, “My first job as governor, after getting sworn in on the steps of the Capitol, was to go back to the governor’s residence to get our son Mason baptized.” He said that he and Casey DeSantis, his wife, had been to Israel “many years before that together,” and his wife brought back fresh water from the Sea of Galilee. Unfortunately, the botter was thrown away during house cleaning.
DeSantis added that as the word got out to the family they knew in Israel about the lost holy water, “Within 24 hours, there were people in Israel digging into the Sea of Galilee, and they sent me this beautiful glass jar filled with water from the Sea of Galilee.” He also discussed the societal problem of children growing up without a father and what fathers mean in the home.
He said of Florida’s pro-family initiatives, “We’re working with groups that are addressing the needs of the father and trying to get them engaged with their kids. Even if you have kids that are born of a father in prison, we are using these resources to foster mentorship opportunities for kids that do not have that type of support. And if you look at when kids do well, it’s when somebody is willing to take an interest in them. If you have somebody in the community that takes an interest, that child can be so much better in the future.”
DeSantis also explained that children need to learn the foundations of our country, saying, “They need to understand our Constitution and Bill of Rights and understand what it means to be an American.” The Florida governor added that he and his administration are “holding these Wall Street banks accountable” and fighting against the weaponization of government.
He said, “We have a government targeting parents going to school board meetings. They will target pro-life activists.” He added, “They will allow municipal workers to protest illegally in front of our Supreme Court justices’ homes.” He went on, “And they are now in the FBI saying observant Catholics represent some threat in society.”
DeSantis continued, “Make no mistake, a weaponized government is a faction of society turning the reins of power against those they don’t like. And the people that are in power now do not like people of faith.” Toward the close of his remarks, DeSantis said, “Put on the full armor of God … and don’t ever, ever back down.”