Florida Democratic League Letter of Advice to all Candidates:

DECLINING SOME ENDORSEMENTS IS THE ONLY RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO

The Florida Democratic League, as our state’s leading, minority-led, Democratic voters’ human rights and social justice advocacy organization, alerts you to the fact that an extremist homosexualist hate group operating in the Miami-Dade County area calling itself “SAVE” may invite you to meet with it and respond to a deceptive “candidate questionnaire.”

As a respectable political candidate, you should know that “SAVE” has brought political defeat to practically every candidate it has endorsed in past elections. Among the candidates who, to their detriment, accepted this extremist group’s dubious endorsement and consequently went down in humiliating defeat are:

• Gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride defeated by pro-Family Governor Jeb Bush;
• Attorney General candidate Buddy Dyer defeated by then pro-Family Charlie Crist;
• State House candidate Jackie Colyer defeated by now State Representative Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall;
• State House candidate Anthony Williams defeated by now State Representative Wilbur T. Holloway;
• State House candidate Israel Andrews defeated by now State Representative Edward Bullard;
• State House candidate Ronald Herrera defeated by now State Representative Ken Sorenson, in Monroe County;
• County Commission candidate Roberto Curbelo defeated by Commissioner Joe Martínez;
• School Board Member Jacqueline Pepper defeated by challenger Frank Cobo;
• Miami Beach mayoral candidate Elaine Bloom defeated by Commissioner David Dermer;
• Miami Beach commission candidate Bernie Navarro defeated by Richard L. Steinberg;
• Andres Rivero, County Commission District 7 lost to Carlos Gimenez and Xavier Suarez;
• Incumbent Circuit Court Judge Bruce Levy lost to first-time candidate Barbara Areces in a landslide 58-42;
• Incumbent Circuit Court Judge Henry Harnage lost to Peter Adrien in a landslide 57-43;
• Incumbent County Court Judge Jeffrey Swartz lost to first-time candidate Ada Pozo-Revilla;
• City of Miami Shores candidate Javier Reynaldos, “SAVE” board member, came in last of four candidates in a much-touted “SAVE” Dade stronghold!

Let’s be very clear: rather than seeking to endorse your candidacy and your campaign, what “SAVE” extremists really seek is your endorsement of their extremist agenda, their extremist ideology, and their extremist beliefs. How could this ever be, even remotely, in your best interest? It’s not!

You should also know that “SAVE” doesn’t even represent or speak for the “gays” [sic], lesbians, or bisexuals in Miami-Dade who have chosen to disassociate and distance themselves from the group’s deceptive, thuggish and undemocratic tactics.

Through these unethical tactics, “SAVE” extremists have made it clear that they’re not about respecting voter rights and the democratic process, but rather about exploiting political candidates and elected officials to advance their narrow-minded, self-centered ideological interests.

The Florida Democratic League enthusiastically supports the American electoral process and the constitutional right of all Floridians to equality, freedom, equal protection, and due process. On past Election Days, our hundreds of citizen-volunteers work diligently at polling places throughout Miami-Dade County defending the core civic values which constitute the bedrock of our nation’s freedoms and which ultimately produce great political victories.

We look forward to working with you in the days ahead, as we continue this most important effort on behalf of our families and, indeed, all Floridians, regardless of their color, creed, disability, nationality, sex or race. Together, we will forge with resolve the unity needed to make our communities great for everyone, including the individuals “SAVE extremists politically exploit and falsely claim to represent. Thank you and God bless you.

With warmest regards,

Manuel Rodriguez      Norma Reyes            Eladio José Armesto   Nathaniel J. Wilcox           
PRESIDENT                  VOTER OUTREACH    CHAIRMAN                  HUMAN RTS CHAIR           

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THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE ENDORSING WHEN YOU ACCEPT ENDORSEMENT FROM “SAVE” DADE

[All photos shown here are from publicized “SAVE” events.]

Can anyone with any dignity and self-respect entertain
seeking endorsement from an outfit like this?

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For interviews, comments, or to belong, please contact us at:
FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE
LIGA DEMÓCRATA DE LA FLORIDA 
POB 350751, Miami, FL 33135
DemocraticLeague@aol.com

COPYRIGHT © 2019 FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE, INC. ]}+ All rights reserved.

::: OFFICIAL FDL STATEMENT :::

“SAVE’S” ENDORSEMENT:
INAPPROPRIATE AND UNACCEPTABLE
UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE

{Unanimously Adopted in Miami, Florida on March 2, 2012}

AS OUR STATE’S largest minority-led Democratic voters’ civil rights and social justice advocacy organization, the Florida Democratic League (FDL) is a battle-proven champion in the struggle for equality and respect for the dignity and rights of all Floridians regardless of race, color, sex, disability or creed.

The League, its directors, members and friends, are deeply troubled that any candidate would naively seek the endorsement of groups working against equality, human rights, civil liberties, constitutional freedoms, and the common good of all Floridians. We refer to groups such as the KKK, “SAVE,” Equality Florida, Aryan Nations, among others, pushing ideological agendas that attack our cherished values, undermine the Rule of Law, and threaten, with their hate, bigotry and intolerance, the very fabric of our civil society.

“SAVE,” in particular, is an extremist ideological hate group publicly on record in support of overthrowing Florida’s Constitution, undermining fundamental voter rights, and pushing an extremist ideological agenda that seeks to force all of us to accept as normal and sane, universally-rejected, sexual behavioral choices, fetishes, preferences, “identities” and “expressions” in violation of our Constitutionally-protected equal protection and due process rights.

<> HOW DO WE KNOW THIS?

Among its many egregious and unethical political practices, between 2002 and 2008, “SAVE” attacked important democratic initiatives, voter referendums, and citizen petitions as well as openly and unabashedly endorsed the criminal violation of the fundamental right of citizens to democratically petition their government.

In 2010, the group attacked the basic rights of abandoned and orphaned children to adoption by families capable of providing them with healthy, sane, and biologically correct examples of sexual behavior, identity and expression. In 2014, “SAVE” attacked Florida’s constitutional respect for the time-tested, voter-approved, historical definition of the institution of Marriage.

“SAVE” has offended fair-minded citizens for exercising their constitutional and civil rights to frankly disagree with the hate group’s extremist ideology. Furthermore, it has supported the violation of the dignity, equality, and constitutional rights of all Floridians.

Given the numerous factors that influence the successful outcome of a political campaign, responsible candidates will never accept a hate group’s endorsement, even when it may appear as politically expedient, as this is inappropriate and unacceptable under any circumstance.

<> CANDIDATES BEWARE! DON’T BE FOOLED.

Candidates should be very weary of “SAVE,” for while the group lures candidates with promises of endorsement and support, the group is not actually interested in helping any candidate, but rather in getting candidates to endorse and publicly support “SAVE’S” extremist, ideological agenda! This is the outfit’s real objective.

In the end, many candidates have gone down in tragic defeat by naively getting in bed with “SAVE”; while many successful ones would have won with even more votes had they wisely declined “SAVE’s” so-called “endorsement.”

Consequently, respectfully declining “SAVE’s” endorsement demonstrates a candidate’s honesty, integrity, commitment to the common good, and respect for the most cherished values, principles and ideals of fair-minded, tolerant Miami-Dade Countians.

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<> CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENT DECLINE SAMPLE TEXT

<< I hereby decline SAVE’s endorsement. Thank you for your consideration. >>

_________________________
Candidate’s Signature

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About the FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE (FDL)

Founded in 1991, the Florida Democratic League (FDL) is today our state’s leading minority-led civil rights and social justice advocacy organization. The FDL’s grassroots campaigns effectively raise issues of importance to all Floridians, especially minorities. As one of Florida’s most respected Democratic voters’ organizations, FDL is at the vanguard of local and statewide engagement to solve the most challenging problems of our time. FDL proudly reaffirms respect for innocent human life, promotes social justice and human development, works to preserve freedom through the Rule of Law, and inspires an end to hate, ignorance and intolerance.

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FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE
LIGA DEMÓCRATA DE LA FLORIDA 
POB 350751, Miami, FL 33135
DemocraticLeague@aol.com

COPYRIGHT © 2024 FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE, INC. | All rights reserved.