In an age where freedom of speech seems to be attacked from all sides, Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., expressed his support on Friday for Florida legislation that would protect the licensure and board certifications of physicians who voice an opinion that departs from the mainstream narrative. “I support this effort,” DeSantis said in a statement posted on Twitter.
Gov. DeSantis added, “Physicians in Florida should be able to practice medicine and express opinions without facing sanctions simply because they are not parroting the prevailing ‘narrative.’”
Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Big Tech giants, like Facebook and Instagram, have moved to censor doctors and scientists who decry the lack of balanced reporting and information on the coronavirus itself. Many doctors who have spoken about possible alternative treatments for Covid have been lambasted in the media and found that their jobs are now in jeopardy.
Further, America’s Frontline Doctors, who believe that the doctor-patient relationship in America today is being threatened because of politicized science and a dogmatic, media-spun narrative, have shed more light on the obstacles that free-thinking physicians face. “Doctors must have independence to care for their patients without interference from the government, media, and the medical establishment,” their official website reads.
As the media espouses terms like “follow the science,” they belittle and mock scientists and trained physicians who dare to question the narrative on coronavirus treatment. For example, wildly popular podcast host Joe Rogan of the “Joe Rogan Experience” recently has come under mainstream media fire simply for allowing conversations with doctors on the subject of the coronavirus and the data surrounding it.
However, it appears that Gov. DeSantis and the Florida state legislature recognize the degradation of free speech and civil discourse that is occurring within the medical establishment. Now, they are looking at options on how to better protect doctors and their patients.
