On March 12, 1933, a column of men in brown uniforms fanned out through the streets of Berlin, carrying clubs, not badges. They weren’t police. They were the Sturmabteilung, the brown shirts, the street muscle of a newly empowered political movement. Hours earlier, civil liberties had been suspended in the name of national security. Now, these men enforced that suspension, not by law, but by fear.

Their authority did not come from statute. It came from political permission. Once that permission was granted, the boundary between state power and partisan force disappeared.

History doesn’t repeat itself neatly, but it often repeats its logic.

Nearly a century later, in Minneapolis, on January 7, 2027, Renée Nicole Good, a 37-year-old American citizen and mother of three, was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent (“ICE”) during a Department of Homeland Security (“DHS) operation. Witnesses and video footage show Good was unarmed and smiling, not threatening. An autopsy revealed multiple gunshot wounds, including a fatal shot to the head.

Two weeks later, on January 24, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and U.S. citizen with no criminal record, was shot to death by Border Patrol agents during another DHS operation in Minneapolis. Pretti was filming the scene on his phone and attempting to help a bystander who had been pepper-sprayed. Video shows him holding a phone, not a weapon, moments before he was forced to the ground and killed. His final recorded words were not defiance, but concern: “Are you OK?”

Good and Pretti were neighbors, professionals, and family members. Their deaths put a human face on a question that can no longer be ignored: when does federal enforcement become unconstitutional?

ICE and Border Patrol are civilian agencies created by Congress to enforce immigration law under specific statutory frameworks. But their deployment, marauding the streets of American communities, operating with military posture and lethal force, supersedes that mission and strikes at the heart of constitutional governance.

Under the Constitution, the concept of a militia is a specific and narrowly circumscribed one. The Second Amendment and Article I both contemplate militias in the context of defense against invasion or insurrection, not as permanent enforcers of political priorities reporting to the Executive Branch. The 1878 Posse Comitatus Act specifically prohibits military personnel from performing civilian law enforcement functions. While immigration agencies are civilian, their deployment as quasi-military units in domestic operations stretches that mission beyond its original intent, especially when regular local law enforcement is available.

When federal agents with wide latitude operate without clear statutory restraints – particularly when they are beholden to an invested political schema – the risk is that they become instruments of political agendas, rather than enforcers of settled law. That risk hazards several core protections: the Fourth Amendment’s prohibitions on unreasonable seizures and use of force, the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of due process, and the Tenth Amendment’s reservation of local police powers to states unless expressly authorized otherwise. A pattern of using immigration agents to confront and, in two recent high-profile cases, kill U.S. citizens is constitutionally prohibited.

No federal agency is constitutionally permitted to function as a standing militia beyond judicial review, regardless of political objectives. Critics argue, and evidence increasingly suggests, that DHS enforcement has been transformed from targeted immigration control into a domestic force deployed in politically identified jurisdictions.

This is not a partisan concern. It is a constitutional one. History teaches that when governments tolerate force untethered from law, institutions erode quickly. Nazi Germany did not collapse into tyranny at all. It normalized it.

The United States is not 1930s Germany. We have a written Constitution, an independent judiciary, and a long tradition of civil liberties. But those safeguards only function if enforced. When federal power is exercised without restraint, accountability, or clarity, even strong systems will shatter.

Renee Good and Alex Pretti remind us that constitutional law is not abstract theory, or a moment in American history. It is the framework that protects us from the very violence a government claims to prevent. The lesson is not that the United States is becoming Nazi Germany. it’s that any republic — if it allows the state to wield force without constraint, accountability, or clarity — is in grave danger.

Our country, the historical beacon of freedom and democracy, is past a tipping point which, if not corrected now, may never be.  It is up to each and every one of us to make sure that does not take place.

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But that was then . . . and this is now. When ABC pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after a monologue touched off a political fury — and when Sinclair and Nexstar preempted the show on dozens of affiliates — the decision went far beyond late-night comedy. Even though Kimmel is back on the air and Sinclair and Nexstar have recanted, the episode exposed an insidious trend: public officials are leaning on broadcasters to back off of their criticisms or their licenses might be at risk if programming offends the people in power.

It’s black letter constitutional law in America that the First Amendment forbids government from preventing or punishing speech because of its point of view. Yet in the Kimmel controversy, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, publicly engaged the question of whether airing the show served the “public interest,” as if that were relevant.

According to the Yale Law Journal, former regulators and legal scholars have reminded everyone that the FCC does not have the authority to yank a license over political commentary it dislikes. But the fact that such threats are even discussed — and that station owners weighed them as part of their risk calculus — shows how easily government jawboning can become de facto censorship.

Zoom out, and another development raises the stakes. In July 2024, the Supreme Court decided Trump v. United States, recognizing in a bitterly contested opinion that the president had at least presumptive criminal immunity for his or her “official acts,” and absolute immunity for actions within constitutional authority.

A presidency with broad personal protections paired with a political culture that tolerates threats aimed at media while not tolerating criticism from that media is a combustible mix for freedom of speech. The cure for speech we hate has always been more speech or more broadcasting stations, for that matter. Viewers can always switch the channel, complain or boycott. That’s the marketplace at its finest.

What crosses the line, however, is when government actors — whether a president or regulators — hint that criticism might cost a broadcaster its franchise. Licenses exist only to ensure housekeeping, not to police political points of view. The moment we accept otherwise, we invite whichever party controlling Washington at any particular time to decide what we may view or discuss under its watch.

Our founding fathers fought long and hard just to secure the First Amendment in the first place, and it remains a right defended generation after generation. If people fear that criticizing the president, a commissioner or a political party might trigger government retaliation, those debates will migrate to whispers in darkened rooms. And self-government will wither in silence.

Public sentiment should insist on something both modest and profound. Regulators must publicly reaffirm that they will not use licensing to punish political points of view or criticism. Congress should resist any attempt to turn “public interest” into some type of back door for content control. Broadcasters should stand firm and in unison that they will not succumb to the threat of retaliation in the exercise of their right to free speech. And all of us need to remember, regardless of political affiliation, that today’s applause for silencing “the other side” will become tomorrow’s muzzle on their own.

In 1941, FDR asked Americans to imagine a world secured by four simple freedoms. We honor that call not by protecting speech we agree with, but by safeguarding the speech that needles, mocks, and infuriates — especially when it targets the powerful. Silencing Kimmel was no laughing matter. The surest sign those freedoms still live is that the jokes keep coming, the critics keep talking and the government keeps its hands off the mic.

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For the first time in 40 years, Florida surpassed New York in total jobs, per data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although wonderful news for the Sunshine State; for longtime residents, we can’t say we didn’t see it coming! We’ve collectively witnessed enormous expansion in the state’s finance, shipping, and travel sectors, with many top New York firms leaving for Florida’s inviting business environment. Goldman Sachs, Tiger Global Management and D1 Capital Partners have all announced plans to create a “Wall Street South” in Miami; and in Winter Park, we saw the opening of a new office for New York-based Parkway Ventures, a VC fund focused on simulation startups.

Originally posted for the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida 100.

Photo: www.bocamag.com

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On the heels of an explosion of venture activity in Central Florida, Winter Park Based GoGo Venture Partners debuted Jan. 26 with a new $50 million Venture Capital Fund investing in government and regulatory focused startups. Rob Panepinto, the Fund’s managing partner, said 90% of the first round of funding came directly from Florida investors. GoGo’s recent appearance on the venture scene isn’t alone. Among other new entrants, 1858 Capital, a boutique investment bank, and M&A Advisory, named by partners with deep family ties to the city’s origins, are also embracing the venture-capital space, all welcome news for the vibrant community of young talented startup entrepreneurs.

Originally posted for the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida 100.

Photo: www.airswift.com

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Central Florida titan Harvey Massey, to whom we bid farewell Jan. 28, has received justified praise across the community, but I could not let this moment pass without a passing reflection. At issue was not just Harvey’s generosity or business acumen. At issue for me was the man whom I met some 25 years ago. He and his wife Carol were always present, always respectful, always delightful, and always real. Despite Harvey’s massive success, a coffee at Panera for advice and counsel was never off limits. Central Florida was honored to have Harvey Massey and I know we will all miss him. I will miss him.

Originally posted for the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida 100.

Photo: www.orlandosentinel.com

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The proposed appointment of former Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran as the next President of New College of Florida is really the sideshow. The real story is the flurry of culture-war themes Gov. Ron DeSantis has launched in anticipation of his upcoming presidential bid. The most recent assault has the state halting funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs and critical race theory “leaving them to wither on the vine.” In the wake of other anti-woke initiatives, the most recent offensive continues to construct a battleground perimeter for what will be, at minimum, an ideological battle for the heart and soul of the new Republican Party.

Originally posted for the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida 100.

Photo: www.fox13news.com

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Sibling power-duo Suneera Madhani and Sal Rehmetullah announced they are leaving Stax, the company they founded nearly 10 years ago. John Kirstel, a partner of Greater Sum Ventures, will take the reins as interim CEO. Stax (originally “Fattmerchant”) began with the intention of moving from percentage-based compensation for payment processors to a flat subscription. That idea, coupled with excellent execution by the team, ultimately led to Central Florida’s first fintech unicorn (over $1 billion in value). Now that Stax is on a clear path, the co-founder siblings are on to their next venture, with Central Florida’s gratitude and best wishes for what lies ahead.

Originally posted for the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida 100.

Photo: www.businesswire.com

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Bed Bath & Beyond, the one-time meme stock and longtime nationwide retailer known for its home goods and bedding, will close 150 stores this year, several in Florida. Macroeconomic headwinds are finally catching up to the retailer, so the company is executing on the standard playbook – closing stores. Adam Sandler lent his star power to the struggling brand in 2006 with the hit movie “Click,” but in today’s fast-moving world, that was a lifetime ago. While the largest retailers always seemed to have a competitive moat due to their size, online shopping changed all that and alas, that moat for BB&B has shrunk.

Originally posted for the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida 100.

Photo: www.wptv.com

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On Jan. 18, Central Florida experienced another unique addition to its cultural landscape with the arrival of Jollibee, the renowned Filipino fast-food chain. World-famous for its fried chicken, Orlando’s new Jollibee is not only the first of its kind in the city but also the third in Florida, and the only U.S.-based Jollibee to feature a double-lane drive-through, a fitting addition given Florida’s enthusiastic embrace of fast-casual dining. Jollibee is already well-known around the world, with more than 1,300 stores in operation — 70 of which are in the U.S. — and is now setting its sights on the Southeastern U.S. market for further expansion. Let’s welcome them with open arms.

Originally posted for the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida 100.

Photo: www.clickorlando.com

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Under Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Prescription for Freedom,” the state of Florida appears to be moving to be aggressively more restrictive. His push makes permanent banning mask and vaccine mandates, punishing businesses that require vaccines or masks, and seeking legislation protecting the rights of physicians who don’t follow the medical community’s consensus. Simultaneously, Florida’s Agency for Healthcare Administration has warned pharmacists that they will violate Florida law by dispensing abortion pills sanctioned under rules promulgated by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration. It is not clear where this will all lead, but it is clear that Florida’s governor is doubling down as he nears a presidential campaign announcement.

Originally posted for the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida 100.

Photo: www.orlandoweekly.com

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