School violence

Several speakers at the Broward Republican Party’s Lincoln Day dinner raised school violence, some briefly, some at length.

The evening began with an appearance by the Junior ROTC Color Guard from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Mortaitis called for a moment of silence for the victims of the school shooting Friday in Texas in which 10 people were killed and the Stoneman Douglas massacre three months ago in which 17 people were killed and 17 injured.

Scott focused on honoring the memories of victims of the massacre and standing with their families. Scott, who wasn’t present during the first moment of silence, asked the audience for a second one.

He acknowledged Andrew Pollack, father of shooting victim Meadow Pollack, sitting at a table at the front of the room. And he called Alaina Petty’s parents, Ryan and Kelly Petty, and brother Patrick, to the stage.

Ron DeSantis, a strong critic of much of what government does, delivered a harsh critique of government agencies’ failures before and after the Stoneman Douglas massacre.

The FBI’s failure to act on tips that warned about the shooter amounted to a “dereliction of duty” and “gross negligence,” DeSantis said. “The FBI totally dropped the ball, and to not have any accountability in the system means you’re more likely to have this happen in the future.”

The Broward School District has “not been honest and forthright with the community and the parents,” he said.

The Promise program, which is designed to keep certain youthful offenders out of jail, is wrongheaded, he said. “I’m sorry, you can’t fight crime by putting your head in the sand and pretending that it doesn’t exist.”

Pollack said later he was impressed with DeSantis. “I liked what he had to say about accountability. That meant a lot to me,” he said.

Petty and Pollack, both Republicans, said they were out of the room meeting with Scott while the other Republican candidate for governor, Adam Putnam was speaking, so they couldn’t compare the two. They said they hadn’t made up their minds in the contest.

Pollack said he was concentrating on this year’s School Board elections “and getting my friend Rick Scott elected to the Senate.”

Petty is also focusing on the School Board. On Tuesday, he announced his candidacy for a Broward School Board seat.

MICHAEL LAUGHLIN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER