Florida Republican Frank Artiles resigned from his position as the state’s senator on Friday after utilizing a racial slur along with obscene dialect in a discussion aimed towards two of his colleagues, who were African American, saying that the episode created a diversion that was inhibiting administrative procedures. The congressman presented his letter of resignation to Joe Negron, the Senate’s President for Republicans, along with his written articulation of the event that occurred. In an announcement provided by his publicist, Artiles stated, "I apparently made remarks that were terrible, inadmissible and wrong.
U.S. citizens and Florida residents need their pioneers to be responsible and mindful, and by leaving my chosen position, I trust that I’m showing the appropriate qualifications that they crave and merit."
Negron responds
Joe Negron commented that the congressman’s decision to resign was an ethical action accomplished. As a result, the leader of the Republican Senate ceased any investigation further examining the episode that happened between him and his African-American colleagues. "Each one of us is responsible for our activities and our remarks, so I believe Artiles offer is a suitable renunciation," he stated in a press release quoted by Yahoo News. A complaint was recorded by the Florida Legislative Black Caucus concerning the occurrence on Wednesday.
It too requested for the expulsion of Artiles from his legislative seat in office.
An unfortunate event
The whole situation started on Monday evening amid a confidential discussion at the Governor’s Club between state Senators Perry Thurston and Audrey Gibson. The organization is established near Florida’s Capitol and meant exclusively for its members.
In his conversation with Gibson at the club, Frank Artiles spoke in an obscene manner that was intensely more hostile in language towards females. According to the Black Caucus’ complaint report filed last Wednesday, Senator Thurston mediated Artiles and addressed his actions of using such inappropriate vocabulary. As a result, the former U.S.
Senator responded by calling him the ‘n-word.' He also utilized a wide variation of unfair terms and indecencies to depict Joe Negron.
Frank Artiles is a Cuban-American from Miami. Even though he apologized for his remarks Wednesday before the Senate, Democrats didn’t find his presentation sufficient enough to let him slide with what he did.
Oscar Braynon, who is Senate Leader for Democrats and African-American, delivered an announcement stating Frank Artiles made the best choice by leaving.
He declared in his statement to the media, "I find no sense of pleasure coming from this incident. Be that as it may, I encourage all of us to gain a valuable lesson from it. In our cities, in our states, and within our nation there ought to be messages of expectation, of resilience, of solidarity.
We shouldn’t have to manage the excessive costs that division and brutality leave around after their done presenting themselves to people.”
Artiles acknowledges his actions and reputation
Frank Artiles was elected the senator from Florida back in November, at a time when the region was extremely aggressive when it came to both the political arena and its political perspective. Before his most recent position in office, Artiles held a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for six years – from 2010 up until last year. His choice to resign from his position allows the Democratic Party the opportunity to obtain another seat in the Senate. However, the Republican Party will still have the majority at 24-15.
Artiles said in his closing statement, “I assume full liability for using a dialect that was indecent and improper. My family has succumbed to an administrative procedure that can contort reality for the sole motivation of political gain.”
Florida’s Governor Rick Scott has yet to set a date for the citizens to participate in the special election that would eventually replace the former Senator and provide them with a new one that would hopefully provide his legislative seat with a more positive reputation and more dignified rapport.
