The granddaughter of immigrants from Belarus was born and raised in New York: why is she now leaving for Florida

Carol Markowitz, granddaughter of immigrants from Belarus who was born in New York, told Fox Newswhy she decided to trade New York, where she was born and raised, for Florida. Here is the translation of her story in full.

I've always hated Goodbye New York stories. “Good for a tablecloth,” I always thought. "There will be more room for us."

I grew up in Brooklyn, my husband is in Queens. Our three children were born in Manhattan. I have always believed that New York surpasses other cities. Your cities are good too, but they are not New York, they are not even close to New York. I was in your city. Yes, I was in that grocery store or that restaurant ... The street you are talking about is beautiful. But all this is incomparable with the greatest city in the history of the world - New York. It's just not that.

So now, with some sadness and great anger, I feel that now our family needs to leave the city that we have loved for so long. We are moving to Florida, a state that we have come to regard as the beacon of freedom in this country.

Reasons for moving

Not that we suddenly realized that Florida is sunny or that there is no state income tax there. It's not because how the Onion joked many years agoWe New Yorkers woke up one day and realized this was a terrible place to live. This is not due to New York's increasingly left-wing politics, although obviously this also played a role.

This was because our school was taken away during the pandemic, and few New Yorkers actually cared about it. I've seen a civilization that doesn't value education. Or, worse, values ​​education only for their children in the form of private schools, but they will not fight to ensure that children from less fortunate families have the same.

And then, when the schools finally reopened, there was no discussion about the broken city governance system that kept them closed. All the same people made children go to masked, even on the street.

On the subject: New Yorkers are asked to wear masks again: everywhere and regardless of vaccination status

But worst of all, the New Yorkers accepted it calmly. At least the schools were open, they said. We have always been a city of striving forward! We have never been a city that would be content with a minimum, but now we agree to this minimum for our children.

Several months in Florida

My story of leaving New York is not about how hard it is to live here. It was always difficult, and I loved every second I lived here. It's about the shift in New York society and how traumatic it is. “They decided to close public schools, but private schools remained open,” I scream into the void as no one is reacting.

We spent almost five months in Florida last year assessing life in the state. My children were able to go to a real school. This is because the Florida government, led by Governor Ron DeSantis, understands the importance of children, education, and a normal life. He drew lines that would not allow anyone to cross. It was amazing to see children ranked first after life in the state where they were given last place.

It was leadership in action. I interviewed Governor DeSantis almost a year ago. Then he told me that "most of all he is proud that our children have returned to school." The seriousness with which he treated the lives of children I remember. When my New York leaders abandoned their children, I remembered the words of the Governor of Florida.

However, you cannot move your family to another state simply because there is a more effective leader. It is impossible for the rest of your life to make decisions based on one politician. What makes Florida attractive starts with Governor DeSantis but doesn't end there.

I see in the people of Florida a sanity that New Yorkers now sorely lack. For example, in the question of wearing masks. During our stay in Florida last year, no one wore masks on the street - neither the Republicans I met, nor the Democrats.

Care of children

In May, Dr. Anthony Fauci said: “The risk of infection when you are outdoors is extremely low. And we talked about this all the time. " But even today, many New Yorkers continue to wear masks outdoors. Unsurprisingly, in schools, children are not allowed to take off their masks.

There is nothing more horrible than watching masked kindergarten students at recess. In the same time Governor Katie Hockool never photographed wearing a mask at her many statewide events.

On the subject: All private employers in New York ordered to vaccinate employees

It looks like a mania. I have always considered New Yorkers to be wise and able to see everything from different angles. But why can't they do it now?

When World War II began, my grandmother, her sister and their mother left Gomel and fled east. My grandmother's two brothers were called to the front. Her father had died in the Gulag several years earlier. They didn't know for sure that times were going to get very bad soon. This is the essence of running somewhere - usually you don't know what will happen or if you are doing the right thing. It's hard to leave your home before things really come to a head.

I am not comparing New York in 2021 with Belarus in 1939. But the idea of ​​doing what is necessary for the family is practiced in my family in various ways.

We cannot stay where caring for children is not paramount. We cannot stay where they are not fighting for their children and the children of their neighbors. We cannot just wait for children to be given back their right to childhood and just hope for the best.

We have seen what is impossible not to see. It's time to go!