In ad, Floridians free, rethink oil drilling and more | Thursday's letters

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando in March 2022. His new campaign ad uses letters from residents thanking him for keeping Florida free.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando in March 2022. His new campaign ad uses letters from residents thanking him for keeping Florida free.
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Ad praises DeSantis for making state ‘free’

I almost got sick when I saw Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new political advertisement on TV. In that ad, various misguided residents thank or praise him for all the actions he has taken to keep Florida free.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Do all the women who live in Florida feel free with the new rules and limitations Florida has imposed on them regarding control over their bodies re abortion?

More: How to send a letter to the editor

Do organizations such as the Rays and Disney feel free to exercise their constitutional right to free speech knowing that they will be penalized for taking positions contrary to DeSantis’?

Do parents with children 5 and under feel free to get them inoculated against COVID when DeSantis was the only governor in the U.S. not to preorder the vaccine for his state, thereby limiting the supply and ability to make a free choice?

Florida only seems free to those who agree with DeSantis and his far-right ideas. The rest of us beware and be warned.

Felton Marans, Lakewood Ranch

Biden must end war against fossil fuels

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration the U.S. has purchased 278.9 million barrels of crude oil from Russia since Biden took office.

It’s not a big leap to imagine that Russia could have used that oil money to buy bullets to shoot Ukrainians.

In 2019, we were energy independent for the first time since 1957. Now we have our president traveling to hostile nations, begging them to sell us oil when the U.S. has the largest supplies of coal, oil and natural gas in the world.

President Joe Biden simply needs to reverse the executive orders and agency rules that suspended oil and gas leasing and launched his war against fossil fuels just seven days into his presidency.

Where do liberals think the electricity comes from to power their electric cars? It comes from oil, natural gas, coal or nuclear energy.

Biden campaigned on shutting down American drilling, so why should anyone be surprised when fuel prices are at budget-busting, astronomical levels?

Ben Furleigh, Port Charlotte

Our children deserve the best teachers

As a veteran myself (Korea), I have to take issue with my brother vet who wrote that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to use minimally trained vets to teach our kids was a good idea (“Veterans won’t teach students how to riot,” Aug. 5).

Next to a child’s parents, a schoolteacher is the most important adult in his or her life. I am 94 years old but to this day I still think of Mrs. Collins, my fourth-grade teacher, who was my favorite – and that was 85 years ago.

Our children deserve the best.  And when it comes to education that means a well-trained, well-paid professional.

Arnie Moskowitz, Sarasota

Israel launches attacks on Gaza

The headline of an article Aug. 7, “Israel, Gaza militants exchange fire,” could not be further from the truth.

Israel launched surprise attacks across the Gaza Strip, killing 10 Palestinians and injuring many others.

Israel said it was responding to an “imminent threat,” but provided no evidence that a threat even existed.

The U.S., which finances and arms Israel, has refused to condemn these attacks.

This comes from the same administration that has refused to investigate the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May.

Ray Gordon, Venice

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: DeSantis ad full of praise, Biden must rethink war on fossil fuels