Blame 'Marxist' tweet - not Sarasota County commissioners - for library system's setback

Reckless tweet to blame for library's setback

In just four years, Renee Di Pilato, director of Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources, and her staff, have shaped the library system into a formidable economic and cultural engine.

And what do they get as a thanks for a job well done?

The termination of their national and state professional memberships by the Sarasota County commissioners (“Sarasota County Commission votes to end memberships in state, national library groups”).

Whatever details you hear about the reasons the board made this “slap in the face of all library employees” decision, I guarantee you they are incomplete, half-truths or related to politically motivated hysteria.

The reality is that in April 2022 the newly elected president of the American Library Association sent a recklessly honest and drunken-sounding tweet celebrating her new position. It contained the words “Marxist,” “lesbian” and “Mom” (twice).

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You can easily guess which words radical groups are brandishing to vilify and punish the ALA president and librarians across the country (stereotyping all 62,000 members). Hint: It is not “Mom.”

As a retired library director, I know firsthand that stifling training opportunities for librarians hurts morale. And diminishing the quality of a library diminishes the quality of a community.

Sarasota was once labeled one of the cultural centers of Florida. What we have here now is cultural progress going backward.

David Brostrom, Venice

Libraries provide vital, free education

It is shameful that the Sarasota County Commission voted not to maintain our membership in the American Library Association. The commission took this step in the face of public opposition.

According to the ALA, it “is the largest and most respected membership association in the world for the library industry. It is a community of people working together to ensure that libraries remain vital centers of literacy, access, and opportunity.”

Opinion: To 'save' kids, Sarasota County may hurt libraries.

Our public and public-school libraries are a vital source of information and education for all people, cost-free. Our children, youths and adults deserve free access to information, without restrictions.

I am a grateful recipient of a quality public education all the way to a doctorate. Without free and open access to libraries, I would not have been able to complete my education. I continue to draw on Sarasota County library resources to continue my lifelong learning journey.

Linda Billings, Ph.D., Sarasota

Gazans responsible for Hamas atrocities

The situation in Gaza and Israel is dire and heartbreaking. Let’s be clear about how we got here.

Notwithstanding the years of Israeli blockade of Gaza and the badly managed occupation of the West Bank, the current conflict began because Hamas, in violation of the laws of war, abducted over 200 people, including elderly people and children, and mercilessly slaughtered hundreds of others on Oct. 7.

Governments rule by consent of the governed and the people of Gaza explicitly and implicitly are responsible for the actions of Hamas.

I condemn the way Israel has treated the Palestinians over many years. I also remember that on many occasions it was the Palestinians who have rejected a two-state solution.

I contribute to Médecins Sans Frontières and mourn the loss of dedicated health professionals in Gaza. But I will not stand idly by while apologists fail to acknowledge the horrors Hamas committed and for which its members and enablers must be held to account.

Martin Horn, Sarasota

Take turkey off your Thanksgiving menu

As Sunshine State residents, we are fortunate to live in areas with rich biodiversity and a strong sense of community. Floridians are known for our willingness to embrace a unique environment and distinct array of wildlife.

We live and thrive alongside animals in their natural habitats who may strike fear in other parts of the world, yet we do so without abandon. Our population fights for personal freedoms, yet rarely do we spare a thought for those held captive by the choices on our plates.

In 2022, more than 245 million turkeys were raised in dark, overcrowded, dirty conditions, many only feet from beautiful, sun-soaked areas we cherish in our state.

Yet they will never see or experience the beauty and diversity that overflows in Florida. These sentient beings will live packed together in inhumane conditions until their young lives end gruesomely at slaughterhouses.

The environmental price of turkey farming also stands in direct opposition to Florida’s commitment to protecting our irreplaceable ecosystems. This industry’s intense overuse of resources and heavy contributions to pollution harm our efforts to conserve our cherished coastlines, waterways and wildlife habitats.

Beyond the environmental dangers of factory farming there are the pathogenic risks to us all. The COVID-19 pandemic should serve as a wake-up call about the dangers posed by zoonotic diseases or diseases spread from animals to humans.

These concerns are not theoretical; numerous studies have shown that cramped, dirty conditions like those on turkey farms contribute to outbreaks of diseases like H1N1 and avian flu.

This year, as we give thanks for those we love and all we have, let’s extend our compassion to those who can’t speak for themselves.

By embracing our state’s agricultural abundance, we have a plethora of options for a cruelty-free feast – one that can be as diverse as we Floridians are ourselves.

Ally Hinton, marketing director, FARM Animal Rights Movement, Orlando

Oct. 7 killings last straw for Israelis

The author of “Don't overlook war's toll on Palestinians,” a letter Nov. 14, misstates facts to make a point.

The vast majority of Arabs living in Israel are citizens with full rights; witness their 10-member delegation in the Knesset and one justice on the Supreme Court. Those living in Jerusalem, which Israel claims as its capital, are considered “permanent residents.”

Twice the Palestinians have been offered the return of over 90% of areas of Judea and Samaria (not the “West Bank,” a fictional name) and twice they walked away.

Every previous cease-fire following Hamas attacks has resulted in the group rearming with more rockets supplied by Iran and its kind.

The rockets are then fired exclusively on civilian targets and the world is silent. When Israel responds against military targets – and civilians become collateral damage – the world cries out.

The savagery and butchery of Oct. 7 was the proverbial last straw. No nation on Earth would tolerate this – nor should they.

Edward Joseph, Sarasota

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Reckless tweet about Marxism, lesbianism behind library vote