Friday's letters: Biden performing well, GOP lost, mandates unconstitutional, more

Facts show president on top of tough job

We can be proud of our president. Some would have us believe that he is lacking, but facts belie the contention.

In 2015, then-President Donald Trump promised a $1 trillion infrastructure package that never materialized. President Joe Biden has done it – with little help from Republicans.

In Afghanistan, Trump set the stage, promising full withdrawal, securing freedom for 5,000 imprisoned Taliban soldiers and convincing Pakistan to release Abdul Ghani Baradar, now a leader in the new Taliban government in Afghanistan.

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Biden ended our 20-year war in Afghanistan, something Republicans voted for, before they voted against it. Messy as it was, Biden evacuated 123,000 people in a two-week period.

Biden makes it clear that we will not tolerate Russian efforts to undermine democracy; he has no “love letters” from Xi, Kim or Vlad.

Biden has put the U.S. back on the path to lead the fight against global warming, rejoining the Paris Accord.

The COVID-19 pandemic has left its mark. Inflation is one, a natural bounce back as pent-up demand exceeds the ability to supply it. Problems at the border persist, the product of tyrannical governments abroad.

None of this is the president's creation. Let's support him as he works through it. That’s his job.

T. Guy Spencer, Sarasota

Gosar incident makes GOP look bad

What is wrong with the GOP? Have Republicans completely lost their moral compass?

Only two Republicans in the House voted to censure fellow Republican Rep. Paul Gosar after he published an animated video showing him killing a Democratic colleague, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, with a sword and swinging two swords at the president of the United States.

What are they thinking? Are there no boundaries of partisanship? Is it now OK in America to encourage people to kill people with different ideas?

This is the kind of behavior coming not from underground reactionaries but elected officials of government. Instead of Republicans saying to Gosar, you went too far, they threaten Democrats with future censure votes when the Republicans reach a majority.

Then, to show how affected he was by the censure, Gosar retweeted the video that got him censured!

Gosar then had the gall to compare himself to Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, who was threatened with censure by the House over allegations he mishandled government loans. That censure vote failed.

Gosar’s actions brought no public outcry, just business as usual. I truly fear for our country and our democratic form of government.

Paul Weiner, Sarasota

With lax gun laws, shootings no surprise

Did you know?

• In some states across America, it is legal for an out-of-state teenager (not yet military age) to open carry high-capacity weapons capable of mass murder.

• In some states, if an out-of-state teenager is confronted by someone else with a gun, and they then point their guns at each other, it is the one who shoots first that can legally claim self-defense. The dead guy has no claim to the self-defense plea. He’s dead! Dead men can’t grab lifelines.

• In some states, it is legal to make a citizen’s arrest based on a hunch and zero evidence.

• It is also legal to self-determine that deadly force is necessary to detain said perceived and unarmed threat. Any questions? Simply claim self-defense! Again, the dead guy can’t claim self-defense. He’s dead. Dead men can’t grab lifelines.

• In some states, a simple act of kindness, such as handing out bottled water or snacks to someone waiting in line to vote, is against the law. In fact, one can be arrested, fined and sent to jail for doing so.

• In some states, it’s more important to stop the vote than to stop the killing.

Things that make you go hmm …

Doug McClaugherty, Sarasota

Stop complaining about governor, live life

Stop complaining about our governor, Ron DeSantis, and the laws he signed prohibiting COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates! These mandates are unconstitutional and, vaccinated or not vaccinated, everyone can spread COVID.

Take care of yourself. Why doesn’t the mainstream media tell you about vitamins A, C and D3 and Zinc? Because they won’t make Big Pharma money!

Stop the nonsense. Live life.

Michelle Eredics-Luig, Bradenton

Customer displays dislike of Biden

My wife went shopping in a local Big Lots store this week. As she wandered around, she discovered that someone else had wandered around placing “F--- Biden” stickers on various items.

When she reported this to a sales clerk, the clerk just laughed.

This unpleasant episode displayed the quality of at least one customer and at least one sales clerk.

Robert Williams, Sarasota

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Support Biden for a job well done, GOP has lost its moral compass