Friday's letters: Don't let a few loudmouths ban our books

Don’t let loudmouths censor reading

Does book banning make sense at all after you read what’s on the censored lists?

Namely, by some the Bible has been banned, along with a version of “Anne Frank’s Diary” and “The Grapes of Wrath.” In Florida, it’s Jodi Picoult's “Nineteen Minutes,” “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, “Beloved” by Toni Morrison and more.

Banners are busy. In 2022 and 2023 more children’s and young adult books have been censored in Florida schools and public libraries than any state besides Texas.

Books are being banned or restricted here by the hundreds. Twenty of Picoult’s books are banned in one Florida county alone.

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More: Manatee County teachers close class libraries, fearing prosecution under new Florida law

The bottom line is this: Big voices wielding megaphones should not dictate school policy. Who gave book banners’ permission to take away my freedom to choose what I read? And who said it was OK to restrict my children’s books? That’s my job.

The American Library Association's annual Banned Books Week happens this year Oct. 1-7. The theme is “Let Freedom Read.” The group reminds us that writers, readers, teachers, students, publishers and journalists have constitutional rights.

Closing off readers of all ages to different perspectives is a slippery slope to censorship. We can do better.

David Brostrom, Venice

Baseball cheat deserves no glory

I read Bob Nightengale’s Sept. 11 article on former baseball star Mark McGwire with a little sour taste.

How can someone be so emotional and excited, with all the regalia of memories, when he admits taking performance-enhancing drugs to have that “amazing” season and be bestowed with those accolades?

I love baseball. I am an avid fan.

That article, in my humble opinion, just glorified one of many cheaters who came from that era. McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and their ilk should revel in their memories among themselves.

I prefer players who play clean with their hard work and natural, nonenhanced talent.

Susan Belvo, Bradenton

Trump faces 91 felonies from 4 grand juries

I often hear from Republicans that the prosecutions of former President Donald Trump are politically motivated. I would like to address that assertion.

No one in the history of the presidency was ever reviled by Republicans as much as former President Barack Obama. The monkey cartoons, the racial slurs, the birth certificate conspiracy and the rejection of nearly every policy initiative he proposed are proof.

So my question is this: Despite a Republican majority in the House and the Senate during much of Obama's presidency, why was he never impeached or, later, prosecuted? Perhaps the answer is that he committed no crimes.

Which brings us to Trump. Four separate grand juries in four jurisdictions, composed of randomly selected citizens, believe that he committed 91 felonies.

Many of the witnesses these citizens heard from were Republican officials whom Trump selected for his staff. And yet their testimony under oath was convincing enough that grand jurors voted to indict Trump 91 times.

Even if these charges were brought by corrupt, politically motivated attorneys general, as Fox News and many Republicans contend, why did Trump’s own people testify under oath and convince random citizens of the multitude of alleged crimes?

The answer seems obvious.

Brian Maloney, Port Charlotte

Column leaves out antisemitic hate crimes

In a well-written column Sept. 12, U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg expressed the need to challenge hate crimes against Black citizens in our community. His office is to be commended for this work, which is clearly needed.

However, Handberg's column neglected to focus on hate crimes against others, including the Jewish community. Sadly, Sarasota and Manatee counties both have antisemitic white supremacist groups that are preaching hate and encouraging violence.

Although I understand that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is indeed focusing on hate against Jews, and others, it would have been helpful to have included that in the column.

Wendy Wicks, Sarasota

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Book banners have no right to censor what Floridians read