'George Soros' remark by Gov. Ron DeSantis' at Republican debate offensive | Letters

The opinions in our readers' letters are theirs and not necessarily those of The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board.

DeSantis' 'George Soros' remark offensive

The recent Republican debate contained some disturbing lines dangled to provide red meat to the Trump base. The most offensive line was the one casually dropped by Gov. DeSantis accusing George Soros of supporting of all that is wrong with Florida, or all that is right, depending on your view. Our Harvard-educated governor knows full well that this is an antisemitic dog whistle, and that is exactly what it was used for. Soros, an American billionaire of Hungarian-Jewish descent, is a supporter of democracy around the globe and the nemesis of dictators. If DeSantis is so in need of Trump supporters, he could have been more enthusiastic about raising his hand halfway after checking what others were doing. When asked if he would support Trump if convicted, DeSantis, like Trump, throws red meat to the lowest instincts of his constituency. When will this stop?

Malcolm P Wattman, Palm Beach Gardens

Our View: Gov. DeSantis didn't meet the moment in Republican debate | Editorial

Congress needs to address gun violence

How many mass murders have to be committed before Congress heeds the will of the people and not the NRA and stops hiding behind their interpretation of the Constitution? Not only were the Founding Fathers not omniscient, they promulgated the fundamental principles of our democracy at a time when we were an agrarian society. How times have changed! And, yet, those who claim to represent us refuse to acknowledge the reality of today.

Stagnation is a harbinger of death not life. If, like the majority of today's Supreme Court, those in power claim to, simply, be following the document's original meaning, then this country has lost its foundation and, eventually, our entire house will collapse. The Constitution must be considered a living document subject to change, whether by legislation or formal amending, when the times demand it and the time for change is growing short.

Ellie Schweitzer, Palm Beach Gardens

Rebuke GOP support of Trump's 'Big Lie'

Donald Trump is a national embarrassment. His continued prominence in our politics despite multiple criminal indictments, not to mention his culpability for fraud, rape, and more, brings shame on us all and poses a grave threat to our once-strong democracy. But equally serious is the continued support of Trump and his "Big Lie" by GOP members of Congress. Even now, they’re working to boost his chances by targeting our elections with the so-called American Confidence in Elections Act.

Where is the line? Does a line even exist, or are they so obsessed with getting and keeping power that they’re willing to tolerate anything, even conspiracy to defraud the United States and Espionage Act charges, to do so? When Rep. Brian Mast continues to stand by Trump despite his repeated attacks on our voters and our democracy, they are stained with the same shame, and they bear responsibility. It’s time for them to say enough and stand with our communities and our democracy, rather than the man who tried to overthrow it.

Marcia Halpern, Palm Beach Gardens

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dragged George Soros into GOP debate