Homophobic jokes aren't funny. So why won't New College's leaders condemn them?

New College ignores homophobic 'comedy'

Just over two weeks ago, at a New College-sanctioned group comedy performance at McCurdy's Comedy Theatre, the college's dean of students performed as a stand-up comic.

He “joked” about Amazonians forcing him and his Peace Corps battalion to have gay sex and how as a child he exposed himself to a little girl, among other things.

Opinion: New College's online program is more empty hype from political hucksters

Since then, no administrator at New College has expressed disapproval of the dean’s routine.

When some in the wider community found such "wit" questionable, an official college spokesperson simply replied that the college rejected “cancel culture” and that free speech and free expression were at stake.

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Of course, the First Amendment is not at issue.

What is very much at issue, however, is whether such “wit” is acceptable under the aegis of any educational institution – be it high school, university or college.

Justus D. Doenecke, Emeritus Professor of History, New College of Florida, Sarasota

Let local government control local issues

As stated in “Proposed vacation rental fee restrictions examined,” a story published Feb. 9, the Florida governing elite have decided that it would be good for Florida if more laws were enacted to control how localities govern.

They want to take charge of the minutiae of day-to-day governance that localities are best able to manage, such as parking and the above-noted rental oversight. Wouldn’t it be better to have local control based on local knowledge of how to solve local problems?

To paraphrase a famous conservative president: The most terrifying words in the English language are, “I’m from the Florida state government and I’m here to help.”

Thomas Perkins, Bradenton

AP story omits Biden’s ‘poor memory’

As a former reporter and editor, I was appalled with The Associated Press story, “No charges sought for Biden over docs” in the Herald-Tribune on Feb. 9.

One had to go down to the 15th paragraph to read “Hur’s report said criminal charges were not merited for multiple reasons.”

However, the story left out one reason cited by almost all the major media (including NPR, NBC and CNN): Biden’s poor memory.

NBC reported Biden couldn’t remember when he was vice president or when his son Beau died.

Even USA TODAY reported the following:“In addition to raising national security questions, the report said Biden presented himself as an ‘elderly man with poor memory.’”

Is your newspaper trying to cover for a person who probably should not be our president now, much less reelected for a second term as a world leader?

Sidna B. Mitchell, Venice

Despite ‘greatest memory,’ Trump forgetful

For those who are making an issue of President Joe Biden’s recollection while giving testimony, remember this:

Former President Donald Trump has boasted at various points that he has “one of the great memories of all time” or even “the world’s greatest memory.”

And yet, Trump said he couldn’t remember 36 times in response to special counsel Robert Mueller’s questions. He told the prosecutors that he had no memory of what they were asking about, employing several formulations to make the same point:

“I do not remember.”

“I do not recall.”

“I have no recollection.”

“I have no independent recollection.”

“I have no current recollection.”

Even Ivanka Trump, his daughter, repeatedly told the Jan. 6 House committee that she could not recall or remember/ the answers to their questions about her actions and conversations on Jan. 6, 2021, including those with her father.

According to the transcripts, the phrases “don’t recall,” “don’t remember” or “don't know” came up more than 300 times among her and investigators while she was being interviewed.

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, a Republican, told the House panel he couldn't recall how many times he spoke with Trump on Jan. 6, according to The Washington Post.

In case you had forgotten.

Carol J. Kennedy, Democratic Area 4 leader, Venice Area Democratic Club

Teach role of LGBTQIA+ people in history

Florida wants to teach our kindergartners about the evils of communism.

Does that mean it will also teach how the Nazis required gay people to wear a pink triangle so they could be rounded up for elimination, along with the Jews?

Or will that history be missing due to the “Don’t Say Gay” law?

Members of the LGBTQIA+ community have always been around. They are part of history.

Schools teach about the Holocaust but do they tell students about Matthew Shepard, a gay student who was tied to a fence and tortured until death?

Or Alan Turing, the Englishman who broke the Nazi code but was abused because he was gay?

Robin Morgan, Sarasota

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New College's leaders refuse to condemn dean's homophobic jokes