Monday's letters: Attracting independent thinkers, erasing Black history

Tearing down bastion of educational freedom

New College has been a source of educational freedom throughout its existence as an honors college.

It has encouraged the freedom to explore, to use critical thinking skills and to consider new methods for projects, from an artistic composition to a new medical procedure, by working with distinguished, hardworking educators who share that exploration.

This type of thinking got us to the moon, it developed the vast technologies all of us find so valuable. This same type of thinking will find cures for disease and create better ways for all of us to live. No cookie-cutter thinking here.

Opinion:'Revolution' has begun at New College

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The students, teachers and staff at New College chose to come here. They worked hard to be a part of it. And their credentials are impeccable.

More:Board replaces president with DeSantis ally

Unfortunately, Gov. Ron DeSantis is unilaterally trying to shut down the school, possibly firing all the staff members and asking the students simply to find new schools. Whether this is legal or not, it is neither moral, nor ethical, nor smart.

This extreme alteration of New College might look fine to some. Looking deeper, it will diminish our community. These are our friends, our children, our neighbors.

They will leave, and they won’t be back.

Wendy Hacker, Sarasota

Governor runs roughshod over opponents

If our governor asserts to be a linguist as he is asserting to be an historian (regarding syllabi for African American history courses), literary expert (books in education) and cultural authority, he must know that two of the synonyms for "govern" in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary are “sway” and “tyrannize.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ actions concerning New College and the abovementioned syllabus imply that he is not a historian, a literary expert or a culturally savvy individual. Rather, DeSantis is more like an intimidator –someone who appears to resemble other men scrambling to tyrannize their way to the top.

More:Who is Richard Corcoran, the new interim president of New College?

It will not work! What his radical proposals do is affect all fence-sitters of all persuasions, thinking people of all races and all women. They, I am certain, will put faith, hopes and votes elsewhere.

Ellen Bick Asmussen, Sarasota

Florida erasing Black history

February is Black History Month. In Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Florida, that means that we have removed the "Black" from Black history.

It means that the slave auctions and slavery never happened. It means that slaves were happy to serve their masters. They were not "enslaved" people, since that is a modern term – and for DeSantis that is irrelevant.

There is so much more that has been taken from our brethren in the Black community. Now, DeSantis has even taken away their history.

Ike Koziol, Sarasota

Rubio ignores Trump’s love for Putin

Sen. Marco Rubio recently criticized the Biden administration and said it has a history of appeasement and engaging with authoritarian regimes. Did Rubio forget all the praise Donald Trump rained down on Vladimir Putin over his four years in office?

How about the recently discovered “love letters” exchanged between North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Trump?

Here is a portion of what Kim wrote: “. . . Even now I cannot forget that moment of history when I firmly held Your Excellency's hand at the beautiful and sacred location as the whole world watched …”

If Gov. Ron DeSantis is paying attention, he’ll probably prevent that last quote from being taught in schools.

Joel Aronchick, Sarasota

Return to gun control of Wild West

Even in the towns of the Wild West of yore (Tombstone, Abilene, Deadwood and, yes, even Dodge City), gun control was enforced. “Tombstone had much more restrictive laws on carrying guns in public in the 1880s than it has today,” according to Adam Winkler, professor and specialist in American constitutional law at UCLA Law School.

Why is it not reasonable to have similar types of gun control today? Guns do not kill, as many imply, but some people with guns do kill.

More:Bill would let gun owners carry without permit

Let us not make killing people easier and more prevalent.

George Gordon, Longboat Key

Samaritan's Purse thanks residents

I am writing to thank Sarasota​​-area residents for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season.

Your generosity contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child. Across the U.S., the project collected more than 9.3 million shoebox gifts in 2022. Combined with those collected from partnering countries last year, the ministry is now sending nearly 10.6 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide.

Through shoeboxes – packed with fun toys, school supplies and hygiene items – Sarasota​-area volunteers brought joy to children in need around the world.

Visit samaritanspurse.org/occ or call 407-273-6112 to learn how you can get involved year-round.

Casey Goodwin, Boone, North Carolina

Goodwin is a media relations specialist for Samaritan's Purse.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Independent thinkers drawn to college, is dress code next?