Monday's letters: Choose Sen. Tim Scott as best alternative to Trump and DeSantis

Consider Sen. Tim Scott for president

Attention, folks: Want to get out of the Donald Trump/Ron DeSantis predicament? Sen. Tim Scott has real political experience.

He was in the South Carolina House of Representatives and the U.S. House of Representatives and is now in the U.S. Senate.

He created legislation to provide Opportunity Zones, workforce development, education, a committee on aging and diversity. He has long-term experience, determination and a level of honesty and authenticity that we can observe easily.

In contrast, Gov. DeSantis has that dictatorial style that does not inspire a sense of working together. At this time in our democracy, we need someone who supports the idea of consensus and a serious attempt to work together.

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Do we really want to continue on our current divisive path? Trump has poisoned our values and ideals. We must get past this period of deceit and move back to decency and respect for all citizens.We have the choice to remain hopeful and look for inspired leadership from a leader with real political experience who is open to negotiation.Joan C. Peters, Osprey

Voters reject government control

I was deeply disappointed with the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in 2022, overruling 50 years of precedent that was established in Roe v. Wade.

Several states have attempted to codify this decision by way of referendum. To date, they have all failed miserably.

Red states such as Kansas, Montana and Kentucky have put the question before the electorate and been soundly rejected.

Ohio attempted to make it more difficult to enshrine women’s reproductive rights in their state Constitution but that was also defeated.

Not only do voters reject the idea that government can dictate whether women can or cannot have an abortion, they reject the premise that the government should have that degree of control over anything.

Steven Berry, Sarasota

How DeSantis defines ‘law and order’

When the governor removed Monique Worrell from her elected office as state attorney in Orlando, he announced to the public that he did it because Florida is a “law-and-order” state.

I translate “law and order” to mean that, when he is faced with a law that gets in his way or needs one to legitimize what he wants to do, he gives the order and the Legislature revokes one law or passes another to please him.

The most egregious example of his approach to “law and order” came when he decided to announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination to become president.

Related: New College professors, students file lawsuit to block DeSantis' higher education law

He was confronted by a state law that required him to resign his governorship as the price of his candidacy.  Confronted by a law that was in his way, he gave an order to the Legislature, and they repealed the law.

There are at least two good reasons underpinning the law against staying in the governor’s office while running for president.

One is that being governor is a full-time job with a full-time salary. A second is that a governor running for president might be tempted to use his office to enhance his candidacy, as in using state-funded planes to fly immigrants from Texas to Massachusetts.

Ben Jacobson, Sarasota

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Move past deceit, division to vote for Sen. Tim Scott