Monday's letters: No more conservative Republicans, joy of math, dancing to DeSantis' tune
Liberal Democrat seeks old-time Republican
I’m looking for a meaningful relationship. One where I can engage with conservative Republicans about things that really matter.
I want to discuss affordable housing for the hardworking folks in the service sector, who look after us fortunate retirees. But these newfangled Republicans have no time for that. They’re too busy protecting us from nonexistent voter fraud.
I’d like an honest dialogue with an old-fashioned Republican who recognizes that the end of the Civil War, 157 years ago, did not solve any and all racial inequities in this country.
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But the culture warriors are preoccupied with protecting our kids from something that has never been taught to kids, is not being taught to kids and was never designed to be taught to kids.
I’d love to debate fiscal policy with a business-friendly, small government Republican who can acknowledge the liar in Palm Beach for the liar that he is.
But I guess that just isn’t gonna happen. Too bad. I could develop a genuine affection for an old-fashioned Republican, even if and when we disagreed.
But today’s Republicans have no time for such nonsense. After all, times a wastin’, and ere are books to ban.
Ken Sidlow, Nokomis
Joy and dazzlement in the world of math
Thank you, Herald-Tribune editors, for publishing James Stewart's argument against the notion that math is about getting right answers. Arithmetic tests may be about that, but math is so much more ("Math isn’t just about “getting the answer,”’ April 27).
As someone who had to drop freshman math in college for fear of failure but went on to have an academic background and a career in international relations, information services and music, I enjoy learning about the significance and plethora of numbers and their systems, proportions (my practice of origami teaches me much about that), and simply the joy and dazzlement that many find in thinking about the world in mathematical terms.
I might have profited from lessons in self-confidence that the rejected textbooks in Florida aim to teach, along with solving “word problems.” Math anxiety is real and efforts to help kids overcome it are to be lauded. If you want to experience “right answers,” build a jigsaw puzzle.
Bonnie Jo Hurley, Venice
Call out governor, Legislature
Enough is enough! It’s time to speak out against this campaign of fear mongering and bigotry facing Floridians.
We are watching our state lawmakers acting like zombies, abandoning their duties and dancing to the tune of a power-grabbing governor bent on suppressing minority voters and censoring teachers and students by using twisted political gibberish.
The governor has even encouraged his toadies to condemn the cherished idea of peaceful coexistence among our students, as well as injecting their questionable ideology into textbook selection.
Frankly, we have become sick and tired of the fringe rhetoric parading as constructive dissent.
We need to emphatically tell the governor to stick to politics and find another way to raise funds to feed his political ambitions!
Lawrence Clamage, Sarasota
Appreciate less worry about national news
My wife and I are so grateful for the new and revised Herald-Tribune.
Now we don’t have to be concerned about what is going on nationally. This means we won’t learn about our wonderful president and his nefarious dealings with his son. We won’t have to worry about what is going on with the Clinton scandal.
And now, thanks to the revised edition, we are being told by this woke “newspaper” what we should be watching on TV. I guess we are just lucky to have this publication on our doorstep every day.
And I almost forgot, we don’t even have to worry about our favorite baseball team’s box scores, even if they were a day or two late. We just count our blessings.
Richard Malgran, Sarasota
Changes on puzzle page disappointing
I would like to comment on some of the recent changes to the newspaper.
My husband and I have enjoyed the puzzle page, but his favorite (KenKen) is no longer there. My favorite is the Cryptogram, but the print size has been reduced to the point where it’s actually difficult to put in the decoded letters.
Another disappointment is the removal of the evening TV listings. We always checked this to see what movies we would like to record.
One last item: When listing the famous birthdays for that day’s date, why in the world did you change actor/actress to only actor. What is wrong with knowing that a famous person is a female?
Judy Schweitz, Bradenton
CORRECTION
A letter published April 27, “Electric vehicle batteries toxic to planet,” was incorrect in stating that EV batteries are not recyclable and all will end up in a landfill. Some EV batteries have been recycled.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Call out for another old-fashioned Republican, joy of math
