Letters: Biden's presidential debate performance shows it's time to hand over the reins

Biden must hand over the reins

I am the same age as President Joe Biden. I voted for him and would vote for him again. Unfortunately, he cannot win against Donald Trump.

I’m fit, work out five days a week and take no medication. I would not want the job of president of the United States, even if I were 20 years younger. Tragically, President Biden’s performance in the June 27 debate was simply very sad.

To all the Biden apologists who said he just had a bad night — I’m sorry. He has been a good president and truly is a fine man who has dealt with a great deal of adversity in his own life. He should not have to endure four more years as president of this country.

I’m sure the Republican Party will play the first 20 minutes of the debate at least 100,000 times during the campaign season. Democrats need to nominate a bright 50-something individual with a good record in politics and an excellent framework of ideas to push our country forward. Don’t tell me it can’t be done in 3 1/2 months.

More than 2,000 years ago, the philosopher Socrates believed that a democracy requires an informed and enlightened public. So did Thomas Jefferson. Unfortunately, a good portion of our voting public is swayed by a demagogue named Trump and his sycophants.

Similarities between Germany in the 1930s and our country in this decade are frightening. A friend of mine from Scotland watched the debate and said, "Are you kidding me? This is the United States of America?”

Mr. Biden, please do the right thing and hand the reins to someone who can beat this terribly corrupt individual.

David B. Lee, Jr., Jacksonville 

Public schools not the place for Bible study

Oklahoma’s state school superintendent, Ryan Walters, recently directed that Scripture readings be incorporated into all public schools. He cited the Bible’s importance as a historical document, the influence it had on our founders and the principles of our Constitution.

The Bible is undeniably a sacred Judeo-Christian religious text, which makes its use in secular public schools unconstitutional. When it comes to our founders and the constitutional principles that Walters referenced, it’s apparent he did not pay attention in his high school American history class.

Our founding fathers committed our new nation to no religion, God, church or Bible, but to “We the People” and the human principles of justice and common welfare. In the U.S. Constitution, no mention of God or the Bible is found in all its 7,591 words. Scriptural language and theological concepts never invade its pages.

There are many good precepts, wise sayings and good laws in the Bible. It is also a book overflowing with gratuitous violence, murder, moral depravity, incest, polygamy, slavery, rape, misogyny, cannibalism, adultery, drunkenness and bestiality, plus human and animal sacrifices.

All of which reportedly caused Mark Twain to opine: “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.” The Bible has its place, but it does not belong in a classroom full of school children — at least those in public schools.

The Oklahoma decision comes on the heels of a new Louisiana law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in each classroom. I would ask these superintendents: Is the Old Testament in favor of religious tolerance?

Borden Applegate, Jacksonville Beach 

Biden still better choice than Trump

I don’t believe Joe Biden should continue in the role of president of the United States. Despite his political knowledge and experience, it is a job for a much younger person. Will I vote for him? Yes, and here’s why:

In Donald Trump’s first term, his Cabinet included individuals such as Rex Tillerson, James Mattis, Mark Esper, Elaine Chao and William Barr. Whether you like their politics or not, they were all experienced in their fields and could be counted on to make fact-based decisions.

Each of these people have also stated that Trump has no business being commander-in-chief due to his lack of knowledge and foolish approaches to serious problems. More recently, it was reported that a group of CEOs supposedly laughed at his economic proposals in a closed meeting.

Trump has stated his preference for tariffs over income taxes, which has led experts to warn of hyper-inflation should that occur. He simply is not intelligent enough to hold this office.

So who might Trump tap for his next Cabinet and advisory group to lead the country? The only people wanting to be associated with him are MAGA sycophants. Picture Stephen Miller as chief of staff, Tommy Tuberville as secretary of defense, Steve Bannon as White House communications director or Matt Gaetz as attorney general. If that prospect doesn’t frighten you — what does?

With Biden, I believe that we will at least get talented, respected advisers. The country is in deep trouble if Donald Trump is elected again.

David Stimpson, Jacksonville 

Saddened by election mailer

The Duval County School Board election is just over a month away and the mailers have started to arrive. I was horrified to receive an ominous warning that my hard-working District 3 representative, Cindy Pearson, is supposedly protecting monsters. The mailer looked like an ad for a Halloween movie.

Rebecca Nathanson, the other District 3 candidate and proud local member of Moms for Liberty, pretends to know nothing about this mailing. Perhaps she should re-examine her relationship to a consulting company that shares the same address as the firm that mailed this nonsense.

I am a retired teacher and consider myself an educated professional too, but it saddens me that someone running for school board must slander another candidate. They should instead concentrate on huge budgetary policies that will affect all our neighborhoods.

The group that Nathanson represents is strong on parental choice. We know those choices have split taxpayer money and contributed to the possible closing of neighborhood schools. Parents should closely examine which schools are providing a solid, accredited education and which candidates are working to protect them.

I support saving Holiday Hill Elementary and retaining Pearson as our current district representative.

Cynthia Reider, Jacksonville 

Arts, culture and a new state motto

Apparently, arts and culture in Florida are “woke” and must slowly be eradicated. I can think of no other reason for Gov. Ron DeSantis to have vetoed $32 million in arts grants previously approved by state lawmakers.

He must have determined that children were being hurt by the presence of art and culture, so something had to be done. I should have seen this coming when Michaelangelo’s "David," a work of artistic beauty, was declared pornography at a Florida school last year. A principal was fired over it.

The only other reason I can think of for this horrendous action is that this plays to our governor’s mean streak — DeSantis does like to be the bully. So now, in addition to a generation of science teachers wondering where they went wrong with our governor in his youth, I can only imagine that anyone who tried to teach him anything artistic to be shaking their collective heads.

Here’s a new motto for our governor:  “Florida — Where arts and culture go to die.”

John Clair, Ponte Vedra

Churches should be taxed

If Christian Nationalists want to take part in politics, then their churches should be taxed. You can’t have it both ways; either you are a part of the secular world or you are not. If you are (and this is the only way to get around the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state) then you are subject to all our rules and regulations.

If you are not, then organize religious schools any way you see fit, but please leave the public schools alone. You can vote however you like as an individual, but otherwise — stay out of politics. To paraphrase our Supreme Court, you have no agency.

Mike Lawrence, Avondale 

Math lessons and the Bible

I recently read that Oklahoma's top education official ordered public schools to incorporate the Holy Bible into regular lessons. At first I thought this was a mistake, but I think I might be able to make it work.

Here’s a sample lesson:

The Bible tells us we have 10 commandments. In Donald Trump's "hush money" case, he broke two of these. What percentage of the commandments did Trump break?

This is an example of using the Bible and a current event to provide a very important math lesson

Scott Schleifer, Jacksonville

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville reader will still vote for Biden, but he can't win