Sunday's letters: Raid angers GOP, threat to charter, SCOTUS ruling, more

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Trump at fault, but GOP blames FBI for raid

It is disappointing and disgusting, although not unexpected, that Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Marco Rubio and a host of other Republicans would find fault with the FBI executing a search warrant at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8.

Had the taking of objects and documents clearly belonging to the National Archives been a mistake, it should have been rectified with the immediate return when first requested. Instead, there was a delayed partial return and ongoing stalling.

It has been reported that some of the documents are so sensitive that even listing them would be considered a classified matter. One can only question what they contain that would lead Trump to illegally remove and retain them.

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More than ample deference was given to the former president, but the ongoing refusal to return the material afforded the justification to request a warrant, and its approval by a judge confirms that.

Republicans claim to be pro-national security but blaming the FBI instead of Trump clearly shows how much they put politics over country.

Len Roessler, Sarasota

Don’t mess with rules for changing charter

This November, the election of members to the Sarasota County Charter Review Board is about freedom, choice and grassroots government. And that’s all it’s about.

The 10-member Charter Review Board was created to represent the citizens and to allow ideas to improve county government to be proposed, explained, vetted and eventually voted on by the citizens.

If more than 50% agree with the proposal, it becomes part of the charter, our local Constitution.

Many proposals have been through this process over the past 50 years, including:

• Mandatory recycling, keeping millions of pounds of waste out of our landfills.

• Term limits for County Commission, keeping county representatives from becoming permanent fixtures due to longevity and entrenched power.

• Single-member districts, approved twice by the voters, because district representation is vital to maintaining ethical responsibility in government.

These ideas were all opposed by the existing county commissioners, who fought them tooth and nail. But we the people spoke, and we won.

That’s why this board and its freedom to operate under the current rules in our charter are so very important.

And that’s why we shouldn’t mess with the rules for submitting, reviewing and vetting ideas to improve county government for everyone (“Advocates say proposal would make it harder for citizens to amend the Sarasota County charter,” July 25).

Ray Porter, Sarasota

If abortion illegal, make father pay

I have come to believe that in the existing political environment, no change in the Roe v. Wade issue is likely from either the Supreme Court or many of the Republican-dominated states. If that is so, if we can’t fight ’em, why don’t we join ’em?

It seems only fair that if an unwanted pregnancy cannot be legally terminated, the man responsible should be held financially responsible for child support until the child is 18.

If the father is underage, then his parents should bear the financial burden of child support until the father is 18.

Proof of the father’s identity can be determined by DNA or whatever is the legal means of proof of identity in the state where the father lives.

Ron Cota, Sarasota

SCOTUS didn’t rule on when life begins

The Aug. 8 letter, “Christian nationalists are taking over the US,” requires a response.

The Supreme Court did not rule that life begins at conception. It ruled that the Constitution does not mention abortion nor imply any protection for it. State legislatures are responsible on the issue.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Don’t Say Gay law” says nothing of the kind. It prevents planned curricula specifically addressing issues of sexual orientation and gender identity for students in grades K-3, which sounds eminently reasonable to most parents.

Some books with sexual content have been banned from school libraries. They are readily available elsewhere throughout the state.

Also banned are curricula that attempt to lay guilt for slavery on white children.

DeSantis’ actions against Disney over the Parental Rights in Education law will affect only special privileges that no other company or corporation in the state receives.

Roger Roess, Venice

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Raid on Mar-a-Lago angers GOP, charter rules should not be changed