Sunday's letters: Removing books from class, no prayer on command
Book ban will decrease student literacy
Sadly, I understand the reason for the teachers covering and removing classroom libraries in Manatee County. The current political climate gives them no choice.
However, the long-term effect on students’ reading progress will be detrimental. Students in all grades become good readers when they learn in a literate environment, which includes at least three to five library/trade books per student, in addition to magazines and newspapers.
More:Teachers close class libraries, fearing prosecution
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Students learn to read when they are interested, have a purpose for reading and can make a choice. So in a few years, when Florida announces a sharp decline in reading scores, state officials might want to examine the negative impact of their policies on reading achievement.
Michelle Johnston, Sarasota
Weaponizing prayer for political gain
Many of us pray in private. Some of us pray in public, silently. I pray openly with others who choose to worship in a way that enriches us.
I prayed when I read the Herald-Tribune’s upsetting news of the mean-spirited attack on New College and the suggestion by some that prayer should be public, performative and politicized.
More: New College rejects request for prayer
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Our poor, hurting country does not need weaponized prayer for political gain. There is no harm in asking if a prayer is appropriate in a given setting, but I object to prayer being used as an excuse to tweet and finger point at those who do not choose to pray on our command.
Please, pray as often as you want, whenever you want − without imposing your choice on others. I personally think we need all the prayers we can get, but we could probably scrape by on simple kindness.
How about, if we can’t muster kindness, we at least don’t corrupt prayer into a coercive, divisive act.
Carol Flint, New College Class of ’76, Santa Monica, California
Running public notices in papers a waste
A letter Jan. 25 condemns the Sarasota County Commission for deciding to stop publishing public notices, such as zoning issues, in local papers.
Actually, the members, and the lawmakers who passed a law no longer requiring such waste, should be commended.
More: County to move public notices to website
Zoning issues, especially major ones, are well covered by reporters. The pros and cons are presented in readable columns of newsprint, not buried in the hard-to-understand legal language of public notices.
Households directly concerned with rezonings, within a certain radius of the proposed property, are by law given direct notice describing the proposal by US Mail at developer expense.
No need to bury more fine print at taxpayers’ expense that few but the concerned attorneys read and can understand. In fact, some attorneys find the ads do not fully describe the rezoning, which is almost impossible to do in an ad, and use that to prolong or block the hearings.
I found the prices of these notices to be outrageous when, as a local government official, I was required to run them in the 1980s and 1990s. I can’t imagine what they cost now.
Local newspapers have been taking advantage of the law requiring these ads for many years. I am glad our commissioners are using common sense.
Len Smally, Sarasota
Classified documents are insecure
Where are our security measures regarding classified documents?
I cannot wrap my head around the lack of security measures in place to safeguard our country’s most sensitive information. I am not defending President Joe Biden or anyone in violation, but the bigger question is how is this possible?
If you check out a book from the library and fail to return it, you get a notice. Military and law-enforcement personnel with top-secret clearance who are privy to federal and terrorism-related documents are hunted down if they remove so much as a crumb off the skiff floor.
The American people must demand answers! We have the right to know the process in place regarding our most critical information. What procedures exist for removal? Who tracks the removals and returns?
If a president deems a document unclassified, who ensures the proper procedure is followed?
Why isn’t anyone asking these questions? It sounds like the agencies involved desperately need an overhaul. Biden is a disgrace but so are these agencies!
Cathleen Perez, Osprey
GOP should focus on solving problems
Doesn’t the U.S. House have anything better to do than launch investigations of Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden, the Justice Department, Dr. Anthony Fauci, etc.?
What happened to all the problems the GOP claims we have, such as immigration, inflation, violence, election fraud, the national debt? Do they even have programs to deal with these issues? I haven’t heard anything concrete or specific.
Americans would like to know how they plan to solve these and other problems. That’s what they were elected to do.Ruth E. Skole, Sarasota
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Book ban will affect reading levels, no more wasting money on notices
