Thursday's letters: Eroding your rights, denying truth, 'let us love one another,' more

Resist high court’s erosion of our rights

As expected, the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. The fact that Roe had been controlling law for nearly 50 years apparently meant nothing to the conservative justices.

Two of those justices, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, had testified during their confirmation hearings that Roe was settled law, implying that it would be left standing. Whoops, sorry, they lied!

As has been widely reported since this decision was handed down, it sets the stage for the high court to further erode individual constitutional rights concerning contraception and same-sex marriage. Welcome to the Dark Ages of the 1950s, when women were second-class citizens and gay people were openly discriminated against.

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Unless we rise up against this type of archaic thinking, who knows what will happen. Next, the court may go after our right to vote.

The only way to change this horrific court makeup is to elect politicians who will only confirm justices who reject these types of heinous decisions and enact laws that will prohibit the court from legislating from the bench.

While it may take time to undo the damage this court will have caused, it’s imperative that we begin now before things get even worse.

Steven Berry, Sarasota

Lame attempt to shift blame for Jan. 6

Mike Huckabee’s recent guest column was especially offensive because he claims to be a Christian (“Nancy Pelosi’s campaign to smear conservatives,” July 3).

In his column, Huckabee denied the truth for political advantage.

He ignored the fact that invited Republicans, except for Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, refused to take part in the Jan. 6 hearings because they feared the wrath of Donald Trump.

Certain Republicans were not considered because of their tainted reputations, like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz.

These hearings are factual, with videos and recordings to confirm the acts by those who threatened our democracy. How dare Huckabee blame Democrats or anyone else but Trump, the cause and creator of the whole problem, the man who was not honorable enough to exercise the complete control that he had?

Huckabee is simply a part of the “Big Lie.”

Glenda Anthony, Lakewood Ranch

Jefferson agreed: Constitution amendable

I believe the thoughts of Thomas Jefferson are worth many multiples of Samuel Alito’s. What do you think Mr. Jefferson, who wrote the words below in an 1816 letter, would have thought about the theory of “originalism” in interpreting our Constitution?

“Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence, and deem them, like the ark of the covenant, too sacred to be touched. They ascribe to the men of the preceding age a wisdom more than human, and suppose what they did to be beyond amendment. I knew that age well; I belonged to it, and labored with it. … but I know also, that laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind.

“As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times.”

Barry F. Spivey, Sarasota

State leaving youngsters unprotected

Outrageous! Gov. Ron DeSantis and his surgeon general are “affirmatively against” giving the COVID shot to children under 5. Even worse, they will not allow county health departments to administer it.

Without county clinics, an estimated 33,000 young children, most of them low income, will need to go elsewhere for a vaccine. Where?

What vaccines will the state oppose next? Polio?

We know new COVID variants are on the way, and the fall could be ugly. I believe that anyone who votes for DeSantis has blood on his/her ballot.

Jan Holmes, Sarasota

Bible to Christians: ‘Love one another’

Now that “Don’t Say Gay” is the law of the land in Florida, there is a different perspective on its impact in the following scenario.

Two children talking:

Child No. 1: Read this law! It says a teacher can’t instruct you about sexual orientation. So she can’t tell you about a gay couple! That’s a homosexual orientation!

Child No. 2: Isn’t heterosexuality a sexual orientation too?

Child No. 1: Yes.

Child No. 2: Then she also can’t mention any husband and wife!

Child No. 1: OK, stop reading that law!

It's worth quoting two passages from the Christian Bible, which is often the basis for American law:

• 1 John 4:7, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”

• 1 John 4:21, “And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.”

Ken Smith, Venice

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Resist rulings of conservative court, Huckabee part of "Big Lie"