Thursday's letters: Why is New College board targeting gender studies?
End gender studies at NC and what’s next?
As a 57-year-old woman, I have favored female authors and points of view my entire life, beginning with Astrid Lindgren’s “Pippi Longstocking.” I often find the female perspective more interesting and relevant to my life.
Wikipedia defines gender studies as an “an interdisciplinary academic field … concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics … [including subjects like] literature and history.”
When I wrote my senior thesis at New College in 1995, I examined German female authors who wrote about the Nazi years. My degree was in German. My thesis research included literature, history, philosophy, etc.
If I had graduated later, it probably would have been called gender studies.
More: New College board moves toward abolishing gender studies program
More: How to send a letter to the editor
During my studies, I learned that women were abused and mistreated by the Nazis.
I learned that no witches were tried during the witch trials in Europe. Instead, 40,000 to 50,000 innocent women were victimized, tortured and executed by self-righteous and self-appointed men of God.
Opinion: Some men think gender studies Is their enemy. They’re wrong
From these examples, I was able to infer that the patriarchy has had a continuous devastating impact on women.
When we abolish gender studies – as the New College trustees are attempting to do − I must ask why?
And what will be banned next? The color pink? Colleen Hoover’s books? Barbie?
Dr. Annette Maddox, Cortez
Standing up to injustice at New College
Kudos to NCF Freedom for taking on Senate Bill 266, the law recently signed at New College by Gov. Ron DeSantis that essentially prohibits free speech in education.
The group has joined with NCF professors and other students in suing over the law, seeking to have it declared unconstitutional.
More: Professors, students file lawsuit to block DeSantis' higher education law
Calling out the governor for his blatant disregard for constitutional protections helps shine a light on the damage he has done at this small liberal arts college and underscores the broader implications for the entire state university system.
And, if by some miracle DeSantis becomes president, the ultimate destruction of education and democracy in the United States.
I applaud the bravery of the plaintiffs who are standing up to this injustice. We should support them and NCF Freedom in their efforts to hold government officials accountable to the people they have pledged to serve.
Felice Schulaner, Sarasota
The rest of the story about climate change
There is much concern recently about the hot summer. The Herald-Tribune had a front-page feature article on it (‘Why is it so hot?’) and there have been follow-up letters on the Opinion page.
On causation, the only causal factor mentioned was man burning fossil fuels.
There was no mention of the massive undersea volcanic eruption in Tonga in the South Pacific in 2022 that blasted 40 trillion gallons of water into the stratosphere at 20,000 mph. The shock wave circled the Earth twice. Estimates have put the warming to last three to seven years!
There was also no mention of the sun likely reaching a solar maximum a year or two earlier than expected. The sun: that massive star without which Earth would be a cold, dark, barren rock floating in the universe.
And there was no mention of the massive wildfires burning for months.
Could it be there is an unwillingness to admit factors exist in Earth’s climate causation that are beyond man's control?
Richard Paolillo, Nokomis
Impeach Biden for doing a great job
So, Sarasota’s esteemed Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Steube wants to impeach President Joe Biden. It’s not hard to see why he would feel that way (“Sarasota congressman Greg Steube files Biden impeachment articles,” Aug. 14).
After all, under Bidenomics the global scourge of post-pandemic inflation has been reduced in America from over 9% to just over 3%.
Biden’s policies have resulted in the creation of millions of jobs, including almost 1 million in the newly jump-started U.S. manufacturing sector.
Unemployment has fallen to a 50-year low of 3.5%.
And Biden has led a forceful effort of national infrastructure renewal that will power the U.S. economy for many years to come.
Biden’s leadership in the fight against the global menace of climate change has included dynamic new conservation efforts. As a central feature in his fight for equality in the U.S., he has championed the rights of women to control their own bodies and make their own health care decisions.
His policies have dramatically reduced America’s shameful levels of child poverty. And he has vigorously advocated for the right of all eligible citizens to vote.
Noteworthily, Biden has done all these things without being a pathological liar or violence-stoking seditionist. These realities are anathema to the Republican Party. Accordingly, this president must go!
John M. Feagan, Sarasota
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: NCF board goes after gender studies, but what's next?
