Tuesday's letters: Vote to save Sarasota, support critical thinking, 'We the People,' more
Call a halt to Sarasota’s unbridled growth
Whether the issue is overdevelopment, noise, trees or traffic, why do the policies our city commissioners have been adopting for the last 18 months seem designed to destroy the charm, character and natural beauty that made each of us choose Sarasota as our home?
Our area is growing and will continue to grow. Thoughtful growth is good. But the growth we’re experiencing is unbridled.
Residents from all over the city with a host of quality-of-life issues impacting the livability of Sarasota have asked the commissioners to take their concerns into account when making policy.
More: How to send a letter to the editor
Almost every time, rather than express empathy or interest, the city commissioners have deflected, dismissed, ignored or ridiculed the citizens, whose issues of concern stem from unconstrained growth and conflicting land uses.
If you want to prevent further displacement of all that makes Sarasota so appealing, pay close attention to the candidates for our local offices and demand that candidates articulate a resident-friendly philosophy if they want to win your support.
Your vote is your voice. The primary is Aug. 23.
Shirl Gauthier, Sarasota, chair of CityPAC
Replace ‘COEXIST’ with ‘We the People’
A perfect and simple solution to teacher James Baldwin’s dilemma after being advised to remove the “COEXIST” flag from the front of his Sarasota classroom would be to put an American flag there with a classroom-size copy of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution (‘“COEXIST’ flag deemed potentially political at Booker High School,” April 23),
It’s only one sentence, yet encompasses all the thoughts and feelings of the former:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common Defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Robert Rosenbluth, Sarasota
Teach our children to ‘COEXIST’ with others
The removal of a “COEXIST” flag from a Sarasota classroom has really angered me (‘“COEXIST’ flag deemed potentially political at Booker High School,” April 23).
Isn’t that what we should be teaching our children, to “coexist”?
Maybe if “COEXIST” flags were prominently displayed in the House and Senate, the legislators would pass laws that really helped their constituents!
Irene Ward, Lakewood Ranch
Support critical thinking in all subjects
Sarasota County School Board Member Bridget Ziegler supports the “fundamentals of academic excellence and critical thinking” in math (as quoted in an April 20 story), but not critical thinking in social studies, history, economics or other curriculum areas?
Wait! Did I miss something?
One must learn to be a critical thinker to honor science, support truth (as painful as that might be) and know how to search for facts, not just to accept fantasy.
Ah, I get it – it's politics that drives the School Board. That is so sad.
Al Mahan, Venice
Florida’s misplaced priorities
How crazy! Ukraine is fighting for its existence and Florida is fighting Disney and math books ("Sarasota math book vetoed," April 20).
Where are our priorities?
Dennis Gahry, Osprey
Note: Because of an editor's error, this April 20 letter is being rerun.
Mandating masks in schools courageous
Regarding the Michelle Pozzie editorial column April 14: It should have been in the comics section (“School Board member isn’t bystander in ‘culture war’”).
If Pozzie thinks Sarasota County School Board member Tom Edwards “fired the first shot” in the culture war, what does she think our esteemed governor did? He simply promulgated an executive order prohibiting mask mandates.
Pozzie accuses Edwards of forcing medical decisions upon our children. But didn’t the governor do the same thing against all good medical practice – except that of his backstop surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo?
Pozzie claims Edwards “walked all over” her civil liberties and parental rights. What about the rights of those parents who wanted their children to be safe by being masked? The rights of one’s fist stop short of another’s nose!
Likewise, the rights of one’s COVID germs stop short of the nose of others. And the best “medical” way for that to occur is to mask.
Honestly, it was an act of courage for Edwards to defy the governor’s irresponsible and politically motivated edict. As a Republican of 65 years, I and many others applaud it.
Richard J. Correnti, Bradenton
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Vote to control city growth, teach students to 'COEXIST'
