Warning to Republicans: Taking COVID advice from DeSantis, Ladapo could be deadly

COVID advice from DeSantis, Ladapo deadly

A July article in JAMA Network (“Excess Death Rates for Republican and Democratic Registered Voters in Florida and Ohio During the COVID-19 Pandemic”) should be very disturbing to Republicans who trusted Gov. Ron DeSantis and Dr. Joseph Ladapo, the discredited Florida surgeon general.

It turns out that prior to the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccines there was not much difference in the COVID-19 death rates between Republicans and Democrats.

However, after the vaccines were introduced, the study found that Republicans had a 43% higher death rate compared with Democrats.  This study was done in Ohio and Florida and the statistics were confirmed by voter registration information.

Some of you may recall that DeSantis was in favor of COVID-19 vaccination until he was against it. Ladapo came along and constantly denigrated the value of the vaccinations. 

This is a scientific evaluation by a group from Yale University (which DeSantis attended). In the final analysis, Republicans should be warned that following these two men can get you killed.

Ike Koziol, M.D., Sarasota

Learn the ploys of would-be strongmen

Thank you for the Nov. 14 guest column by Pete Tannen on Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat's recent talk in Sarasota. During her talk, Ben-Ghiat explained how “speech,” or propaganda, is the primary tool of all aspiring strongmen and fascists.

First, they convince people that the present government is bad and elections have been rigged. Then they claim it is only they who can fix things, a method successfully used many times in the past in several other countries.

Last week marked the 100th anniversary of Hitler’s 1923 “Beer Hall Putsch” − similar to our own Jan. 6 event − where he and the Nazis tried to gain power by force. It failed and Hitler was arrested and jailed for treason.

In prison Hitler wrote “Mein Kampf.” But once out, he and the Nazis cranked up the above-mentioned propaganda ploy and eventually gained power in Germany legally. Hitler then immediately outlawed all other parties, ending democracy in Germany and turning the country into a fascist dictatorship.

So could this happen here?

We all have heard the “speech,” the claim about a rigged election. There is never any proof, but it is still believed by many. Democracies are fragile, but hopefully most of the American people are smart enough not to fall for this ploy.

Baerbel Kavanaugh, University Park

Support collaboration, empathy, inclusivity

One mantra that has always stuck with me is, “Seek truth before justice.”

These days that has become an increasing disjointed concept as some politicians and their enablers have embraced “alternative truths” that support conflict over collaboration, anger over empathy and exclusivity versus more inclusive solutions.

Neither silence nor increasing the volume will move the parties closer to resolution.

How can we facilitate a meaningful dialogue when we start poles apart?

Perhaps the first step is to accept Maya Angelou’s admonition: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

That, it seems to me, is the beginning of finding truth.

I would add that we should follow the advice of John E. Southard: “The only people with whom you should try to get even with, are those who have helped you."

Bob Robinson, Venice

Democrats could OK military promotions

In response to “Republican Party no longer pro-military,” a Nov. 13 letter that blames Republicans for holding up military promotions: If Democrats voted for the promotions individually it would be allowed, even with the few Republicans dissenting.

But it seems the Democrats are too lazy, and it’s more important to them to support abortion.

Richard Lieb, Sarasota

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Taking COVID advice from DeSantis, Ladapo could be deadly