Wednesday's letters: Congrats on first phase of The Bay Sarasota

Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·4 min read
The playground at The Bay Sarasota, completed during Phase 1, is designed to bridge the gap between art and play.
The playground at The Bay Sarasota, completed during Phase 1, is designed to bridge the gap between art and play.

Job well done on The Bay Sarasota

Kudos to all involved in the design and implementation of The Bay Sarasota, a real treasure in the heart of Sarasota.

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This public park by the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center offers many things to do for people of all ages, from taking tots to the playground, eating quesadillas at The Nest concession stand, kayaking, walking dogs, attending free concerts, learning about local flora or just watching our dramatic sunsets.

Well done.

Cheryl Christensen, University Park

Governor takes control in ‘Free State’

I’ve been thinking about how our governor keeps touting the fact that Florida is a “Free State” and he wants it to be “woke free.”

The dictionary defines “woke” as: “alert to and concerned about social injustice and discrimination.” So far, our governor has:

1. Canceled diversity, equity and injustice departments in higher education.

2. Declared war on Disney because it voiced its opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

3. Dashed the hopes and dreams of the students at New College because they were “too woke,” and installed his own version of what a classical college should be.

4. Took aim at the LGBTQ+ community by passing laws that prevent individuals from using the bathroom of their choice and forbid teachers to address them by the pronoun of their choice.

5. Prevented transgender individuals from receiving gender-affirming health care and threatens to penalize anyone who assists in obtaining that care.

6. Reduced the maximum time limit for having an abortion to six weeks.

7. Banned certain books if they don’t meet his criteria, especially if the books tell the good, the bad and the ugly of our country’s beginnings.

So there you have it: Florida is “free,” right?

Pauline Gasek, Sarasota

Homeowners can't afford insurance hikes

OMG! Is there anyone out there who cares about the homeowners here?

In our 24-year-old, well-kept neighborhood, homeowners insurance has skyrocketed. Ours doubled to more than $5,000 and some have tripled.

People on fixed or small incomes are moving out of state. Politicians only care about their careers and passing ridiculous laws that don’t help most of the people.

No regulations at all on insurance costs? Can they do anything they want? Looks like it.Cynthia Hooper, Sarasota

This psychologist won’t discriminate

Come and arrest me!

I am a 75-year-old licensed psychologist and I have been helping people for almost 50 years.

I will violate this new Florida law that allows health care providers and payers to discriminate and deny coverage or care on the basis of any moral, religious or philosophical differences.

Those who may deny coverage include doctors, nurses, pharmacies, hospitals, mental health providers, medical transport services, clinical lab personnel and nursing homes.

This is against the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Code of Conduct for Psychologists and most state licensing laws.

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Gov. Ron DeSantis is also banning books (on Holocaust studies, gender and race issues), filling the Sarasota Memorial Hospital board with anti-science idiots, and school boards and New College with anti-intellectual bigots.

This is not Republicanism. It is anti-American fascism!

Robert M. Gordon, board certified in clinical psychology and psychoanalysis, Osprey

(Editor's note: At the request of the letter writer, the following letter is being republished in its entirety.)

Concerns about anti-transgender bills

Now that our Gov has signed those latest anti-trans bills into law . . .

I am not trans; I'm simply an old woman who doesn't look, at first glance, very "girly" anymore.

I've been mistaken, casually, for a boy, when I wore my hair short, any number of times over the years (erroneously addressed as "Mister"). I never viewed this as a big problem but rather a minor embarrassment – if even that.

Now, when I enter a public restroom, need I "prove" I am biologically female to the Gender Police?

And what about a trans man – who looks more like a woman than I do. Do you really want them sauntering into the men's room?

You see, this really affects all of us – not just "them."

War is Bad. Period. These Culture Wars have got to stop!

Linda Kitch, Sarasota

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Kudos on first phase of The Bay Sarasota