Wednesday's letters: Verdict 'beyond crazy,' DeSantis plays with lives, choose safe venues

Defense attorney Corey Chirafisi hugs Kyle Rittenhouse after Rittenhouse is found not guilty of all charges Nov. 19 at the courthouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse faced a charge of first-degree intentional homicide and several other charges.
Defense attorney Corey Chirafisi hugs Kyle Rittenhouse after Rittenhouse is found not guilty of all charges Nov. 19 at the courthouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse faced a charge of first-degree intentional homicide and several other charges.
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‘Self-defense’ no defense for a Black teen

Suppose a Black teenager gets an assault-style rifle, drives to another state, waves it around in the middle of a Proud Boys rally and then shoots to death a couple of them when they confront him, claiming self-defense.

Do you really believe he’d get off scot-free?

It seems the Kyle Rittenhouse jury decided that it’s OK for the “right” kind of person to take a gun into a group of people and start shooting. If any in the crowd tries to stop him, he can claim self-defense and keep blazing away.

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I guess if any of the 9/11 hijackers of Flight 93, that crashed in Pennsylvania, had survived they could have claimed self-defense because the passengers were attacking them.

This is beyond crazy. The "not guilty" verdict is certain to lead to more deaths.

Jim Stewart, Parrish

Playing politics with Floridians’ lives

On Nov. 18, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed laws that will cause more infections, hospitalizations and deaths by telling companies they are prohibited from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations designed to protect their employees.

He signed it in Brandon as a classless message to President Joe Biden (“Let’s go Brandon”). DeSantis also hawks anti-Anthony Fauci T-shirts.

It is a shame we have a governor who promotes ignorance and disrespects people who are far more knowledgeable than he is and are trying to save lives.

But, like former President Donald Trump, it's all about him and he is willing to appeal to the lowest level of ignorance in people to get reelected next year. DeSantis’ record on COVID deaths and infections speaks for itself.

Even though DeSantis has been trying to hide the numbers, Florida has just passed 61,000 deaths and has quickly moved up in the state rankings for deaths and infections.

The highest priority of a governor is the health and safety of the state’s residents. Instead we have a governor who plays politics with people’s lives.

Too bad for us.

Joseph Marra, Venice

No. 1 issue on Siesta Key is traffic

The day after I spent 55 minutes getting from the corner of Stickney Point Road and U.S. 41 to my home on Siesta Key, I read the front-page article “Business owners react to new hotels on Siesta Key” (Nov. 15).

I just had to shake my head over restaurant owner Clayton Thompson’s comment that the new hotels would be “bringing people from the airport in a shuttle, taxi or Uber, and then they walk and bike and use the Siesta Key trolley.”

Who is he trying to kid? Most of them would be renting cars and the major issue on the key is traffic, traffic, traffic. Until they can resolve the traffic issue, these hotels should not be approved.

Janalee Heinemann, Siesta Key

Local patrons choose safe arts venues

I recently attended two outstanding arts performances, “Eubie” at the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and “Neil Berg's 50 Years of Rock & Roll, Part 4” at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Thank you to these and other venues for taking COVID-19 threats seriously and caring enough to protect their patrons from infection.

It’s the venues’ choice to insist on masks and vaccine cards. How come the anti-vax, anti-mask people don’t see it that way? If they get to make choices, so do others.

We all make choices and live with the consequences.

Karen R. Koenig, Sarasota

What’s up in U.S.? Lies, threats, attacks

Recently I completed a medical questionnaire designed to gauge how one is accepting aging. The question as to how satisfied I am with the way things are going gave me pause.

To be sure, my physician was seeking responses to how I’m adapting to aging, but I was compelled to answer in a broader sense: How am I dealing with what’s happening in our country?

Extremely worrisome are violent threats to elected officials who take a stand against party; video threats such as U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar’s depicted assassination of another representative; lies and attacks on the 2020 election results and electoral process; threats against medical workers, teachers, administrations, school boards and communities over vaccinations, masks and mandates; and banning or burning books thought obscene (though saying nothing about parents waving flags that say “F--- Biden”).

For 30 years my husband and I served as diplomats, representing this country we love, “telling America’s story” and promoting democratic institutions and values. Our work mattered, and so does the work of those who are now being maligned and threatened.

May we all remember what made and continues to make America great: one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all. There is no place for malicious attacks and violence.

Geraldine Bernier, Sarasota

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: No 'not guilty' if Rittenhouse were Black, DeSantis plays with lives