Hallelujah: Sarasota faith leaders are finally speaking out on policies

Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Stand with faith leaders against Trump
All decent, moral people of goodwill should thank the 22 Sarasota faith leaders who cowrote the guest column titled, 'Let's unite, Sarasota, and show we stand up for everyone' that appeared in the Herald-Tribune on Jan. 31.
It is long past due that religious leaders speak out against the bigotry, racism and hate-mongering that is the cornerstone of President Donald Trump and his Republican enablers as they attack and demean the most vulnerable among us.
Their policies and rhetoric deny immigrants, people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community dignity and humanity and undermine the very principles of common decency, equity and inclusion that our country professes to stand for.
Trump and the GOP have disgraced America in the eyes of the world.
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As Thomas Jefferson said, 'It is in our lives and not our words that our religion must be read.'
The president and his toadies have demonstrated that they have no claim to a moral or ethical high ground or to any religion that values people and preaches decency, forgiveness, acceptance and love.
Rudolph Lucek, Sarasota
ICE raids would stress out students
I agree with the letter Jan. 30 about the possibility of ICE raids in the schools ('No immigrant raids on school grounds').
It is bad enough that our children have to deal with live shooter drills much less have Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers raid their schools and take away a friend or peer who may be an immigrant.
I know firsthand the anxiety that the shooter drills have caused students. They don't know at the time whether a real shooting is occurring or just a drill.
Students also experience lockdowns because of threats in regard to shootings and bombs.
My grandchildren went through this anxiety. I don't feel they should have to go through this Gestapo-like method of searching for illegal immigrants.
Dianne Plough, Venice
Floridians not responsible for federal jobs
The U.S. Constitution assigns certain responsibilities to certain levels of government and, while policies sometimes change the levels of responsibility − usually to promote consistency across 50 states (such as driving rules or basic education requirements) − certain jobs are best done by one level of government.
Abortion, immigration and national defense are federal issues. The federal government has the manpower and the money to carry out those missions.
If you do not like how they are carried out, you use the voting booth to make a change.
Certain other responsibilities, such as maintaining roads; providing modern traffic control equipment; expanding sewage treatment plants to avoid dumping raw sewage into our waterways; and making sure there is enough water to serve our expanding community and that the treatment and distribution facilities are adequate, are state and local concerns.
With these latter responsibilities being totally neglected by Florida state and local officials, I see no reason why we should spend state tax money to do the job of the federal government.
And if this diversion of funds by our state elected officials continues, we taxpayers must use the voting booth to make necessary changes and elect people who will spend our money on projects more useful to us.
Joseph Angelo, Sarasota
Biden, Democrats popular scapegoats
Blame former President Joe Biden and the Democrats for everything:
Fires in California.
Hurricanes in Florida and North Carolina.
Inflation.
High gas and egg prices.
Immigration issues.
Wars in Israel and Ukraine.
Oh, and don't forget the new $925,000 state-of-the-art mobile command vehicle at the Sarasota Police Department.
Bernadette Koval, Sarasota
President broke promises from Day One
President Donald Trump railed about grocery prices during the campaign and said he was going to bring down prices on Day One.
Now that he is in office we hear about the Panama Canal, Greenland and changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali.
His latest brainstorm is to take over the Gaza Strip and turn it into the 'Riviera of the Middle East.'
Gas shot up nearly 50 cents a gallon when he talked tariffs and eggs are still going up, if you can find them. I have not heard a peep from Trump on that and his press secretary is still trying to blame former President Joe Biden.
I also thought Trump was going to end the war in Ukraine on Day One.
Trump's base falls for his distractions every time. Talk is cheap; doing is hard.Joseph Marra, Venice
Not surprised DeSantis wants gun holiday
I am appalled that Ron DeSantis, governor of the state with one of the worst school shootings ever in Parkland, is now suggesting we should have a tax holiday for the purchase of firearms.
Appalled, but not surprised.
By now we know DeSantis will do anything so long as he is in the media eye.
Sharon Epperson, Sarasota
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