Ahead or lagging? | Editorial, Jan. 26

Get those shots in those arms

President Joe Biden’s press secretary says that Florida has used only half of its COVID-19 vaccines from the federal government, noting that the state — where over-65 residents have been struggling to get appointments for the shots — has “a good deal of the vaccine.” I’m one of those 65-plus residents who has been bending over backward just trying to get on a vaccine list. My computer mouse wrist has “carpal-tunneled” after endlessly clicking away at the crashed websites.

And now we discover that the same state that can’t field a crash-free website and that has failed to inject the vaccines it already has, refuses federal help to administer the vaccine. Had Donald Trump offered federal assistance, our governor would have given FEMA a police escort to all the vaccine sites in Florida.

It’s time to think of the people of Florida and put aside petty political differences and get all the help we can get to beat the coronavirus. It would be a good business decision to have our state open and cured ASAP!

Peter Barton, St. Petersburg

Online speech wars ongoing | Column, Jan. 26

No anonymous authors

This column makes so much sense I can’t believe more hasn’t been made of this suggestion to date. Free speech protection says nothing about protecting your identity when you speak your mind. It almost seems too easy and makes me wonder what interests would block such a policy. Are those same interests already tamping down this common-sense idea?

Mark Decker, Seminole

Can conservatives recover? | Column, Jan. 25

What really has to happen

Garry Kasparov calls out the GOP for its lies. But he then furthers the lies Republicans tell by making the left the cause of right-wing extremism. The behavior of the insurrectionists at the Capitol had nothing to do with left-wing politics. It had to do with the lies that the right-wing media perpetrates and the racism inherent in the Republican Party that now exists. Columnist Leonard Pitts is right in saying that our country cannot unite under the rules of systemic racism that continue in the present day. This is what the Republicans either cannot understand or will not tolerate.

Ann Jamieson, St. Petersburg

Unmasked fans

Super Bowl as super spreader

Congrats to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but not to the fans. As the fans waited for the team plane to land, they were packed in behind a guardrail like a herd of cattle — no social-distancing and very few face masks. After they got done yelling, cheering and jumping up and down they returned to their dorms, homes or work places, having no idea if they were spreading the coronavirus or not. The vaccine is being administered, but not quickly enough. Perhaps after the coronavirus is curtailed, Big Pharma can come up with a vaccine that will cure stupidity.

Nancy Wallick, St. Petersburg

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What’s in a name?

The Trump Highway

State Rep. Anthony Sabatini is sponsoring legislation to rename U.S. Route 27 as the “President Donald J. Trump Highway.” There is a common-sense rule. Don’t name things to honor people until the statute of limitations has expired.

Mike Pheneger, Tampa