Don’t out-Trump Trump

In Fla., GOP co-captains seem on collision course | July 31

I’m a registered Republican, but I am having a difficult time seeing a vote for anyone endorsed by former President Donald Trump — or who thinks like Trump or tries to out-Trump Trump himself. Donald Trump did some very good things his first two years in office. Then something happened, and it happened for the worse. Yet, it seems that every candidate wants to be connected somehow with him. I know that some may be some good people, but wanting support from or providing support to him feeds into the big lie about the 2020 election. What a shame that real Republicans have been so silent and there are no moderate Democrats or Republicans that can reel in the crazies from both parties.

Mario Rodriquez, St. Petersburg

Unity, not disunity

“Should Libertarians Root for a National Divorce?” | The left/right file, July 31

The last time the United States tried to get a “divorce,” more than 600,000 people died. Do we really want a repeat of that?

Carlos J. DeCisneros, Tampa

We need to learn

Lessons we should learn for what comes after COVID | Column, Aug. 1

Thanks to Dr. Shetal Shah for delivering an important message. Our inertia is no match for the velocity of a virus. As a retired epidemiologist, my sense of shame has spiked higher than the COVID case counts. I take a step beyond Dr. Shah’s fine prescription. The United States can’t contain monkeypox? As a society we’ve falsely put COVID behind us without looking in the rearview mirror. By any measure, especially relative to our putative advantages, our management of COVID and other contagions is shambolic. For all the many inquiries into less consequential system failures, and all the politicians’ election year promises of change, we have nothing aimed at examining our glaring deficiencies in epidemic control. It is unconscionable to face future wars, without better preparedness.

Pat Byrne, Largo