Follow the Golden Rule

Anti-LGBTQ tide pushes teacher’s aide in Pasco to give in, walk away | Sept. 18

Isn’t it a sad irony that a group calling themselves Moms for Liberty seems to be against the freedom to live your life in the way that you want without interference from other people on one’s way of life, behavior or political views — the actual definition of liberty? And doesn’t it scar your soul that in their quest they call dissenting friends, family, neighbors and strangers they never met “hate filled” without reflecting on their own attitudes? We should all be trying to raise our children and ourselves by the Golden Rule, which is found in nearly all religions and cultures.

Jeayn Fahey, New Port Richey

What is stopping them now?

What readers are saying about Gov. DeSantis and the Martha’s Vineyard immigrants | Letters, Sept. 17

Gov. Ron DeSantis claims that he spent Floridian’s hard-earned taxpayer dollars to fly the 50 immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard because he heard that they were going to come to Florida. So since they have landed and gotten off the planes, what is to keep them from coming to Florida now?

K.C. Nayfield, Crystal River

Keep the feds out of health care

Americans give health care system failing mark | Sept. 18

I was astonished to read in this article that “about two-thirds of adults think it is the federal government’s responsibility to make sure all Americans have health coverage.” It seems to me that most of the things we have allowed the federal government to do for us, it does extremely poorly. Health care rates right up at the top of that list.

Tim Baldwin, San Antonio

The aims of education

UF offers a life-changing opportunity to all students | Column, Sept. 19

The chairman of the University of Florida Board of Trustees, Mori Hosseini, was pitching the numbers just as any good corporate CEO would, because it’s all about cooking the numbers and making everyone involved feel good about their program. Back in 1872, Friedrich Nietzsche wrote a series of lectures, “On the Future of our Educational Institutions,” in which with almost a clairvoyant’s ability, the great philosopher spelled out what the UF trustee is proclaiming. Nietzche stated, “Here we have utility as the goal and purpose of education, or more precisely gain: the highest possible income. … Culture is tolerated only as it serves the cause of earning money.” Lofty goals of being a better person and transferring that greatness in the form of advancing culture is second to making a buck.

Brian Walkowiak, St. Petersburg