Oxymoronic summit

Biden urges leaders to put focus on climate change at summit | Nov. 12

Let me see if I got this right. President Joe Biden and many world leaders are flying their fancy jets to Egypt and Southeast Asia to discuss climate change and how to reduce global warming caused by excessive use of fossil fuel. Can you say oxymoronic? Here’s a thought, how’s about a Zoom meeting?

Mark Campbell, St. Petersburg

Democratic ideals

A new endangered species | Nov. 14

To the writer of the letter titled “A new endangered species”, I say this:

A two-party system is what this country has long depended on to give all citizens a fair shot at self-governance. The writer ostensibly seems to prefer that a new-age Benito Mussolini arise from the Republican rubble to tell us all what to do, to silence our collective voice.

Well, that’s just plain dumb. There is everything right with Democratic ideals — empathy toward those less fortunate, affordable and universal health care, environmental protections, green new deals that move us toward an oil-free future and equal rights for all.

Rick Sherin, Tampa

A losing strategy?

DeSantis’ next act | Nov. 13

Yes Gov. Ron DeSantis please do as you said and spend the next years fighting the “woke” battles and continue to be the bully on the state block. I hope the Democrats completely ignore Florida and Texas, since Democrats obviously don’t need the electoral votes as evidenced by President Joe Biden’s 306 to 232 electoral victory in 2020.

After DeSantis turned Florida red, I believe, by redistricting, voter suppression and getting all those MAGA imports to move here, I say let them live in their “woke” bubble as the majority of the rest of the country has moved on and are looking forward to a more democratic country and not one run by a mini-Trump and his autocratic tendencies. So go ahead and ban more books, put down corporations practicing diversity and pretend we have a trans crisis that needs your attention. If the midterms are any indication, the rest of the country is looking forward to inclusive and democratic candidates. So good luck running as last years’ model.

John Hayes, Sun City Center

Democratic meddling

GOP’s political malpractice deflects potential red wave | Nov. 12

With all the articles and columns about how the red wave was only a ripple, it is curious indeed that almost all the news outlets and media are brushing under the carpet how the Democrat Party and affiliates are known to have meddled in 13 Republican primaries to promote and nominate far-right candidates. And 6 of the 13 that won the nomination went on to lose in the midterms. Perhaps the Democrats are just as guilty of meddling as the Russians.

David White, Clearwater

Oh, the irony

More abortions curbs eyed | Nov. 12

I wonder how many others saw the irony on Saturday’s front page with the headline “More Abortion Curbs Eyed” and right below a picture of Gov. Ron DeSantis standing in front of a sign reading “Freedom Lives Here.”

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Larry Johnson, Apollo Beach

And some more irony?

Florida midterm elections: Republicans’ historic night as it happened | Nov. 8

I would like to congratulate the DeSantis administration and the state of Florida for showing the rest of the nation how to manage an election in an accurate, fair, timely and credible manner. The same cannot be said of many blue states to your north and west.

As a Minnesotan who has relatives living in Florida, I would also like to congratulate your state for not electing the kind of radical, incompetent,and unethical politicians like those in many blue states. Your voter ID law and fair election controls play a big part in that outcome.

By contrast, a color coded political map of Minnesota shows the vast majority of the state is painted Republican red. Yet, our mostly red state is now nearly entirely controlled by urban Democrats at both the federal and state level. How is that deemed to be representative government when just under half of the state’s population voted Republican?

Be careful Florida. If you want to maintain representative government and fair and accurate elections, you had better hang on for dear life to your current election practices.

Corby Pelto, Plymouth, Minnesota

Random kindness

How to help this Thanksgiving in the Tampa Bay area | Nov. 14

To the gentleman in the Seffner Publix, who in a random act of kindness paid for my groceries today, a heartfelt thank you! My husband and I help three families with groceries, and now we have more to share. God bless you and your family. We will pay it forward.

Salli Gutierrez, Seffner