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After 77 years, I’m still in search of this ‘white privilege’ | Letters
Here’s what readers are saying in Friday’s letters to the editor.
 
The statues of the Vietnam war memorial at Orlando Veterans' Memorial Park are silhouetted with the American flag on the eve of Veterans Day.
The statues of the Vietnam war memorial at Orlando Veterans' Memorial Park are silhouetted with the American flag on the eve of Veterans Day. [ JOE BURBANK | Orlando Sentinel ]
Published Dec. 2, 2022

What is this ‘white privilege’?

I know white privilege | Letter, Dec. 1

Please help me find my white privilege. I am 77 years old and still in search of it. Where do I sign up for it? Am I too old now to take advantage of this mystery called white privilege? I worked two jobs while in college, worked my whole life, served in the Vietnam War, never was arrested (because I never gave law enforcement any excuse to arrest me), received about half a dozen traffic tickets that I probably deserved in 60 years of driving. Is this mystery called white privilege based on obeying the law, working your whole life, treating others the way you wish to be treated? If so, then I have white privilege. If it is based on some other facts, I am not sorry I missed the boat.

John Spengler, Spring Hill

A work of fiction

DeSantis fuels 2024 speculation with book | Dec. 1

So Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new book, “The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival,” is supposedly about the courage to be free. How is restricting abortion rights a measure of freedom? Prohibiting gender-affirming medical procedures, banning books in schools, preventing discussions of woke-ness or genocide? Removing an elected official from office because you disagree with his opinions? This is not my idea of freedom. Ignoring history to avoid guilty feelings — as I believe the anti-woke law requires — may lead to repeating the mistakes of the past. Restricting freedom of choice and freedom of speech are both very serious infringements of individual rights. I guess that the governor’s book will be a work of fiction.

Dave Hinz, Clearwater

Define ‘free’

DeSantis fuels 2024 speculation with book | Dec. 1

I guess it depends on what “free” means. If it means free to ban books that in the governor’s opinion should not be used in schools or you can’t say gay or he will, in effect, decide who will be your next school superintendent, then Florida is a free state.

Joseph Marra, Venice