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Will Floridians’ ‘freedom’ from masks and vaccines put others at risk? | Letters
Here’s what readers are saying in Monday’s letters to the editor.
 
Travelers with and without face coverings are pictured at Tampa International Airport last spring.
Travelers with and without face coverings are pictured at Tampa International Airport last spring. [ MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times ]
Published Jan. 23, 2023

Where will it end?

Heavy-handedness in the free state of Florida | Editorial, Jan. 20

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposal to permanently outlaw an employer’s right to require COVID-19 vaccines and masks puts Floridians at risk. Will surgeons no longer be required to wear masks during surgery? Could cancer patients and others with weakened immune systems be exposed to maskless, unvaccinated nurses and staff? Will families no longer be able to require vaccines and/or masks for caregivers hired to tend to an elderly or medically vulnerable parent, spouse or child in their own homes? Where does this stop?

J.E. Hanna, Tampa

Give us non-quack advice

Heavy-handedness in the free state of Florida | Editorial, Jan. 20

Here in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ free state of Florida, will we sensible adults be allowed to ignore the quack medical guidance from the state in favor of non-quack medical guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? As a free-born American, is it possible that I should fear state reprisal for wearing a mask in my doctor’s office or insisting that my medical team wear masks when they are serving my medical needs? Just how free will our governor allow us to be?

Brian T. Walkowiak, St. Petersburg

A loss is a win

Judge says DeSantis was wrong, but declines to restore Andrew Warren to office | Jan. 20

U.S. District Court Judge Robert Hinkle says that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ charge used as a pretext to fire Andrew Warren was “false,” but that he couldn’t constitutionally order DeSantis to restore him. This is a box of Cracker Jacks with no prize inside. This decision will sit perfectly well with DeSantis, because I think the end justifies the means for him.

Steve Douglas, St. Petersburg

Keep up the bird sanctuary

The McKay Bay bird sanctuary

The McKay Bay bird sanctuary is a stopping place to thousands of rare and endangered species of birds from all over the country but, in my view, the park has fallen into disrepair to the point that it is barely recognizable. The City of Tampa and other responsible agencies ought to be ashamed of forgetting about this natural wonder. Millions of dollars were spent on protecting the area during construction of the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, but it seems we’ve forgotten about all that in the rush to stuff more people into less and less space.

Joseph Registrato, Tampa