Letters to the editor from July 27, 2021

Prohibit drinking in public

I am concerned about the city commission’s recent vote allowing public drinking.

I have been working in the Drug Abuse Treatment field in Gainesville since the early 1990s. I am a huge advocate of responsible drinking by people who can drink moderately. However, there are people who, through no fault of their own, are unable to drink moderately.

Alcohol use disorders usually begin in early adulthood, while the prefrontal cortex is not yet mature. Young people at risk for these disorders are genetically predisposed to drug use problems and have no idea that drinking is opening a gateway to a potentially life-threatening situation.

During the football season, our emergency rooms are full of underage drinkers with alcohol intoxication. By allowing public drinking, we are putting these young people at risk.

Let’s rethink the extension of this regulation, which was initially allowed at the height of the pandemic, to keep our local restaurants open. Thanks to the vaccination, we enjoy the encounter more and we can dine better indoors. Let’s continue to protect our young people by requiring the proof of age that drinking indoors provides.

Joan M. Scully, Gainesville

Further letters:

Readers comment on removing ads from RTS buses and more

Readers comment on local power generation and more

Readers comment on the city commission’s meals and more

Reason for violence

Gainesville Police Department announced that “we have a problem on our hands” regarding violence in our city. Well … welcome to the party! Of course there is a problem. Did everyone think that the abolition of all social rules and limits would create a utopia?

Forty years ago, violence like the one we will experience in 2021 was very rare. Why? America was still a nation with social borders that offered no excuses for violent criminals. What is happening in Gainesville is directly attributable to the liberal agenda that is being imposed on all of us by local, state and national governments. Because of this agenda, people are being killed and yet those who spend our tax dollars still find a way to act in shock.

To add insult, the same officials continue to blame anyone and everyone for this “problem” when they are the direct cause of the “problem”.

Jeffrey H. Dissell, Gainesville

Regain courtesy

Edward Harmon’s most recent opinion column is certainly a perspective on our governor’s first term performance. My own take on Governor Ron’s job is a little less exuberant. I also believe black lives matter, so does that mean I’m kind of not your average Floridian as Harmon suggests?

Maybe we should all step back for a moment and take a deep breath. Very few of us are really the demons that the extreme right and left want to paint us as. We all have unique life stories, problems, and dreams that make us different from one another. Respecting these differences and learning from them is a first step in regaining politeness. Let’s take it.

How does DeSantis deal with a pandemic? Hey, he beat the coronavirus in May 2020 and took a taxpayer-funded victory tour. Keep that in mind when he runs for re-election next year.

Dave Young, Gainesville

Lies can kill

“We thought it was a joke.” These words are a common response from parents when they are told that their child or other family member has just died of COVID-19. Donald Trump and anyone who spreads such a lie is responsible for these deaths.

If you spread such misinformation in person or through social media, you are equally responsible. Lies can kill! Try to get a grip on reality. Stop telling lies like that and get vaccinated.

Thomas R. Weller, High Springs

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