Letters from November 24th, 2021

Fair redistribution needed

The Republican-led Florida Legislature has a sordid history of gerrymandering US Congressional and state legislative districts during the once-a-decade redistribution process. In 2012, a Florida judge threw out the Legislature’s redistribution cards, stating that “… Republicans”[s] actually conspired to manipulate the reassignment process … and corrupt it … with inappropriately partisan intent. “

With 28 seats in Congress, Florida is vital to control of the US House of Representatives, where a national shift of five seats will result in control of Republicans. The seats of the state legislators are also at stake. Although lawmakers promised to have a transparent process, they refused to host public meetings across the state or to broadcast committee meetings live.

The public can only participate by traveling to Tallahassee, where they must participate from a remote location via Zoom. Additionally, both the Congressional and state election committees have simultaneous sessions, forcing the public to only attend one or the other when traveling to Tallahassee.

Florida residents deserve a fair, transparent, community-driven redistribution process that is not influenced by party politics. District gerrymandering undermines democracy, reduces minority representation and leads to electoral suppression. Please contact the members of the Redistricting Committees in Florida (www.floridaredistricting.gov) and ask them to make this process transparent and fair.

Rebecca Darnell, Gainesville

Further letters:

Readers comment on Dan Mullen’s firing, Hawthorne High Football, and more

Readers comment on the new school council chairman, the Rittenhouse case, and more

Readers Comment on Birth in Alachua County Jail and More

Flags represent ideals

A lot of people in the United States don’t like it when the Confederate flag is hoisted. After all, it stands for racism and represented the Confederate States of America. The north has won and therefore the flag should no longer be hoisted.

There is another flag that represents the ideals of those who flew it and the horrors that were committed under it, i.e. the Nazis in Germany in the 1930s and 40s. Yet there are those who still march under that banner. They are white racists and are generally known for being very violent when advocating their beliefs.

Today we have many hoisting Trump flags. Despite all the lies and misunderstandings, Donald Trump lost the 2020 elections and there was NO widespread fraud. The flag therefore represents a defeated enemy, that is, those who led an uprising against the United States to depose the future president.

I believe that the hoisting of this flag is saying that the person wearing it is in favor of the armed insurrection against the US they are merely showing their continued support and are not the enemy of the US. But these are exactly my thoughts when I see this flag flying.

Thomas R. Weller, High Springs

Not so proud

Those who willingly participated in the January 6 riots seem proud of their accomplishments, especially as former President Trump praises and supports their efforts. As the leader of the National Socialist Party, Adolf Hitler would be proud of her too. Suspend the American government, demolish American taxpayers’ buildings, have American citizens killed in their own country. . . what more could he have asked for?

For the rest of us, having to pay to repair the damage and burying family members … not so proud. This is not the democracy our founding fathers planned, and not the America for which these men died on the beaches of Normandy. Shall we greet Donald now while we wave the Nazi flag?

Thank goodness I’m in my 85th year. I apologize to the generations to come.

Asa Godbey, Gainesville

Join the conversation

Send a letter to the editor (up to 200 words) at letter@gainesville.com. Letters must contain the author’s full name and place of residence. For more guidelines on submitting letters and lengthy guest columns, see bit.ly/sunopinionguidelines.

Journalism matters. Your support matters.

Get a digital subscription to the Gainesville Sun. Includes must-have content on Gainesville.com and Gatorsports.com, the latest news and updates across your devices, and access to the Gainesville.com ePaper. Visit www.gainesville.com/subscribenow to sign up.

The post Letters from November 24th, 2021 first appeared on Daily Florida Press.

from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/letters-from-november-24th-2021/