Letters to the Editor for August 3, 2022

At the last meeting of the Nova Republican Club, one of our members showed me a plastic packet with rice in the bottom and enclosed anti-Semitic statements.

Of course, the statements were not signed by the cowards who wrote them. She was angry about the disgusting bigoted statements being thrown in people’s driveways.

I showed the packet to our Jewish members so that they would be aware of the hate that was being spread.

I wish to state that the NOVA Republican Club and the Republican Party do not condone nor support in any way this hateful bigotry. We do support the Jewish American people and the State of Israel.

It does not matter whether they are Republican or Democrat. As Americans, we must stand together with the people of the Jewish community and the country of Israel. We denounce this type of bigoted hate against any group of Americans whether because of religion, race, or ethnicity.

Frank Patti

President of the NOVA Republican Club

Venice

School police should only be patrolling

Editor:

I wrote to the editor about the Sarasota schools police force not having any direction in securing the schools in September of 2018.

After reading the article in Venice Gondolier, four years later, the same security problems exist. The police officer is in the lunchroom, stating his job is forming relationships

No, his job with his 9mm gun and 3 loaded magazines is to be at the front of the school to stop any intruder that could cause harm to students and teachers.

Please do not tell me that school is safe if he’s in the lunchroom.

Warren Beneke

Venice

I had trouble getting a COVID drug

Editor:

It’s criminal.

COVID-19 hit the world with a bang and as our local paper strongly inferred in Saturday’s edition, we are experiencing a comeback!

Many people I know have rallied from this virus with the help of Ivermectin. They helped me find a doctor willing to interview me and write an Rx for Ivermectin.

Sadly, it was nearly impossible to fill this prescription. One pharmacist at my usual chain store flat out told me that she would not risk her job by filling the prescription.

Once I found a willing pharmacist, I had to sign a release form and pay $125 because my insurance would not pay a dime.

Within 12 hours, I felt it working. By the end of 5 days, I tested negative twice.

In Africa, people had taken Ivermectin prophylactically for other reasons for decades and they had the lowest rates of COVID – until they were pressured to stop allowing its use.

In Mexico, they had a similar experience. So, what gives here in the U.S. and with WHO? Why is my government scaring doctors, hospitals and pharmacists from allowing us to have a very old and safe medication that is effective against this scourge?

Cathy Grippi

Venice

I was in trouble, and SMH-Venice saved me

Editor:

Thank you to the SMH-Venice staff.

On June 28th, I had planned to take my husband to lunch to celebrate his birthday. As it turned out, he accompanied me to the ER at SMH. I was having difficulty breathing and my chest was heavy.

The valet parked the car, the admissions desk was prompt and courteous, and I was taken directly into the ER. There, Dr. Alberto Soyana was the provider.

As my breathing became almost impossible and my blood pressure climbed to extreme levels, he instructed the staff to put me on a bipap. An X-ray was taken, and it showed I was filling up with fluid.

An oncologist, Dr. Rahib Loutfi, came in and told me it was not my lungs (which I suspected because of my asthma), but my heart. Of course I said, “My heart is good!”

But I was indeed undergoing congestive heart failure and the ER doctor told my husband they were going to admit me.

During my 3-day stay, I had excellent care by all the staff. I got regular reports on my condition and was able to keep my daughter, Tiffany, a traveling nurse then in North Carolina, updated. She assured me that I was receiving excellent care.

I want to say a special thanks to the nurses, Colleen, Ivan, Lauren and Samantha. I couldn’t have gotten through it without you. Also, thanks to the Cath Lab.

I thank God that SMH came to Venice.

And yes, I did get to take my husband to lunch.

Gail Palmer

Venice

Don’t vote for who the Proud Boys like

Editor:

Not a fan of the Proud Boys?

They were active in the Jan. 6 insurrection and now proudly attend and disrupt School Board meetings in Sarasota and elsewhere.

If you’re not a fan of the Proud Boys, then skip the ZEM candidates for School Board. All three are supported by Proud Boys, their wives and extremist associates.

Consider these excellent choices for School Board: Dawnyelle Singleton, Lauren Kurnov and Nora Cietek, highly qualified candidates who champion public education and will work with parents, students, and teachers for the best outcomes for all.

Every voter in Sarasota County can vote in all three School Board races, Aug. 23.

Everyone — of all political parties and no party — can also vote in the State Senate race Aug. 23 between Joe Gruters and Michael Johnson because it is a Universal Primary.

I am concerned that Gruters sent three busloads of people from Sarasota to the rally in Washington that fired up insurrectionists at the Capitol, Jan. 6.

Why is he radicalizing the people?

Now he heads a nationwide GOP “Election Integrity Commission” that coordinates voter-restriction efforts in states across the country.

That’s even more concerning.

Why is he trying to suppress the vote?

The other candidate is an unknown, but perhaps not working as hard as Gruters to undermine faith in our elections.

I’m voting for Dawnyelle, Lauren and Nora for School Board because I know they will strengthen public education for all.

But in the Senate race, I’m voting for the other guy.

Kindra Muntz

Venice

Biden can be blamed for many of our ills

Editor:

Our president is an embarrassment. He can’t seem to walk and talk at the same time. What does that say about the left’s thinking process.

We can blame the traitorous fake news for electing him to the most important/powerful job in the world. Just for starters, we can thank Biden for the boneheaded Afghanistan debacle; next, his kissing up to the crazy green leftist, doubling gas prices in less than two years and igniting the highest inflation in 40 years.

And let’s not forget our border crisis. We can’t take care of our own homeless and mentally ill. I’m not a Trump fan but I like his message, i.e. drain the swamp on both sides of the isle.

Unlike every other president in my lifetime, Trump fulfilled every campaign promise and more except healthcare, thanks to his arch enemy John McCain.

Alert: time to think outside the box. Although it hurts, I feel it’s my patriotic duty to offer this advice. Why? We cannot take another two and a half years of either one of the two cabbage heads in the White House.

Here is my advice; Biden should force his cackle laughing, worthless VP to resign, then name a true moderate VP and not be fixated on race and gender.

Next, he does the honorable thing and resigns before his policies push us over the cliff. This would give the left a little hope for 2024. Not to worry, after the November election, “47” will be a lame duck president.

Keith A. Shaffer

Venice