Wednesday's letters: Accept LGBTQ community, insure fish farm, learn seizure first aid

Venice: Open your hearts to LGBTQ community

The backlash against the Venice Pride Festival and the LGBTQ community is disheartening. The phrase “we the people” means everyone, not just the vocal and conservative majority.

What I saw at the festival was life affirming. I was proud that my church was there to welcome all worshippers. I was proud that my bank was there to welcome customers from diverging backgrounds.

And I was proud to learn about community resources for health, service and civic engagement.

More: How to send a letter to the editor

The Herald-Tribune article focused on outrage about things I did not witness, but if the reporting is accurate, then surely festival organizers will make modifications for future events. What I did see were hecklers filming participants in an intrusive manner. I also saw a group of young men circling the festival in a threatening manner.

I call on the people of Venice to open their hearts to diversity.

Show the LGBTQ community that it can emerge from the shadows without fear or intimidation.

Work with Venice Pride organizers to ensure that the festival is an annual event in Centennial Park.

It’s time for hatred of the LGBTQ community to stop.

Anne Harrison, Venice

GOP won Florida after redrawing districts

In “Welcome to Red Florida,” a guest column Nov. 17, Todd Carney barely mentions the fact that Florida recently underwent Republican redistricting. This redistricting was gerrymandered by Gov. Ron DeSantis himself, even beyond what one would expect from a Republican-controlled state Senate and House.

In a move that was unprecedented, DeSantis submitted his own congressional map, overriding the state’s map. His map, which reduced the number of African American access districts by half, appears to be in clear violation of the Fair Districts provisions of the Florida Constitution.

Voting rights organizations filed lawsuits, but the governor managed to delay the hearings until after the midterm elections. Take a look at Alabama and Louisiana, where similar Republican gerrymandering of predominantly African American districts also occurred.

When Carney refers to Florida becoming a “conservative haven” and that “Florida will become out of reach for the Democrats,” the basis is built upon eroding voting equity. He appears to support the concept that instead of voters choosing their representatives, it is the representatives who get to choose their voters.

Roxanna Gomez, Nokomis

Make sure fish farmers on hook if they fail

Let me add a comment to the Nov. 20 letter about the experimental fish farm proposal in the Gulf (“Make fish farming a true experiment”). Remember: It’s an “experiment.”

Some well-respected scientists say it will work; others say it’s a recipe for disaster. For one thing it’s located in the shallow water of the Gulf, just 45 miles from Sarasota, exactly where some think it could feed a massive red tide bloom.

If this happens, it will devastate our tourist industry and many businesses on Florida’s west coast. The last major red tide bloom (2018) cost our west coast businesses an estimated $184 million! And our taxes were used to help many of them recover.

So here's an idea: if this “experiment” is allowed to proceed, our Tallahassee representatives should insist that the company carry $185 million in liability insurance.

No corporation should ever be allowed to just walk away from a business “experiment” and leave the rest of us on the hook for millions of dollars if it fails.

It’s called corporate responsibility.

Pete Tannen, Sarasota

Learn do’s, don’ts of seizure first aid

More than 450,000 Floridians have been diagnosed with epilepsy. Epilepsy can strike anyone, anytime, anywhere.

November is Epilepsy Awareness Month and JoshProvides Epilepsy Assistance Foundation wants everyone to know the do's and don'ts of providing seizure first aid.

Do stay calm. Do note the time the seizure starts and ends. Do cushion the head and remove glasses. Do turn the person gently on his/her side to prevent choking. Do loosen ties or anything around the neck. Do clear the area of objects to prevent injury.

Do stay with the person until he/she is awake and oriented. Do call 911 if the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, if the person is injured, if recovery is slow or if there is difficulty breathing.

Do not put anything in the person’s mouth. Do not restrain the individual during the seizure. Do not offer food or drink until the person is completely alert.

The mission of JoshProvides is to improve the quality of life for those living with epilepsy and other seizure disorders. The first step is to educate the community and promote awareness.

Sandi R. Chapnick, co-founder, Andria Bilan, CEO, and Monica Caldwell, client care manager, JoshProvides Epilepsy Assistance Foundation, Sarasota

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Time for hatred of LGBTQ to end, DeSantis' map helped GOP win Florida