The minority ruled

The Volusia school district reversed its policy that every student had to be masked. Why do people who don’t believe in vaccines and / or masks have more rights than those who believe in them? And those in the first group are just expressing their own freedom, and don’t selfishly care about a hit on others.

Following:Volusia school board revisits mask mandate and moves to parent removal policy

Every day, schools have high quarantine rates and students with COVID. How can children learn when they are outside for days? How can poor teachers keep up? How can we feel safe?

Thank you for explaining it to me.

Suzanne Fox, DeLeon Springs

People did not show up

Tuesday’s school board meeting demonstrated the enduring relevance of the verses from WB Yeats’ poem “The Second Coming”:

The meeting provided a perfect civic education lesson in local politics. The lesson would be titled Tyranny of a Minority: Patterns in Autocracy, Bullying, Bullying and Cowardice.

Autocracy was provided to Governor Ron DeSantis, and his policy of taking control of mask warrants away from local citizens and school boards and grabbing it in his own fist.

The intimidation and intimidation was carried out by a large group of loud and uncivil participants, several of whom had to be withdrawn (most were local, but others recognizable as part of the “traveling squads” which tour the groups. school board meetings statewide).

Cowardice was ensured by the superintendent and the chairman of the school board.

Going back to the opening quote, the lack of conviction was provided by the majority of local parents and Volusia County Democrats. The room was filled with representatives of the local parent minority who oppose the masking, but majority representatives who approve of the masking were hard to find.

Democratic leaders like Jewel Dickson and Scott Cleary showed up and spoke. But the majority of Democrats had more important obligations or meetings to attend. Paraphrasing TS Eliot, “This is how democracies end, not with a bang but a whimper.”

Wayne Dickson, DeLand

Hospitals have the same name

After reading about the virtual groundbreaking ceremony that begins construction of the new hospital, I am delighted that Palm Coast will be getting another AdventHealth hospital in our city.

Following:AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway’s virtual grand opening is scheduled for Tuesday

That being said, I remain concerned with the name AdventHealth has given it, as it is almost identical to our existing AdventHealth Hospital on State Road 100. How can residents avoid getting confused when it comes to the two different locations? , especially the elderly? The names of what will be completely different hospitals – AdventHealth Palm Coast and AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway – will no doubt cause problems unless the hospital system renames one or the other. I hope other local residents will talk about this issue so that the hospital system has enough time to correct this before the new hospital is operational.

Dave Gray, Palm Coast

A good heart

We were friends with Gloria Max for several years, and she and my late wife Beth were very sympathetic.

OUR POINT OF VIEW:Gloria Max fought, with everything she had, to improve the life of Volusia, Flagler

In 2017, when Beth was in the hospital, we saw Gloria walk past her room after visiting another patient. Beth asked me to catch up with Gloria and say hello. When I did, Gloria told her mate to continue and asked me to direct her to Beth’s room.

Gloria sat down with Beth, comparing their cancers and just chatting.

After Gloria left, I could see that she had uplifted Beth’s morale, which we both appreciated.

So, among her other wonderful qualities, Gloria was a true friend.

David Mindlin, Daytona South

Need more like Gloria

Your shining tribute to Gloria Max’s invincible efforts to improve the lives of everyone is an inspiration as well as a life goal and she has achieved both.

I met Gloria when I moved here 17 years ago. I supported and admired her because she was color blind and color blind through Federation programs to provide a backpack full of school supplies in every backpack she handed out.

The food bank was open to anyone who needed help and Gloria, that little dynamo, was there.

If the world were full of Gloria Maxes, we wouldn’t have divisions, we wouldn’t have riots, we wouldn’t be at each other’s throats and we would all be happy – but as they say Gloria was a anachronism; she saw the good in everyone.

In Hebrew we have a saying for the type of hero she was. It is said when someone does something extraordinary, and that is the biggest compliment you can give someone in Israel.

We say “Kol Ha Kavode”, which means “All respect”.

Kol Ha Kavode, Gloria.

Wm. J. Levy Ormond Beach

Trust the experts

Seeing that the COVID-19 pandemic is a medical situation, I choose our scientific and medical experts to find the best solutions to manage this very serious and deadly scourge. The economy will come back, but not the lives lost.

Deb Moersch, Ormond Beach

A nasty attack

The malicious attack on Gale Lemerand via social media is a shady attempt by Action Committee 314 to disparage Governor Ron Desantis. Action committee 314 claims to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) candidates while their real agenda is to support liberal and progressive candidates. 314 Action is registered as a social protection group under 501 (c) (4) of the US Tax Code. They enjoy the benefits of a non-profit organization, but don’t have to reveal who their donors are. Good luck finding out who is on their donor list. I doubt their smear campaign will be effective, but if it does, I would be proud to have Gale Lemerand as a friend or acquaintance. I’m sure he has plenty. I don’t know Lemerand or DeSantis personally, but I support them both.

Following:Ron DeSantis’ big donors highlighted in texts and social media posts to neighbors

My research revealed that Action Committee 314 supported Senator Mark Kelly and Senator John Hickenlooper. Kelly likely qualifies as a STEM candidate, but Senator Hickenlooper has a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in geology. The basic geology course I knew in college was called “rocks for jocks”. These two definitely take black money.

Considering that I meet three of the four qualifications to be considered a STEM, I wonder if Action Committee 314 would support my application if I were to run as a Dog Catcher.

Jim Shepherd, DeLand

Shut up and shoot

Last week, it was reported that America wasted 15 million doses of the COVID vaccine because it was not being used. I am ashamed to be an American when I hear this kind of news. There are millions of people around the world begging for vaccines and we waste them just like we waste food. Instead of wasting the vaccines on people here who don’t want them, give them to the Afghan refugees who will happily take them with the vaccines against measles, mumps, rubella, polio.

To hell with Americans who don’t want vaccines.

I was exposed to a 6 month old child with pertussis, a.k.a. pertussis, in Northwest Iowa as a traveling medical technologist. The 40 of us who were exposed to this infant had to take antibiotics. Why? The diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine does not protect us from becoming carriers later in life.

So we all had to take a preventative dose of antibiotics to prevent ourselves from passing whooping cough to others. Wow. No one said, “Well, I just don’t want to take antibiotics because of my freedom not to.” Why? Because we were healthcare professionals who didn’t want to pass the pertussis virus on to other adults or children. The infection control officer contacted each of us and said, “Come to my office. You need to take Z-Pac of antibiotics to prevent yourself from getting whooping cough.” And we went there!

Get rid of your excuses for not being vaccinated against COVID! Do you think anybody in that hospital said, “Well, I’m just not going to take these antibiotics?” No, because we care about the community and the children who make it up. What is wrong with you? Get the shot, dammit.

Joy Putnam, Ormond Beach