An iron lung, an iron will

Thrived while using an iron lung after polio | Obituary, March 17

I am studying with Dr. John Sinnott at the University of South Florida. As a student interested in preventive medicine, I wish to share an insight on vaccination. In the case of Paul Alexander, who recently died after surviving 72 years in an iron lung as an unvaccinated polio victim, I was struck by how much human suffering could have been avoided by the simple act of vaccination. Despite his paralysis, he obtained a law degree, wrote a memoir and became a TikTok sensation. How much more would the world could have benefited had he been vaccinated? How much suffering would have been prevented? Like the archaic iron lung, vaccine-preventable illnesses should remain relics of a past age. He left an important message for today’s parents. Vaccines save lives.

Stephanie Oehler, Tampa

Reagan and Trump

Reagan would never cast a vote for Trump | Column, March 19

I agree with the writer, the former secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan, that the Gipper would never vote for Donald Trump. But when he adds that he himself will not vote for Trump or Joe Biden, I would inform him that a vote for the No Labels candidate would, in fact, effectively be a vote for Donald Trump.

David Burg, Tampa

What chaplain bill will do

If DeSantis signs chaplain bill, Nevada Hindu eager to volunteer | March 17

This story says that “Lawmakers who support the bill ... argue that volunteer chaplains will help the shortage of mental health counselors in schools.” Are these the same legislators who fear the grooming and indoctrination of children in schools? Will they set a curriculum for what these chaplains are allowed to talk about? They have no problem with a lay person filling in for a professional counselor. How’s about diverting some of the millions of dollars they allocated to the school voucher program to hiring professional counselors who are trained in mental health issues?

Sharon Smith, Land O’ Lakes

Meandering speech

What a doctor sees when Biden hesitates | Column, March 12

I am neither a psychiatrist nor a neurologist. However, I have worked with psychiatrists and neurologists, and I have sat through team meetings to come up with care plans for their patients with dementia. I also had the personal experience of my grandmother disappearing into Alzheimer’s beginning in in her 60s and her husband who aged normally and died at 94. From what I can see, former President Donald Trump is following the path of my grandmother and President Joe Biden is aging normally like my grandfather.

Symptomatically, nothing that Biden exhibits looks like anything but the normal aging of an 80-year-old man. His age is a valid concern considering the heavy responsibilities of office, but it isn’t his mental acuity that is the problem.

Trump does pretty well as long as he is reading the teleprompter and sticks to the script, but when he wanders off into ad-libbing, he creates word salads and when compounded with his tendency to fabricate things that are not true he becomes disassociated from reality. Trump’s speech problems look to me like schizophasia, glossomania and receptive aphasia. These can be evidence of actual dementia.

The media should be doing some investigative work to tell the public why Trump’s speech is so meandering, confused and often incoherent, considering how much time they spend on Biden’s gait, gaffes and word choice since they are unlikely to signify a serious mental disability like dementia.

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Harley Lofton, Palm Harbor

What about Trump?

I saw it in my mother-in-law | Letter, March 17

In response to this letter, I wonder why the writer is not addressing the same sort of remarks against former President Donald Trump? Trump has been confused about the fact that he is running against President Joe Biden and not Barack Obama; he has confused Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi; and at one point at a recent rally and reading from a teleprompter Trump became so confused he simply stopped speaking and let out a frustrated “Arrrggg!” These are just a few of Trump’s mishaps. It is very common for older people to lose their balance and fall but has nothing to do with their cognitive abilities. I will vote for Biden even at 81 years of age over Trump’s insanity any day. At least I know Biden will surround himself with good competent people and not those who are loyal only to Trump and not our Constitution or to the United States and its people.

Betty “Bea” Dreier, Tampa

A cease-fire proposal

Cease-fire talks with Israel, Hamas expected to resume today | March 17

President Joe Biden should make a public proposal for ending the conflict. Propose that Hamas release all the hostages and Israel agree to a three-month cease-fire while permanent terms are agreed upon. I believe the Israeli public will demand their government accept the terms. If Hamas cares that their population is starving, they will accept it too. If they don’t care what happens to their civilian population, the onus will be on them.

Barbara Byars, Tampa

Stay in your car

After the green, I wait | Letter, March 15

I must caution the letter writer not to proceed with his plan to approach the honking driver behind him at the stop light, purportedly to discuss intersection fatalities with him/her caused by red light runners, lest he himself be shot dead. Here in Florida, he could legally meet his demise in explaining why he hesitates for a few seconds after the light turns green, if an armed driver views his advances as threatening. His good intentions — and his life — could be wasted needlessly.

Richard W. Sherin, Tampa

The time and place

The line at the grocery store

Recently at the grocery store I was talking to the customer in front of me whose brother had lost both of his legs in Vietnam about how the country has changed from the one he had served and in so doing, had given up his ability to ever walk again. Though we were not holding up the line and only talking while our very expensive items were being rung up, the woman behind me said, “This isn’t the time and place for that.” I turned around and told her that I will decide when it’s the time and place. I said that although some people may want the government to try to take away our First Amendment rights of freedom of speech, we still have those rights. She gave me a very angry look but didn’t say another word. Now is the time more than ever before to stand up to the bullies who will not stop until all of our freedoms are gone.

Charles Michael Sitero, Ormond Beach

The popular vote

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact would guarantee the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The bill would make every person’s vote equal throughout the United States. It would ensure that every vote, in every state, will matter in every presidential election. We should elect the president by a vote of the people in all 50 states, and the winner should be whoever wins the most votes. Please back a national popular vote bill in Florida and in every state. When we vote for every other office, the candidate who gets the most votes wins. It should be the same for president.

Scotty Moniz, Tampa