Letters to the Editor: Ron DeSantis fits right in with past disgraced Southern governors

To the editor: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ all-out culture war echoes a previous era. (“Florida Gov. DeSantis signs bills targeting drag shows, pronouns, bathroom use and transgender kids,” May 17)

Think back to 1954, when Southern state governors strove to block Black students from entering schools that had been restricted to whites until that year’s Brown vs. Board of Education ruling.

No doubt DeSantis would have stood firm with those bigots, the better to counter concepts that came to be known as critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion. Opposition to such concepts was widespread among whites, especially in Southern states.

Now DeSantis shamelessly panders to bigoted voters by terrorizing LGBTQ+ persons. Strive as he may to suppress history, it ultimately will be taught and come to judge him harshly.

Roberta Helms, Santa Barbara

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To the editor: It’s a good thing that DeSantis was throwing pens to his supporters at an evangelical Christian school during a bill-signing event. If he threw his stone tablet “anti-woke” agenda at them, he might have hurt someone.

Shawn Donohue, Thousand Oaks

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To the editor: How nauseating to open the paper and see DeSantis on the front page. Are we going to have to endure more than a year of this?

Jane Wilkens, Monrovia