Editor, The Beacon:

Of late, it appears The Beacon is publishing disinformation, distortions and outright lies submitted by its readers. I refer to the recent letter asserting Gov. DeSantis is or acts as an authoritarian. The facts disprove the thesis.

Unlike Joe Biden, Gov. DeSantis did not sign executive orders restricting anyone’s rights or banning anything. DeSantis put forth public policy proposals. After public debate, the democratically elected Florida Legislature then modified and passed some of those as laws. These laws reflect the will of most Florida citizens. That is exactly how democracy works.

These laws are good public policy. They eliminate sexually explicit, pornographic and developmentally inappropriate books in our K-12 schools. The laws reassert state government’s accountability over a private for-profit Florida business; provide age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate educational materials for students in accordance with state standards; and return rights to parents in the educational discussion and decision-making affecting their children.

To be clear, when presented as part of an approved curriculum, students are permitted to hear and read about sex and gender. What is not permitted is the use of inappropriate materials and topics, as determined by the Florida Board of Education.

Reasonable people agree that K-12 students do not need to learn about butt-plugs, strap-on dildos and sexual fetishes, or read and discuss sexually explicit narratives.

As for the hiring of Ben Sasse as president of the University of Florida, Dr. Duane Mitchell, professor of neurosurgery and a member of the Presidential Search Committee, was quoted as saying, “This was an extremely thorough and exhaustive search featuring input from a broad coalition, and Dr. Sasse’s qualifications shone through.”

Further, it was the University of Florida board of trustees who unanimously voted to select Dr. Ben Sasse as the University of Florida’s president. That is not authoritarianism, but democratic governance.

In conclusion, while it is not in the public interest to publish disinformation, distortions and outright lies by your readers, I fully support The Beacon’s right to publish whatever it chooses.

Significantly, however, I think the public interest would be better served if The Beacon would report facts rather than lies, distortions and disinformation. It’s your call.

Bob Hoelscher

DeLand