SRQ DAILY Jun 8, 2024
Saturday Perspectives Edition
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"This event has become a key ingredient in our local economy, boosting business for our local restaurants and making Sarasota County a better place to live and dine."
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An exchange online with congressional candidate Eddie Speir left me wondering at one point heated debate reaches for nihilism.
Speir last year filed against Republican Vern Buchanan and continues to challenge him ostensibly “from the right.” The two candidates face off in an Aug. 20 Primary, the winner a likely favorite in November. Speir claims he’s the conservative choice, and it’s Buchanan who provides lip service to voters. But does that framing cast conservatism as any type of philosophy on its own, or just as an effort to denigrate institutions from the outside while destroying them from within?
The conversation I had involved the apocalyptic nature of Speir’s campaign rhetoric. It started after he posted a photo of a Buchanan sign in front of a psychic shop, a sign he said of "dark forces aligned with political power." Mind you, I don’t think much of psychics, though I consider them more con artist than venders of sacrilege. Regardless, Speir he made a leap tying Buchanan to what he perceived as an unholy business.
“We are in a spiritual war,” Speir posted. “… The enemy of our souls is hard at work eroding our foundational values.”
As I reset my vision from a painful eyeroll, I shared online my own pessimistic forecast for Speir’s campaign based the language he employs. Forgive the editorializing, and one forgotten word I’ve filled in here: “If you see the appearance of a Vern sign near a psychic's existing business as a signal of a coming apocalypse, and (one) that only your GOP Primary victory can stop, I have some very bad news about the impending end of days.”
Speir ultimately offered a detailed response that touched on COVID protocols, Ukraine funding, the Green New Deal and the general failure by media figures like myself to properly share “the truth” with consumers. Feel free to read his post here.
Speir also interpreted my response as accusing him of being a “megalomaniac,” though that wasn’t my intention. Rather, I meant to satirize the seemingly high stakes he assigned to defeating Buchanan. I reject the notion this race represents anything more than a congressional primary. Speir chose to challenge a lifelong Republican and long-time member of Congress, arguably now the most powerful member in Florida’s congressional delegation as vice chair of the House Ways & Means Committee.
Honestly, it’s silly to suggest Vern Buchanan isn’t conservative. Most likely, Speir as a Republican himself agrees with Buchanan on more fundamental questions about government than I do. Sure, Buchanan represents a particular element of the broader Republican electorate. He’s a pro-business, Chamber Republican, not a culture warrior. But he’s also pro-life, anti-regulation and fairly hawkish on foreign policy.
He's also squishy on gun rights and relatively solid on environmental issues. I’d argue that shows he also listens to his entire electorate, even many not inclined to vote Republican. Democrats in the fall will surely argue he doesn’t do that enough. But the moderation he does sometimes draws criticism from the right. That’s the process.
Still, one can’t help but wonder if Speir takes so many positions contrary to Buchanan not because he’s “more conservative,” but because he’s utterly contrarion. I don’t mean he cynically opposes anything Buchanan supports. I mean his anti-establishment viewpoint derives entirely from opposing whatever consensus can survive in Washington these days.
Phrases like “the uniparty” became vernacular in today’s self-proclaimed “hard right,” casting aspersions against anything Democrats and Republicans agree upon as inherently wrong. Sometimes that even aligns so-called conservatives with the far left, though Speir assures voters he hates those heathens as well.
This happens when agendas exist not as philosophies themselves but as resistance to a surely evil status quo. But democracy works best when powered by constructive agendas, not self-righteous demonization of fellow Americans.
Jacob Ogles is contributing senior editor of SRQ MEDIA.
Image courtesy Pixabay.
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Last weekend's Socratic Stage Dialogue Symposium at New College of Florida, co-hosted with the Global Liberty Institute, served as a beacon of hope in an increasingly polarized world. Reflecting on the symposium held alongside an esteemed collaborator Dr. Scott Atlas, where more than a dozen preeminent scholars and over 200 attendees engaged in wide-ranging discussion and debate.
The symposium stood as a refreshing oasis of civil exchange in an era where echo chambers and ideological divisiveness often dominate public discourse. One of the most remarkable aspects of the symposium was the diverse array of perspectives represented on stage. Experts from disparate fields — humanities, law, public health, economics and beyond — converged to engage in thoughtful debate and exchange of ideas. This diversity enriched the discussions and challenged participants to reexamine their beliefs and assumptions.
Of course, such conversations are not without their challenges. There were moments of heated debate and disagreement, as one would expect when passionate individuals come together to grapple with complex issues. Yet, what truly distinguished this event was the prevailing spirit of mutual respect and intellectual curiosity that infused every discussion.
In an age where cancel culture and intellectual intolerance threaten to stifle dissenting voices, the symposium served as a powerful reminder of the importance of robust debate and open inquiry in academia. It reaffirmed New College’s commitment to upholding the principles of free speech and academic freedom, even — and especially — when confronted with ideas that may challenge our beliefs.
One of the most pressing concerns facing liberal arts schools across America today is the alarming number of graduates who receive diplomas without ever having their beliefs challenged. This issue has been simmering for years, quietly eroding the foundation of rigorous education. If students are shielded from opposing viewpoints and never compelled to defend their beliefs in the crucible of debate, can they truly claim to have undergone a thorough intellectual journey?
The closing keynote address from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the symposium underscored the significance of civil discourse as a cornerstone of higher education. His remarks reaffirmed the state's commitment to fostering an environment where grappling with tough questions and respectfully contesting contrary viewpoints are integral to the educational experience.
At New College, we actively work to ensure the rigorous educational development of thoughts and beliefs paired with an ardent ability to defend them. Our students have unparalleled access to faculty, working in partnership on everything from class schedules to exemplary undergraduate research projects. The undergraduate theses of New College graduates are dissected by faculty committees and defended by the student with the vigor seen in many colleges’ graduate degree programs.
Outside of daily classes, we offer programming like our Socratic Stage Dialogue Series, which this weekend’s symposium was part of, putting experts in the spotlight to debate contemporary and historic matters of public interest.
When I first came to New College in early 2023, holding events like Saturday’s symposium was one of my goals. Now I hope to see the demand for more of them outgrow the Sainer Auditorium and command a larger space on campus or perhaps even a shift to larger venues within the Sarasota community.
If you didn’t have the opportunity to join us last weekend, you can view each expert panel and the Governor’s remarks in our Socratic Stage Archives.
In closing, I urge my fellow academics and university leaders to join me in embracing civil discourse as a guiding principle of our institutions. Let us continue to champion the free exchange of ideas, even - and especially - when it challenges us to think differently. Only then can we hope to fulfill the true promise of higher education: to seek truth, foster understanding, and ultimately, to make the world a better place.
Richard Corcoran is President of New College of Florida.
Screenshot courtesy New College of Florida
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June is my favorite month here in Sarasota County. It marks the return of the annual event that is very special to me – Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week.
Now in its 19th year, Savor Sarasota runs from Saturday, June 1 to Friday, June 14,. It is a delightful celebration of our Visit Sarasota County partner restaurants, offering mouthwatering two-course lunches for $25 per person and three-course dinners for $40 per person, along with upgrades including wine flights and cocktail pairings. Savor Sarasota has become so much more than just about the food; it is about bringing our wonderful Sarasota community together to support local restaurants and hospitality workers.
In 2005, I helped spearhead this program along with restaurateurs like Michael Klauber to shine a light on Sarasota’s vibrant and growing restaurant scene during what was typically a “slow season.” We saw an opportunity to showcase how our community is a paradise for food lovers, offering a rich, bountiful and eclectic mix of cuisines from cutting-edge to classic, local to global, all thanks to the creativity and spirit of our chefs and restaurateurs. This event has become a key ingredient in our local economy, boosting business for our local restaurants and making Sarasota County a better place to live and dine.
To get the word out about Savor Sarasota, we’ve engaged the full breadth of our VSC resources. We have implemented an advertising campaign focused on digital placements within the state, including paid social media ads. Our PR team has launched a campaign to secure earned media opportunities via broadcast and online stories. On our VSC social pages, we are utilizing video content, ad campaigns and digital amplification of custom content, featuring select Savor Sarasota restaurants and chefs on Facebook and Instagram.
We’re also engaging our audience through opportunities to win exciting prizes. Over at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, our visitor experience staff are handing out Savor Sarasota menus, along with treats being served during Savor Sarasota to arriving visitors to encourage them to come out for a meal during their visit. As an example, Hamlet’s Eatery will be providing a watermelon drink one afternoon to arriving passengers near baggage claim.
These initiatives are all done as an effort to build upon the great success the program has experience over the years. Last year, 63 restaurants participated in the program. Combined, they served over 20,000 lunches and dinners generating nearly $700,000 in revenue. We expect to exceed those numbers this year.
We invite everyone to visit SavorSarasota.com for all the latest information on the event. When you do visit one of our amazing restaurants during Savor Sarasota, please make sure to tag @VisitSarasota on Facebook and @VisitSarasotaCounty on Instagram and incorporate the hashtag #SavorSarasota! I expect after a meal or two at one of our amazing restaurants, June may become one of your favorite months as well.
Erin Duggan is President and CEO of Visit Sarasota County.
Photo courtesy Visit Sarasota: Crab & Fin Restaurant.
Visit Fresh Harvest, the newly launched weekly farmers market in Downtown Wellen. Fresh Harvest offers a selection of local goods from nearly 40 local vendors. Fresh Harvest takes place every Sunday in Downtown Wellen from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Attendees can peruse different vendor booths and stock up on a variety of goods. Vendors will offer a wide variety of locally grown and produced food, including herbs, spices, cut flowers, teas, canned and preserved fruits and vegetables, syrups, baked goods, pickled foods, fresh seafood, meats, poultry, eggs, milk and prepared food and beverages. A limited selection of craft vendors also participate in the farmers market. For a listing of participating vendors and more information on Fresh Harvest Farmers Market, visit wellenpark.com/events/fresh-harvest-farmers-market. Downtown Wellen, 19745 Wellen Park Blvd., Venice.
Attention all business professionals. Join us for a productive and inspiring coworking event every Tuesday at Out and About Coffee in downtown Sarasota. Take advantage of this opportunity to network and collaborate with fellow professionals in a relaxed and comfortable environment. Limited spots available, so register now on Eventbrite. O and A Coffee Supply, 1316 Main St., Sarasota.
Connect with local business owners at every Thursday at Oscura. Lets Connect is a community of collaborative business professionals from the Manatee and Sarasota County areas. RSVP on Eventbrite to attend, admission is free.
Siesta Key Rum runs free year-round tours for guests to learn the story of the craft distillery, the awards they have won and the secret to how they make their rums taste so good. During our 30-45 minute tour we will discuss the following topics: history of Siesta Key Rum, an overview of the awards our small company has won, what makes our rums taste so good, the rum-making process from mashing and fermentation to distillation, barrel aging and bottling of our rums. After the tour, we welcome you to sample a freshly made Siesta Key Rum cocktail, stock up on your favorite rums and browse our gift shop. 2212 Industrial Blvd., Sarasota.
Experience some of the best food and flavors of the region with more than 100, and still growing, curated vendors. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch has fast become a favorite weekly tradition for people from all over the region seeking farm-fresh produce, delicious prepared foods, and specialty items and gifts. Aside from all the goodies you can shop at the Farmers Market, find your flow in a free yoga class or have the kiddos get creative during weekly-hosted workshops. 1561 Lakefront Dr., Lakewood Ranch.
Clyde Butcher: Nature Through the Lens will be on view through August 31, 2024 at the Historic Spanish Point campus. Selby Gardens is excited to present the extraordinary imagery of photographer and conservationist Clyde Butcher throughout the grounds of the Historic Spanish Point campus. Large-scale prints on aluminum of Butcher’s beautiful photographs of plants, animals, and habitats of Florida will be exhibited amid the natural landscape of the 30-acre waterfront preserve, enabling the public to engage with the artist’s work like never before. In the tradition of earlier landscape photographers like Ansel Adams, Butcher captures the beauty and majesty of America’s natural treasures in dramatic black and white. The unique environments of Florida have been subjects of particular interest to Butcher since the 1980s, when he was first introduced to the magic and mystery of sites such as Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park. Nature Through the Lens will include Butcher’s photographs of regional locales such as Myakka River State Park and Casey Key. This exhibition is presented in partnership with the Clyde Butcher Gallery & Studio in Venice, Florida. For more information, visit selby.org.
Enjoy the extraordinary opportunity to experience the work of contemporary artist Shinique Smith in conversation with the collection of European art at The Ringling. Unfolding across six galleries of the Museum of Art, the exhibition creates a series of unique stories that together form an abstract narrative of the parade as a metaphor for life. Well known for her monumental sculptures created from an array of materials, including luxurious textiles, personal clothing, dyed fabrics, ribbon, and wood, and for her abstract paintings of calligraphy and collage, Smiths work in this exhibition speaks to various facets of the European artistic tradition, such as classical drapery and religious iconography, while foregrounding notions of Black femininity and the history of the circus. Learn more at ringling.org.
Join us for live jazz at Sarasota Art Museum, hosted by the Jazz Club of Sarasota, featuring Hot Club of SRQ, and extended hours in the galleries, Bistro, and SHOP. Sip on refreshing cocktails and enjoy small bites in the Bistro. Each second Thursday of the month features a different style of jazz, from straight-ahead to free jazz, bebop to swing-programmed in partnership with Jazz Club of Sarasota. Galleries are open until 7 pm on Jazz Thursdays. Learn more and purchase tickets at sarasotaartmuseum.org.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens will present Yayoi Kusama: A Letter to Georgia O Keeffe as the eighth iteration of its annual Jean and Alfred Goldstein Exhibition, which examines the work of major artists through the lens of their connection to nature. The exhibition, which will be on view from February 11 through June 30, 2024, at Selby Gardens Downtown Sarasota campus, will explore the unexpected yet profoundly impactful mentoring relationship that developed between iconic artists Yayoi Kusama and Georgia O Keeffe. The theme of the upcoming Goldstein Exhibition is the latest announcement of programming planned for Selby Gardens 50th anniversary season. For more information, visit selby.org.
Join us for Space Saturday, the first Saturday of every month, as we explore a different topic in the world of astronomy. During Space Saturdays, you will discover an out-of-this-world activity during Backyard Science, formerly Science Sprouts, in The Mosaic Backyard Universe, explore space with a staff astronomer during KidSpace in The Planetarium, and finish your day with an astronomy-themed story during Tales Under the Tree. To learn more, visit bishopscience.org.
Enjoy a day of art and family fun at Sarasota Art Museum. On the second Sunday of each month, we offer free admission for visitors, special performances, and art-making activities for the whole family. To learn more, visit sarasotaartmuseum.org.
The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is excited to welcome Air Supply to Sarasota on Sunday, November 17, 2024, at 7pm. Tickets start at $41.57 and can be purchased at www.VanWezel.org, by calling the box office at 941-263-6799 or by visiting the box office Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. VIP packages are also available. Groups of 10 or more should contact 941-263-6726. Pre-show dining is available through Mattisons at the Van Wezel which is located inside the theatre. Reservations can be made on VanWezel.org or through the box office.
From May 10th- October 18th, Sarasota Opera House will be showing classic movies as timeless as the theater itself. Our Classic Movies at the Opera House series begins on Friday, May 10. HD at the Opera House series begins on June 9. Tickets on sale now! This lavish tribute to circus life, features three intertwining plotlines concerning romance and rivalry beneath the big top. Action sequences include a show-stopping train wreck. The film won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Story. Directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, Dorothy Lamour, Cornel Wilde, and Gloria Grahame. Running time: 2 hours, 32 minutes.
Sarasota Opera, 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
From May 10th- October 18th, Sarasota Opera House will be showing classic movies as timeless as the theater itself. Our Classic Movies at the Opera House series begins on Friday, May 10. HD at the Opera House series begins on June 9. Tickets on sale now! This Marx Brothers classic is a satire about the nature of war, politics, and affairs of the state. Directed by Leo McCarey and starring Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo Marx, and Margaret Dumont. Running time: 1 hour, 8 minutes
Sarasota Opera, 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
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