I will leave the mean-spirited generalizations about the people who live in Florida alone in this rebuttal to Darryl Benjamin’s commentary and present facts.
Florida is 52.7 % white, 26.8% Hispanic and 17% Black while Vermont is 92.2 white, 2.2% Hispanic, and 1.5% Black from U.S. Census data. Not much for Vermont to brag about there.
Additionally, it is well documented that Black Americans are leaving liberal Northeast blue cities like New York and Chicago, among others, and heading for (trigger warning) the South. Florida is also amazingly gay-friendly. Some towns like St. Petersburg and Miami have multiple gay areas and Wilton Manors, in a 2018 election, had an all-LGBT+ governing body.
As for Mr. Benjamin’s nonsense about Publix or Winn Dixie, they are exactly like Vermont’s Hannaford’s or Shaw’s. Additionlly, farmers markets are as good and abundant in Florida as they are in Vermont.
Lastly, I would like to say that anyone can knock a house down. It takes a skilled carpenter to build one. Mr. Benjamin is no carpenter.
Mickey J. Nowack
West Wardsboro
