Joe Bruno As we are nearing the end of 2020 – the most tumultuous year that I, a Libertarian Republican, has ever experienced in my more than seven decades on Earth – what disturbs me the most is that our country, our state and our city are more divided than ever before. In this community, for example, the extreme divides are among Democrats and Republicans, as well among conservatives and liberals. But what's most disturbing is our division on racial lines: I have lived in Sarasota for more than 25 years, and I’ve seen racism rear its ugly head here much more often than I saw during nearly 50 years of living in New York City.