Trump, who’s getting special treatment in his legal cases, should be held to higher standard | Opinion

Above the norm

Former President Donald Trump seems to be getting all sorts of legal preferences: delay after delay; a special grand jury before a regular grand jury in Georgia; a reduced bond in his New York case; the U. S. Supreme Court soon to decide if he is immune from prosecution; and numerous requests to return classified documents (the FBI finally took them).

Trump was president and wants to be again. That job includes running the Justice Department and nominating Supreme Court justices.

Shouldn’t he be held to a higher legal standard?

Tony Chifari,

Miami

Path of glory

Friends of the Underline and supporters took a very barren M Path trail and changed it into a glorious Underline of visual garden alternatives, showing the beauty of South Florida and a long open-air garden path to enjoy exercise and have fun.

What a glorious value to the Miami skyline. Certainly a great use of funds.

Gary P. Simon,

Pinecrest

Best choice

As a former member of the city of Miami’s Civilian Investigative Panel, I got to know and appreciate the steady hand of George Wysong. He is a superb choice for Miami city attorney — an honest, capable and experienced attorney.

That only embattled Commissioner Joe Carollo voted against Wysong’s appointment means he is absolutely the right person for this challenging job.

Doug Mayer,

president,

Stone Soup Development,

Coral Gables

Wrong targets

The demonstrations opposing Israel and its military response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack is despicable and hypocritical. While free speech is a bedrock constitutional right, attacking Jewish students, closing college classes and trespassing are not legal or constitutionally protected rights. Furthermore, these demonstrations are increasingly antisemitic, anti-Western and disdainful of the United States.

More galling is that the demonstrators fail to protest true human rights abuses, such as the enslavement of Muslim Uyghurs in China and the persecution of Iranian people by Hamas’ sponsor, the Iranian government.

Perhaps protesters should carefully examine the horrific human rights abuses committed by the true enemies of freedom.

Tim Seale,

Miami

Milk alternatives

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service recently decreed that dairy cows must be tested for bird flu, which has already killed millions of chickens in the United States. The unprecedented transmission of the H5N1 virus to cows has drawn public health concerns because cows, like humans, are mammals.

Although the precise cause of the outbreak remains uncertain, the horrendous conditions in today’s factory farms make egg and dairy production extremely vulnerable to disease outbreaks. Sick, crowded, highly stressed animals in contact with contaminated waste provide ideal incubation for viruses.

Indeed, 61% of the 1,415 pathogens (such as Asian flu, dengue fever, Ebola, bird flu, HIV, West Nile fever, yellow fever and COVID-19) known to infect humans originate with animals.

Each of us can help end animal farming and increase our own health by replacing animal products with delicious, healthy, cruelty-free, eco-friendly, plant-based meats, cheeses and ice creams most available at supermarkets.

Owen Abram,

Miami

Dynamic trio

Last week, a historic vote was cast in the U. S. House of Representatives to provide critical aid to Ukraine. I am proud that my Congresswoman, Maria Elvira Salazar, voted “Yes,” as did Miami-Dade’s two other congressmen, Reps. Carlos Gimenez and Mario Díaz-Balart. These representatives are a reminder of the GOP’s longstanding commitment to the defense of democracies around the world and opposition to Russian/Soviet threats.

It is not surprising the three representatives voted this way while many Republicans throughout Florida — and nationwide — did not. They understand the threats Russia represents because their own familial homeland was a Soviet satellite, as was Ukraine. They understand what it is to lose a country. They value liberty and America’s need to help an ally with weapons and economic support, specially when that ally is doing all the fighting.

Of course, there is another Cuban American from Miami who has chosen to turn his back on this proud legacy. Sen. Marco Rubio voted against aiding Ukraine. One can almost hear Fidel Castro cheering from his grave. Jose Marti must be rolling in his.

Steve Richards,

West Kendall

Justified shooting

Re: the April 21 story, “Judge set to free mom accused of stalking cop who shot her son. Police union objects.” Quite often we hear about police officers who were severely injured or killed by people with mental illness.

From past encounters, Miami-Dade Police Officer Jaime Pino was aware of how violent Richard Hollis could become. On this occasion, he first tried to subdue Hollis with a Taser, but eventually resorted to using deadly force. Pino did the best he could to bring a dangerous situation to an end, without the loss of innocent lives.

I can only imagine the grief Hollis’ mother, Gamaly, must be feeling and hope that one day she can have peace in her life.

Steven P. Signori,

Palmetto Bay

Dystopian future

The April 26 story, “Supreme Court’s conservative majority seems ready to limit election case against Trump,” no doubt pleases ex-President Donald Trump to no end. However, let’s take this argument a step further.

If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Trump and his total immunity request, this means President Biden not only has executive privilege but also “total immunity from prosecution” for any and all of his actions.

Biden could then arrest all the conservative Supreme Court judges, force them to resign and replace them with extreme left-wing justices, resulting in a totally liberal Court. Biden could also immediately arrest Trump, throw him in jail, suspend the 2024 presidential election and become president for as long as he lives — all totally legal, if SCOTUS rules that there should be no prosecution for any illegal acts.

Let SCOTUS deliver a knock-out punch to the Constitution, democracy, common sense and the GOP forever.

Edward Blanco,

Cutler Bay

Anything goes

Many years ago, the term “the end justifies the means” commonly referred to how and why communism functioned.

During former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial last week, testimony by former CEO of American Media David Pecker made it fairly clear that Trump and Pecker operated in a similar manner — do whatever it takes, legal or not, as long as Trump wins the election.

While one could never accuse either of being communists, it is clear that terms such as “respect for the law” and “do things right” was not in their vocabulary.

It’s a sad day for the United States to learn how this duo ran lies about opponents and buried real stories about Trump’s former sexual trysts. Not very democratic.

Juan A. Galan, Jr.,

Coral Gables

Reference section

A recently article in the Miami Herald described how college tuition has risen to more than $93,000 a year. As I watch the news these days, I wonder how parents of these students must feel about them spending day and night rioting instead of studying.

They are sleeping outside on the college grounds and preventing others from following normal routines. It might be a better world if they just marched back to the college library and tried to discover the real reasons for the mess they created.

William E. Silver,

Coral Gables

Danger zone

It’s a real blessing to have Publix do a major redevelopment of its old supermarket at 2551 Le Jeune Rd. in Coral Gables. However, the overhead parking facility in the proposed architectural drawing looks like a nightmare.

The drawing shows a long steep ramp to the top with very little space given to slow down before taking a left into the parking lot. It looks similar to the ramp at Whole Foods in South Miami. I know someone who crashed into the wall at the top of that ramp and permanently damaged their neck.

Our community should not have to face this danger. The Coral Gables City Commission has to look further into this before it is too late.

June Frost,

Coral Gables