Brightline pros, cons; DeSantis vs. LGBTQ+ folks; defend porn in schools? AR-15? | Letters

Brightline might have safety issues, but it would be useful

I have to give a thumbs down to Brightline primarily for safety concerns. You can only pray the gates operate safely 100% of the time and no high-speed derailment occurs with close proximity to busy roadways and adjacent to infrastructure.

There certainly are benefits for tourists to move throughout the state and commuter convenience for those that have proximity to a local station. Depending on fare structure, as a local, I would consider using it to access the various airports and to visit larger cities. Although the travel time may be the same, the comfort of sitting back and relaxing vs. being stuck in heavy traffic does make it an appealing option.

As columnist Laurence Reisman noted, local small airport service is a great addition to the area. However, I lived near one in metropolitan New York where the airlines would come and go or have abbreviated schedules, which is a major problem. The smaller budget airlines have a modest number of planes and often there are delays and cancellations they cannot overcome.

If the airline is flying only a couple of times a week to a destination and it cancels, who can afford to wait a few days or even a week to reschedule? Vacations are planned with hotels, car rentals, etc., so it can be costly to rearrange plans. Daily service is necessary for it to work with minimal inconvenience.

Ed Kipp, Vero Beach

Treasure Coast home to railroad version of Russian Roulette ?

Maybe they should rename “crossing the railroad tracks along the Treasure Coast” to “Brightline Roulette.”How about “Florida’s New Population Control Plan.”Bob Dowgiallo, Vero Beach

Here's one way to help homeless on Treasure Coast

In most communities like ours, it’s hard not to notice the homeless all around us. It’s even harder for the average citizen to know how to truly help. The issues are vast and complex with homelessness often being just the most visible symptom of those affected.

In Indian River County, we continue to see more working families in crisis. The pandemic exposed economic fragility and widespread hardship that can lead to housing instability for families.

We have a network of government, nonprofit and other organizations working together on this important issue. Organizations such as Catholic Charities’ Samaritan Center are making difference. We're providing help hope for homeless families in need of shelter. With the goal of keeping families together, our dedicated team of professional case workers, counselors and trauma specialists provide life skills and educational programs with our partners.

We’re making a difference in these families’ lives, but we need help.

That brings me back to the issue of most people not knowing exactly how to help. We’ve got a meaningful way to get involved. From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 2, Samaritan Center will hold our Soup Bowl fundraiser. By donating for a bowl of soup, anyone can join Samaritan Center in helping families to transition from homelessness to living independently.

Visit the Vero Beach Heritage Center and locations throughout Indian River County that day to make donations and receive a bowl of soup and/or pottery bowls made by the local artists of Indian River clay. It’s a humble fundraiser resulting in housing, nutritious meals, mental health therapy, transportation, and job training for the homeless. We anticipate more than 20 participating locations and 1,200 handcrafted bowls from which to choose.

Got to facebook.com/SamaritanCenterSoupBowl for event details.

Renee Bireley is development manager of the Samaritan Center, Vero Beach

Alzheimer's: Make Treasure Coast a better place to age

No one wants to talk about Alzheimer’s, but the silence is destroying our community and families. An estimated one in eight seniors is living with this disease. Add in the caregivers that support them, and you’re looking at thousands impacted.

I know what it's like to be touched by Alzheimer's. My husband passed away in August after 10 years living with this terrible disease. It was a bittersweet experience that brought our family closer and made us stronger in our faith.

But what power do we have to create change?

First, we must demand our elected officials continue to support dementia priorities. With the state legislative session only a few months away, now is the time to ask our officials to increase Alzheimer’s funding for respite and research, while supporting bills to make Florida dementia capable. Sen. Gayle Harrell and Rep. John Snyder, thank you for your past support and please continue to support these critical programs.

Second, in our own families, we must not let the stigma of this disease keep us silent. Ask for help when you need it. As caregivers, take time for yourself and your own health. Reach out to organizations like the Alzheimer’s Association for support and to let your voice be heard.

I hope you can join me at Walk to End Alzheimer’s Treasure Coast Nov. 4 at Indian Riverside Park. At 9 a.m., we will have a beautiful promise garden ceremony followed by the walk. Register at act.alz.org. Together, we will make Treasure Coast a better place to live and age.

Amarily Norton, Port St. Lucie

Great-grandmother: Hard to grasp book bans, DeSantis attack on LGBTQ+ community

As a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and a resident of Stuart, I am disgusted with these book bans in Florida, with many initiated by Moms for Liberty.

I believe that only parents, family and anyone involved with the student’s education should be involved with which books should be considered for removal. No one from the outside should be allowed in the board meetings or be allowed input for book removal. No one should have the beliefs of outside groups forced down the school district’s throats.

How could all of Jodi Picoult’s books be banned?  I learned so much from them about people with different backgrounds than mine, such as about Amish families and what it is like to grow up in their communities. Kids in Martin County are blocked from learning from her books.

Right now, there is so much hatred, which I partially attribute to the governor, such has his attack on the LGBTQ+ community. This is not what kids need to see, as they might learn this hatred is acceptable and think it is OK to discriminate against other people.

When I was a kid and if I heard there was a book kids should not read, I would have found a way to find it and read it. Many kids today would do the same, only much more easily with their electronics.

I do not blame teachers for wanting to get out of Florida. Very sad. At least, according to recent polls, our governor is very unpopular in the other 49 states, so he will not be able to force his unpopular views elsewhere.Beverly Anderson, Stuart

Find truth behind why folks seek to keep porn in schools

“This is one way to chill, silence and demonize parents,” said Nicole Neily, president of Parents Defending Education. She was referring to parents who want to have a say in their kids’ education, who speak at school board meetings and then are attacked.

We’re seeing this right here in our county, where a rash of incidents have been blamed on our parents' groups without any proof. They must be over the target because they’re taking incoming flak constantly.

It started during Jackie Rosario’s reelection campaign when someone posted a negative sign about her opponent.  With no evidence ever found to support the claim, it was used to attack Jackie’s supporters … false flag?

Now it’s death threats attributed to parents with no proof of origin. That’s right: All that screaming about threats to board members and others? Those threats can be tracked. Where are they coming from? Show us.

Folks lawfully gathered at a school board meeting to finally get garbage books our of our school libraries after two years of trying; yes, two years. And they are the villains who must be demonized. Parents are not asking for any books to be banned (or burned), they’re asking the district not to provide pornography to minors — period.

And books: We’re told to accept what I believe to be the campaign ploy of a school board candidate whose supporter posts a picture of classroom bookshelves taped off and then laments this is because of those terrible parents and the state. Oh, the humanity. And this makes the local news. Who, again, is dividing us?

Why are people so bound and determined to have this pornography in our schools? What do people gain from silencing and demonizing parents and community members? Why are these books there to begin with? Get past the smokescreen and attacks and find the truth. It isn’t pretty.

Susan Mehiel, Vero Beach

AR-15 protected gun under Second Amendment?

Our government is instrumental in its failure to protect our people and our children.

Article II of our Constitution gives the right to our people to keep and bear arms, and that right will not be infringed. However, our government has the responsibility as to the limitation, magnitude and potence of certain weapons of mass destruction and death.

Has the AR-15 rifle not proven itself over the past three decades to be the No. 1 killing weapon in America? The consequences of selling such weapons to the general public are beyond my comprehension.

This article and its amendments also call for a well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state to execute the laws, suppress insurrections and repeal invasions. Where was the militia when all of the school massacres were taking place? I would not expect our schoolteachers to put their lives on the line to replace our trained, regulated militia. Our government has not called forth our militia to execute our laws or protect our citizens.

Millions of people — children, teachers, people of all walks of life, have been taken from us. How much more proof does our government need to wake up to these truths?

Frank Reynolds, Vero Beach

Republicans better off for United Auto Workers

Spokesmen for the present administration claim it's the most pro-union in history.

Consider this: The president used his annual speech before the United Nations to continue his crusade for the Green New Deal (GND). Are the leaders of the United Auto Workers listening? GND advocates phasing out vehicles with internal combustion engines by 2030 or 2035.

The UAW is strongest in the industrial Midwest, and its members work mainly in factories where vehicles with internal combustion engines are made. The administration promotes the sale of electrically propelled vehicles (EVs), which require 60% fewer worker-hours to build. Many EVs are made abroad; domestically built ones are assembled mainly in right-to-work states where fewer workers are union members. The UAW supported the current administration in the 2020 election, but it didn’t get what it expected.

Frankly, I feel sorry for UAW workers because they (like the rest of us) have experienced higher prices (up more than 17% overall and up 80% for gas) since the current administration took office. With the present administration, most UAW jobs will disappear.

In other words, the Democratic Party with its GND is not a friend of the UAW. A  Republican administration in Washington would relax the GND, drop plans to ban internal combustion engines, stop mandates for EVs and resume oil drilling to reduce gas prices.

Remember the good old days before 2021? We could buy what we wanted; the annual inflation rate was around 2%; and gas was $2.40 per gallon?

Tom Miller, Vero Beach

Cost way higher to let Ukraine fall to Russia

My career included conducting security risk assessments, in which threats to highly sensitive operations were established and security measures created to mitigate losses, should these threats actually occur.

The cost effectiveness (balance of losses and cost of security measures) was always a consideration. I believe it should be a “no-brainer” for the United States to provide all the vital weapons Ukraine needs to win this battle against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The financial cost continues to be extremely high. However, the cost to us, the United States and our allies, for allowing Putin to take complete control of Ukraine would be catastrophic.

Russia, China, North Korea and others would be emboldened to attempt other bad acts, including incursions into other countries. Worldwide economies would be adversely affected as would financial institutions, the import and export of gas, food and many products critically needed to maintain our daily lives.

Our government knows this is true; the economists, political and security analysts know it’s true. Don’t be fooled by those saying it’s too costly to continue to provide military aid to Ukraine; the cost of not continuing aid will be the worst-case scenario.

Joseph M. Reading, Hobe Sound

What would Reagan think of Ukraine strategy?

What rabbit hole are some House (and one or two Senate) Republicans heading down?

They’re tired of supporting Ukraine? It’s like messaging to Vladimir Putin: “Hold on, Vlad, we’re here for you!”

Remember Ronald Reagan talking about the United States being the “shining city on a hill”? We’re supposed to represent a democracy for others to aspire to, not one that breaks promises — domestic and foreign — depending on who is in power.

And here’s another quote (think Neville Chamberlain): "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.”

So they think throwing Ukraine to the wolf won’t affect our country’s security or our relationship with our allies? Good grief!

Anne Brakman, Vero Beach

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Brightline ups, downs; GOP OK for UAW; Ukraine debate; AR-15 | Letters