Chamber over chapel at Vero Beach Three Corners; Martin County golf woes; ageism | Letters

Replace wedding chapel from Vero Beach Three Corners with music venue

Regarding the Three Corners development in Vero Beach, whenever it should come, we do not need a ridiculous "wedding chapel."

We have a plethora, in fact, way too many churches here already.

What we need is a large, purpose-designed, public music hall. I frequently attend concerts, operas, etc., in Indian River County and almost always end up in a local church, staring up at some representation of the Christ figure. As a long-committed atheist, I don't feel comfortable at these venues. When I attend with Jewish friends, they like it even less.

But so no one gets too upset, I'm not advocating the removal of churches. But their total lack of sensitivity to the "nones" and residents of other religious beliefs is evident and appalling.

Three Corners offers an opportunity to create a space for all our area's music-loving residents without staring at Biblically inspired stained glass and crosses.

John Crosby, Indian River Shores 

Protect Martin County from even more toxic golf courses

Every man, woman and child in America has some glyphosate in his or her blood. We ingest it in the water we drink and in the food we eat. This is the chemical in Monsanto/Bayer AG’s Round-Up used as an herbicide.

In 2015, the World Health Organization’s Cancer Research Institute found a high probability that glyphosate is a human carcinogen. About 13,000 people have joined the lawsuit against Monsanto’s Round-up as it is linked to non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Glyphosate is banned in many countries.

Golf courses are created by removing native shrubs and trees from farmland, also planting a specialized grass that can be cut short. The courses are sprayed with herbicides to kill the broad leaf plants in the grass. Chemical fertilizers are sprayed to encourage grass growth. Large volumes of potable water are needed to irrigate the fairways. These chemicals slowly leach into the soil and into the canals and underground water systems and eventually they pollute our tap water. Golf courses should not be considered as conservation land when considering development.

Florida is faced with limited potable water for our growing population. With 35 golf courses already in Martin County, potable clean water is a serious problem. This issue is an important reason to protect the agricultural lands in Martin County from more golf course construction west of the urban services boundary.

Lizbeth Piel, Stuart

Nonviolent communication can be effective

According to a November 2023 article in Psychology Today, "The Meaning and Different Movements of Compassion: A Glimpse into How Being Compassionate is Both Active and Dynamic," by Dr. Angelica Attard, the definition of compassion means "noticing pain in others or oneself and doing something helpful to prevent further suffering."

A great way to be compassionate, to truthfully interact, is by practicing nonviolent communication. Practicing passive-aggression, badgering others, lying (making up the past), backing people into corners, manipulating others or worse, carrying out aggression and violence are not just ways to communicate. Not communicating clearly and carrying out actions based on ulterior motives won't go over well, either. Nonviolent communication is a great way to interact with other individuals and groups.

Dr. Marshall Rosenberg developed the nonviolent communication technique during the 1960s and 1970s. The purpose of nonviolent communication is for empathy to exist between communicating parties. Rosenberg began The Center for Nonviolent Communication in 1984. It is now an international program. He wrote "Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life" in 1999.

The three modes of nonviolent communication are: self-empathy, receiving empathetically and expressing honestly.

Rosenberg used two animals in his psycholinguistics work to compare violent and nonviolent communication. The first, the carnivorous jackal, represented violent communication, aggression and particularly violence. The second, the herbivorous giraffe, represented the nonviolent communication strategy. The giraffe represented a communication style that uses clarity. Since giraffes have large hearts, they well represent the compassion of nonviolent communication.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to practice compassion through nonviolent communication. Think of those who have been treated with violence or abuse who struggle to communicate effectively. I hope that passive aggressors and badgers learn to interact more effectively without manipulating by learning nonviolent communication techniques.

Anna Santacroce, Fort Pierce

Israel's AI-generated attacks on Hamas over the top

While the Israeli Defense Forces claim they've acted with “proportionality and precision” in their military operations in Gaza, Israeli reporter Yuval Abraham uncovers a different story. Abraham works for +972 Magazine, a cooperative media effort between Israeli and Palestinian journalists.

Abraham notes the IDF was given “expanded authority for bombing nonmilitary targets” in Gaza by a “loosening of the constraints concerning Palestinian civilian casualties,” CNN said. The Israeli military has relied heavily on artificial intelligence to target Hamas leaders. Abraham says: There’s been “very little reliance on human sources” (in determining targets). One Israeli intelligence officer told Abraham he’s given approximately 20 seconds to green-light an AI-identified target that, if executed, would kill dozens of civilians.

Abraham spoke to three Israeli intelligence officers who’ve been planning these targets for three months with the help of AI. One officer told Abraham: “Palestinian life has very little meaning” regarding IDF bombardment planning. For example, previous IDF bombing protocols limited civilian casualties to five or fewer for senior Hamas commanders. Today, the metric is vastly different: 700 Palestinian civilians killed per one Hamas commander assassinated. The International Court of Justice at The Hague trying Israel for war crimes will find such damning information pertinent.

Abraham learned that after the second week, Israel’s assassination targets were based primarily on an AI system called “The Gospel.” Most targets were junior Hamas leaders/fighters home at the time of the attacks, killing, on average, 15 to 20 family members, friends and neighbors.

When asked how Abraham felt about such indiscriminate attacks on Palestinian civilians, he said he and his colleagues are “shocked by such a disparity.”

It appears Israel has adopted an old Turkish proverb: “It’s not only the fault of the ax, but the tree as well.”

Cray Little, Vero Beach

Republicans send scary message in Iowa

Iowa Republican voters confirmed Republicans continue to believe that despotic white guys who encourage an illiterate citizenry and believe women are baby-making machines even if it is against the women's wishes are the best suited to govern our great America.

Joan Fox, Vero Beach

Ageism disappointing; vote with country in mind

Although it might seem to be an anathema for those who were raised in red homes to even think about voting outside of their designated lane, it may be a better idea to vote for the party nominee who will protect our democracy instead of blindly following the family/political party line and voting for a man who has previously tried to destroy our country and its ideals.

Never forget Jan. 6 and the violent coup attempt incited by the former president.

There has been a large outpouring, especially on late-night shows and right-wing media, of comments concerning Joe Biden's age. I, as an aged woman, find this ageism offensive.

I am proud of my astuteness and don't find my age negatively affects my ability to seek facts over hyperbole and disinformation. I believe the same of President Biden. There is only a three-year difference in age between Biden and Donald Trump, but perhaps folks are not aware of that since they view dyed orange hair on one and white hair on the other.

We must exert our voting rights and stop this attempt by certain members of a certain party to place an unqualified man on the ballot in 2024. The recent vote in Colorado to keep Trump off of the Colorado GOP primary ballot was actually brought to the forefront by Republicans there.

Haven't we patriots finally been given positive news to assuage all of the daily bashing of the current president, who is a longtime legislator with real-time experience?

The alternative is not a viable choice if you want to continue to live in a free country that hasn't been handed over to Vladimir Putin by his crony, DT.

Sharon E. Garland, Hobe Sound

Do homework before deciding which presidents are 'decent'

Not long ago a letter appeared here cautioning citizen voters to choose decency in the upcoming election. The writer mentioned a few presidents he categorized as decent.

Unfortunately, he labeled Franklin Roosevelt as decent. We all know him as the one who thumbed his nose at our first president, George Washington, and 30-something more, who limited themselves to two terms. Washington had set the precedent and all decent presidents followed.

FDR was antisemitic, as were many well-known men of the time: Charles Lindbergh, Ambassador Joe Kennedy, etc.

We know from history that FDR wanted to “spread the Jews thin.” This supports the world view of American government's “tepid response to the Holocaust.” Some of FDR's pre-presidential writings include references about Jews, Asians and immigrants in general.

In the 1920s, his words on Japanese immigration: “Anyone who has traveled in the Far East knows that the mingling of Asiatic blood with European or American blood produces, in nine cases out of ten, the most unfortunate results.”

No specification included. Most of these books of FDR's are housed at his library in Hyde Park, New York.

Remember the Japanese internment camps? Parents were in them with all possessions taken, while many of their sons fought Japan in World War II.

Reviewing his administration's immigration policy, U.S. immigration would allow 26,000 annually, but rarely reached that due to the many extra requirements FDR piled on.

So, yes, choose decency, but do your research first.

Audrey Taggart, Hobe Sound

Review the facts: Jan. 6 was clearly an insurrection

Alternate facts given in a recent letter must be refuted.

The Colorado Supreme Court found Donald Trump violated the Fourteenth Amendment and therefore is not eligible to run. The U.S. Supreme Court does not hear only cases decided by a jury. My guess is neither does the Colorado Supreme Court.

I am sure most people present and protesting at the nation’s capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, had no preconceived notion to attack the Capitol police nor damage the building. Insurrection leaders were there to prevent a constitutional function and ordered them forward.

Seditionist actions of violence against government doing its job and damage of government property done in concert with others is insurrection. That some were violent, shouting to hang or intimidate our constitutionally chosen representatives, is insurrection. Worse, President Donald Trump watched it unfold on TV in a White House lounge for several hours when he could have ended it STAT! Isn’t that “aiding and abetting”?

The letter writer alludes to the Washington Crossing and proposed sarcastically: Suppose George Washington’s troopers were told to grab their flagpoles and attack the Hessians.

By coincidence, the day the letter appeared, the PBS News Hour showed a video of a Jan. 6 insurrectionist using a flagpole to strike the head of an outnumbered and downed Capitol police officer. By force of that insurrectionist’s blows, that officer easily could have been killed. Just prior, FBI radios warned of seditionists in trees with assault rifles and other guns, some with scopes. In Arlington, a cache of military and other weapons awaited insurrection leaders' commands.

As far as an "overzealous Capitol police officer” mentioned in the letter, the woman shot was “aiding and abetting," trespassed into the Capitol and encountered that barricade. The officer did his duty; she died.

Stop watching Fox News.

Richard C. Silvestri, Fort Pierce

Trump, politics, justice nonsensical mix

Day after day, we read or see on TV the latest of Donald Trump's legal troubles.

Day after day, Trump or his attorneys turn to one standard line to defend him: “You cannot do this to the leading candidate for the presidential election.”

The truth is the government charges people every day for the exact same crimes Trump was charged with; only they’re not the leading candidate in a presidential election.

There seems to be no denial that the acts alleged were committed. In the document case, Trump admits to keeping government property.

An Air Force officer is in prison for committing crimes similar to what Trump is charged with. Would it be safe to say if this Air Force officer were running for president and he was the leading candidate, he would be released?

What about the drug dealer who publishes the judge's address?

If I declare myself candidate for mayor, will I be allowed to commit crimes in Stuart if I’m the leading contender?

Republicans scream politics are neck deep in our court system, as they scream for politics to rescue them from the court system.

Don Whisman, Stuart

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Vero Beach 3 corners; Martin glyphosate; presidential picks | Letters