Let Crosley Green go free; DeSantis: anti-everything? Letters to the editor, July 2, 2023

School board's silly focus

Are you kidding, Brevard School Board?

Do you not have anything better to discuss than 6-year-olds who want to wear bunny ears or 8-year-olds who like to wear a tail? Really? This is what you chose to put time, effort and money into — “furries”?

I think we all need to attends school board meetings and put an end to this silliness. Does the school board ever go into the real world and observe what the 22-to-45-year-olds are wearing? It isn’t a suit and tie and they don’t all have basic hair colors.

We need discussion on curriculum development, drug abuse solutions and employment opportunities for kids who stop at high school. We need school board members who don’t have their own personal agendas but rather, are thinking more about Brevard and the future for our students — really.

Furries.  Give me a break!

Laura Petruska, Melbourne

More: 'Driven by student voice': Brevard schools bans furry attire in updated dress code

Justice for Crosley Green

I must commend John Torres of FLORIDA TODAY's staff for continuing his coverage of the horrible injustices against our fellow citizen, Crosley Green. I have followed Mr. Torres' work on this case for quite some time and am bewildered that it continues to go downhill for Mr. Green. It seems that the legal establishment here, in of all places Florida, is not interested or is blind to the facts of this case.

I think we need to somehow put pressure on Gov. DeSantis to just pardon Mr. Green and get this fiasco behind us. Maybe FLORIDA TODAY can publish a petition to get citizens to sign and express their outrage and hopefully get the governor's attention. Meantime I plan on writing Gov. DeSantis myself for what good that might do. Others can do that as well.

George Minto, Titusville

Port bridge plans, problems

A June 29 FLORIDA TODAY article titled "Concerns raised over plans for port bridges" pointed to problems facing FDOT that have paused the project, but it would seem there is a simple solution.

If the goal is to prevent the snarling of traffic due to frequent drawbridge openings while allowing oversized barges carrying rocket parts, why not add a drawbridge to the apex of the new bridge being built?

The new fixed-span bridge is designed to allow most boat traffic to pass underneath.  If space launch companies are concerned that the new span won't be tall enough for rocket cargo barges, perhaps a drawbridge at the top of the new bridge would solve that problem. Constant boat traffic would not be impeded and the infrequent oversized barges would be accommodated. State Road 401 traffic would not be interrupted with drawbridge openings except on a very infrequent basis and intercoastal waterway boat traffic would not be interrupted. Oversize barge traffic would not be interrupted by insufficient bridge height.

This solution would greatly increase construction costs and employing a drawbridge tender would be an ongoing expense. The solutions to those issues is also simple: have the space launch companies contribute to the additional costs and do not staff the drawbridge. A drawbridge that is only needed on special occasions needs to have a human presence only on those special occasions; oversize barge shipment is known well in advance and bridge personnel can be placed only as needed.

Joel McPherson, Merritt Island

DeSantis: anti-everything?

What is wrong with the GOP and specifically, Ron DeSantis? Why is everything they do the most underhanded, dirtiest, meanest, most injurious way possible, along with their holier than thou "we know better than you do,” moralistic, condescending attitude? The Florida Legislature is in lockstep with DeSantis and grants him every little whim or wish he desires.

He is using "woke" to justify his never-ending hunger for power. He is also using government as a weapon to push his draconian ideals on privately owned businesses that disagree with his narrative and dare exercise their First Amendment rights to free speech. I mean, who messes with the largest employer in Florida? Really?

He has forever injured Florida and I can only imagine the damage he would inflict on America should he ever become president. There has to be accountability for his horrendous, authoritarian behavior and his careless disregard for immigrants, tricking and transporting them across state lines to unsuspecting Democrat-held communities.

DeSantis is so anti-everything, it’s hard to understand what he is for, except pain and punishment. DeSantis is anti-history, anti-women’s rights, anti-LBGQT+, anti-voter’s rights, anti-immigrant, anti-education, anti-teacher, anti-free speech and anti-Disney.

DeSantis is not only anti-democracy. He is by far, downright un-American.

Ricardo Alvarez Jr., West Melbourne

'I pray for our country'

The Florida governor and presidential candidate spews hate.  Hate for the “woke," hate for the “left," hate for immigrants, hate for books. His disrespect for everything and everyone he disagrees with is frightening. I wonder what he loves about the United States?

We are the greatest country in the world, warts and all. History shows we have survived and thrived after these individuals and their divisive rhetoric move on. I pray for our country and that we promote future leaders who are civil, compassionate, and love our country.

Catherine Kornek, Melbourne

Workers should be in US legally

Regarding the recent story titled "Industries brace for worker exodus": First, set the record straight with a root-cause analysis. If Florida's crops go unpicked, tourist hotels become short of staff, and construction sites go idle, the cause was self-inflicted by these industries. They chose to hire illegal immigrants for their personal/business gain. If they genuinely cared for them they would have taken them to a POE/agency and sponsored initiation of the naturalization process.

Naturalization is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the individual, or it may involve an application or a motion and approval by legal authorities.

The rules of naturalization typically include a promise to obey and uphold that country's laws and taking and subscribing to an oath of allegiance and may specify other requirements such as a minimum legal residency and adequate knowledge of the national dominant language or culture. So, the consequences of this inaction coupled with bad immigration policies will be borne by the illegal immigrants and consumers.

Congress should focus on securing the border and enforcing our immigration laws-not rewarding those who violated them by allowing them to live and work in our country at taxpayers' annual expense — estimated as high as $113 billion.

At its best this situation is terribly unfair to those who legally entered this country and followed the process to become American citizens.

Charles McRae Sr., Melbourne

Titusville council ignores citizens

Here, in part, is a letter I've sent to Titusville Mayor Dan Diesel.

Florida law requires the city council of a city to incorporate the city charter amendment into the city charter when it is approved by a majority of voters, even if the city council strongly disagrees with the majority of the citizens.

Titusville citizens voted 83% for The Citizens Right To Clean Water. Five council Members failed to do their legal duty. Only five privileged people overrule votes of the majority of citizens.

Who is the elite ruling group making policy rulings against the benefits of citizens who voted for you? It appears you represent developers and other organizations that have reduced our tree canopy, increased the stormwater volume, and polluted the IRL in Titusville enough to be rated an F-- by the Marine Resources Council.

Maybe you need to read the definition of an oligarchy — government by the few, especially despotic power exercised by a small and privileged group for corrupt or selfish purposes. Oligarchies in which members of the ruling group are wealthy or exercise their power through their wealth are known as plutocracies.

Political scientists have argued that the contemporary United States is an oligarchy or a plutocracy, because its great inequality of wealth and income (as compared with other industrialized countries) enables economic elites and corporations to influence public policy to their advantage, often against the preferences of the majority of ordinary citizens.

William Klein, Titusville

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: DeSantis wields 'woke' for power: Letters to the editor, July 2, 2023