Letters: Don’t remove sex education, reproductive health from Duval County Public Schools

I am a Duval County Public Schools graduate, the daughter of a retired DCPS teacher and the mom of two children in the same middle school that I attended.

To say I am disappointed that the supplemental education materials for reproductive health and disease prevention were removed from the School Board agenda this week (just hours before the meeting) is an understatement. Not only because it deprives our children of their right to comprehensive education, but because it has set a precedent that when you are vocal and aggressive, you will get your way.

Moms for Liberty espouses “Parental Choice” and “Parental Rights.” However, this group has actually advocated eliminating parental choice by removing health curriculum as it relates to sexual education. DCPS has always provided a parental opt-out for such curriculum. That is the definition of parental choice in our public schools. I received the opt-out form on day two of this school year and declined to sign it. That is my right.

Every student, whether they, their parents or caregivers' consent, has now been opted out of comprehensive health curriculum until the district writes its own. That is a shame.

Public education is for every child. I don’t co-parent with other parents and the 130,000 students in our public school system don’t answer to a group of people who continually show up to School Board meetings promoting a distorted agenda. I also don't want a small sector of the community using their beliefs to impact the broader health and safety of our youth.

Comprehensive health education has proven to reduce unplanned adolescent pregnancies and sexual activity, prevent intimate partner violence and educate about consent, as well as reduce the rate of sexually transmitted infections.

Knowledge saves lives. It's why we teach math, reading, science and history — and it is why we teach reproductive health and sexual education. A vocal minority and a governor with a national political agenda should not influence the health, safety and public education of our children.

Katie Hathaway, Neptune Beach

Jax Beach headed in dicey direction

The city of Jacksonville Beach appears to be moving toward a Stalinesque form of government. First, they introduced the innocently named Amendment 6, “Eliminating Compelled Meeting by City Council Members and Acknowledging Supermajority Requirements.”

Hidden in the text is that this referendum would change the City Charter and the number of votes needed to remove an appointee from a simple majority to a two-thirds vote of the council. Why was it necessary to do this just before new elections?

The next step was to use taxpayer dollars to stop a popular citizen petition to allow folks to vote in November on keeping the Volunteer Life Saving Corps.

The latest is Amendment 15, which changes the number of signatures needed for a citizen-initiated referendum from 10 to 15 percent. The title of this amendment, "Creating Initiative and Referendum Procedure Allowing Citizens to Adopt or Repeal Certain Types of Ordinances," is also misleading, as it doesn't mention that they are just making it harder for citizens to do exactly that.

This is another slap in the face of voters, not just in Jacksonville Beach, but across the state. If the mayor and city council have their way, Jacksonville Beach will be thoroughly controlled by them and their developer friends. At a recent City Council meeting, every councilperson took the time to meet with a developer, but it seemed that none of them met with members of any civic groups.

Vote "no" on Amendments 6 and 15 — keep Jacksonville Beach a city where citizens can have a say in their government.

Brian Murphy, Jacksonville

Beliefs vs. science in abortion debate

On Sept. 10, the Times-Union published a letter citing scientific sources about the unique DNA of a newly conceived fetus. The abortion-rejection theory is based on the biochemical individuality of that embryo. No rational person would reject the idea that the fusion of gametes creates a new DNA pairing. That, however, is not relevant to the abortion debate. How does DNA apply in ascribing uniquely independent life?

The answer is totally driven by religious beliefs. To be considered an independent human life, separate from the woman on whose womb it is dependent, the embryonic structure must have achieved a soul, also known as ensoulment. As a religious concept, there are wide and even evolving variations of attributing a soul to the developing fetus.

Some religious groups have shifted to define ensoulment to the time of conception. Others ascribe fetal rights only after quickening, generally around 16 to 20 weeks after conception. Some religions explicitly state that personhood begins at the moment the fetal head has emerged.

The Founding Fathers defined our nation as a pluralistic society, rejecting domination by sectarian views. Despite their posturing, political or religious activists who force their views on the rest of the nation are not patriots. Quite the contrary — they are undermining the principles of democracy.

Stephen Entman, Jacksonville 

Migrants may face a better future

I read with interest the three articles published on Sept. 20 concerning the migrants who were sent to Martha’s Vineyard.

In one article, referencing the “Reverse Freedom Riders” of the 1960s, it stated that those people were “taken from their roots” at the time. The Venezuelan migrants, however, left their homeland to escape, but they were not uprooted. The article further states that “They had no suitcases — no nothing.” I doubt that these 50 families carried a suitcase as they made their way from Venezuela to the United States. In addition, an interview subject in that article stated “the migrants must be terrified.”

Why? They left behind a life of terror and landed in Martha’s Vineyard, where they were warmly greeted with food and shelter. I'm sure that Joint Base Cape Cod looks very good compared to their life in Venezuela or the chaos at the southern border. These families were treated with respect and they are the lucky ones.

I hope someone will follow their journey and report to the public how this group is faring six or eight months from now. It would also help our divided country if we started looking for the good in every situation.

Carole Ginzl, Jacksonville

Bipartisan bill could have fixed it

During to the Republican-controlled Trump administration, a bipartisan bill addressing border issues was submitted for the then-president’s signature.  Bowing to a growing extremist element of supporters who objected to this bipartisan effort to address this persistent problem, Trump capitulated and refused to sign the bill. The extremists apparently found it more advantageous to sustain the border problems as a political issue.  

Instead, this complex problem, which could have been positively addressed during his administration, was avoided and used as a truncheon to obstruct and critique the next administration. Rather than offering positive solutions, Republican office seekers have chosen to vilify the other side to draw support.

Consider our current governor’s ploy to corral and deceive a group of Venezuelan immigrants and spitefully send them to demonized blue states. Is this the churlish behavior to which he would resort to support his re-election and presidential aspirations? Is this how he would address state and (heaven forbid) national problems? Is this how he would build consensus and govern? Is this the moral and ethical level we can expect?

Ted Mikalsen, Jacksonville

Solution or grandstanding?

Recently Gov. DeSantis touted his recent transport of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, stating it’s a stand against the open borders and sending a message. What the governor doesn’t tell us, from my understanding, is that $12 million taxpayer dollars have been allocated for these transfers. In other words, our tax money is being used to send migrants to other states in a statement saying we don’t want them.

Is that a solution? Or grandstanding on the taxpayers' dime?

I’m an American first, a Floridian second. So, helping oneself while burdening another in this country is as un-American as it gets. Using my tax money to do so just adds insult to injury. Maybe try focusing on immigration reforms and instituting tougher laws than using human pawns in nothing more than a look-at-me show. That $12 million can be used for so many more necessities.

If there’s an issue that bothers me, dumping that issue on my neighbor isn’t the solution. Any wonder why our divisiveness is growing?

Gary Schuran, Middleburg 

Flight was a waste of money

For the record, I believe the U.S. has the right and responsibility to control its borders and that our immigration system is clearly broken.

That said, Gov. Ron DeSantis owes Florida residents an explanation of how spending $615,000 of our taxpayer monies to move 48 Venezuelans from Texas to Massachusetts — with a brief layover in Florida — benefits residents here.

This political ploy, thinly disguised as "border control" has nothing to do with keeping illegal immigrants out of Florida; the Venezuelans were only here to begin with (however briefly) because DeSantis brought them here. It does, however, have everything to do with appealing to a sector of the electorate that has little interest in holding the governor to account.

In my view the governor has wasted well over a half-million dollars of taxpayer money without actually having done anything to improve the immigration problem in our state. Hopefully voters will pay attention come November.

Russ Watson, Arlington

Lost labor

We've all seen the "Help Wanted” signs everywhere. There's a widespread lack of restaurant help, school custodians, nursing home assistants, hospital orderlies, lawn service workers and people to harvest our food. We had a group of prospective workers who could fill these jobs and Gov. Ron DeSantis hauled them off to Martha's Vineyard.

The solution to our nationwide need for workers in these fundamental roles is sitting right there on our Southern border and our politicians are stupidly rejecting their presence. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Sharon Scholl, Atlantic Beach

‘Convenience fee’ anything but convenient

Landlords at apartment complexes are apparently now subjecting tenants to a "convenience fee" ($9.99 per month for me) in order to pay rent online. This is nothing more than gouging tenants that are already paying extremely high rents, especially in the Jacksonville area.

Many landlords refuse to accept checks or money orders for rent. If you don't want to pay the charge, they make you jump through hoops — i.e., get a voucher from the leasing company, go to someplace like Walmart to pay in cash and then bring the receipt back to the leasing office).  

As someone who is 65 years old, doesn't drive and is partly disabled, these are onerous conditions to simply pay my rent. I also have a limited income, so $120 each year is a lot of money that could be used for things like groceries.

Where are our elected officials who are supposed to be looking out for us, the "little people?” Why don't they look into this? Once again, it looks like they turn their backs on those they are supposed to serve in order to benefit their donors.

Maureen Duddy, Jacksonville

New buildings won’t fix old problems

This is an open letter to the Downtown Investment Authority, the Jacksonville City Council and Mayor Lenny Curry. Stop building apartments, condos, townhomes and — especially — the 44-story apartment tower. I can’t believe you would put this in the place where the Landing was.

That is supposed to be a park by the river.

The mayor and City Council need to take care of the people who live in Jacksonville now. The existing streets and roads are in great need of repair and do not accommodate the traffic we currently have.

Stop chasing the money. You are giving up too much to all these investors. Take care of the citizens of Jacksonville.

Mary Middleton, Jacksonville

‘Diamond’ in the rough?

This past week I had numerous routine tests at Mayo Clinic. This meant that I traversed the new “diverging diamond” interchange many times. The juncture of San Pablo Road and Butler Boulevard used to be a fairly simple intersection — now it is an adventure in driving.

I’m not sure who decided that this was a better method, but I’m certain that it was very expensive. My first observation is that there are dozens and dozens of traffic signals supported on numerous poles with huge confusing signage. I don’t know if this is a safer traffic pattern (I hope so), but it is definitely more confusing.

Peter A. Baci, Jacksonville Beach  

College athletes could help

Last month President Joe Biden announced he would cancel at least $10,000 in student loan debt for millions of borrowers. To ensure that the debt cancellation will be fully funded, I suggest that college athletes receiving Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) payments be taxed at a rate commensurate with the entire expense of the debt cancellation as proposed by the president.

In this manner the NIL recipients will be taking care of their fans. Or maybe not; those receiving debt cancellation might not be enthusiastic about college sports.

Cornell Rudov, Fernandina Beach

Rebuttal from a real Republican

The Sept. 11 opinion from a "longtime Republican” who has “had enough” — that was enough for me. This person sounds like a far-left socialist. His hate-filled opinion should not have been published without a rebuttal.

To me, the current administration has brought our country in the wrong direction. Donald Trump, although not as presidential as some would like, even with the adversity from the left, had our country running like a successful business. Even the uneducated should be able to see that.

Steve Anderson, Jacksonville

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Letters: Don’t remove sex education from Duval County Public Schools