Letters: Donald Trump is a schoolyard bully who doesn’t deserve anyone’s vote or support

Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are those of our readers and not the Pensacola News Journal. In order for letters to be considered for publication, they must be 250 words or less and include name, a full address and phone number. Only your name and city of residence will be published. Email submissions to opinion@pnj.com.

Trump doesn’t deserve your vote or support

Maryland Public Television has produced a program called “P.O.W. - Passing on Wisdom” about the Naval Academy’s efforts at instilling leadership within the ranks of the Navy’s officer corps. The program draws heavily on leadership lessons developed among the senior ranking POWs held in North Vietnam from 1964 to 1973, particularly James Stockdale.

The leadership exhibited by Stockdale and other senior officers for years under brutal conditions, including torture, now has a place in the training and development of the Navy’s future leaders. The program is well worth watching and makes one proud of our military.

The message of the program seems in stark contrast to former “Commander Bone Spur’s” leadership style, which seems to be based on schoolyard bullying tactics. The leader that prefers his heroes “not captured,” who takes all credit and shares none, maligns our allies, sucks up to our enemies, who thinks military cemeteries are full of “suckers” and “losers”, who doesn’t want to be seen with severely wounded veterans, who has no sense of honor, who broke his oath of office, the leader of the Republican Party does not deserve anyone’s support or vote.

Bill Johnson, Cantonment

Readers don't hold back: Letters: Downtown parking continues to raise questions; permanent daylight savings needed

Stop drilling and use less oil

I keep hearing politicians demanding that the US needs to drill and pump more oil to bring down prices. If that is done OPEC will back off their production to balance out the difference. We don’t need to drill more; we need to use less oil. If we continue the use of fossil fuels, we are paying money to the Saudi’s and Russia and Iran. These folks are not our friends. The movement to electric cars and solar power is how we get OPEC off our backs and out of our lives.

David Walby, Gulf Breeze

Christians should reread Bible if they aren’t appalled by calls to eliminate Israel

The news media and social media have large amounts of hate material these days with a significant quantity directed at Israel as a nation and Jews as a people.

These events indicate a need for a reminder of our gentile-Christian history.

Jesus, our savior came to this world in human form as a Jew. His human mother was Mary, a Jewish woman. He was circumcised per God’s Covenant with Abraham. He was raised following the Mosaic Laws.

The first followers of Jesus were Jews. The first disciples were Jews. The Bible is crystal clear about God’s relationship with Israel the nation and the Jewish people.

When I was growing up there was a false understanding about the death of Jesus and who was responsible. Scripture is crystal clear that Jesus’s death on the cross was God’s plan to provide a path to salvation for we human sinners. When I look for a sinner that made this sacrifice necessary, I merely look into the mirror.

If you are a Christian and not completely appalled and horrified by cries to eliminate Israel, then you need to go immediately and reread the Bible. Don’t take my word, you read it.

Jimmy D. Anderson, Pensacola

Don’t build any more schools on major highways

The Santa Rosa School Board has done it again!

Building a school on a major highway makes no sense. It creates danger for the students and inconvenience for everyone else.

This new high school on U.S. 98 between Gulf Breeze and Navarre is going to add another 20 to 30 minutes to the Pensacola-Fort Walton journey – and even more during school bus time.

Give those guys a medal!

David Luther Woodward, Pensacola

Pensacola Junior College story needed telling

A job well done by Troy Moon in his recent article in the PNJ about the sub-critical nuclear reactor at PJC from 1961 to 1964. I taught physics at PJC/PSC from 1977 until I retired in 2012 and none of my colleagues nor I knew of its existence. I did attend a nuclear energy workshop at The University of Florida, where they had a working sub-critical reactor in the Nuclear Engineering Department. Moon’s article was very important for PJC/PSC history.

On a separate topic, I was very disappointed with the recent PNJ discontinuation of the “Shoe” comic strip. I do miss Cosmo, Shoe, Roz, Biz and Irv. Anyone else feel the same?

Joseph Zayas, Pensacola

Hear from our readers: Letters: Santa Rosa commissioners put party before county while complicit silence deafens

Andrade has panhandling solution

Panhandlers are not pleasant to look at. up close, they look even worse with mental anguish written all over their faces. Sometimes they’re a nuisance. At this time of year, they’re more visible because people are out more during the holidays. Most motorists stopped in traffic will look at them with disgust. A few will look at them and think, “There but for the grace of God go I.”

So, what’s the solution? Fine them? Incarcerate them? Remove them from public view? Alex Andrade’s House Bill 759 and recent city council action provides for all those solutions. Keep in mind that it’s human beings who are being targeted, not feral animals.

Woodrow Soderlind Jr., Pensacola

Panhandling bill is immoral

I too find panhandling a problem, not just in Escambia County and Florida but nationally and globally. However, Rep. Andrade’s bill to criminalize it is wrongheaded in so many ways. It is an unfunded mandate for taxpayers. His justification is questionable. Making it a potential felony is immoral. Finally, it won’t solve the problem.

First, the Escambia County Jail, at last count, had 1,300 detainees, one of the highest county jail incarceration rates in the state, with an annual cost to taxpayers of $46.5 million. How much will Andrade’s bill increase county jail costs.

How will these jail cost increases be paid for?

Second, Andrade offers no evidence of his claim that most panhandlers are not homeless. A simple Google shows the contrary.

His “feelings” are not a reason to make new law. Third, making it a potential felony is just an attempt to punish poor people for being poor.

Finally, study after study has shown that investing in housing and job services cost less and is more effective than criminalization.

Mike Harmon, Pensacola

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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Letters: Donald Trump is a bully who doesn’t deserve anyone's support