Letters to the Editor: May 27, 2022
Another mass shooting, and Republican senators refuse to act
Another week, another “mass shooting event” in the United States. This time, 19 elementary students and two teachers lost their lives, the 26th shooting this year at a K-12 school. Firearms are now the leading cause of death among children and teens.
According to a Harvard University poll, 83% of gun owners support expanded background checks on all firearm sales. Approximately 40% of U.S. gun purchases are made without background checks, and “ghost guns” only intensify this problem.
The U.S. Senate must pass HB 1446, the “Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021” and HB 8, the “Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021.” Republican senators, in the pockets of the National Rifle Association and the gun and ammunition manufacturers it represents, refuse to support these bills in spite of broad public support. Such spineless behavior clearly indicates these legislators continue to prioritize special interests over protecting innocent lives.
Republican senators, including Ted Cruz of Texas, oppose these bills, suggesting they lead to a “slippery slope” limiting gun ownership, a principal NRA talking point. This is nonsense. I know of no one suggesting rescinding the Second Amendment.
The Roman philosopher Cicero explores the characteristics of leaders in terms of the four “cardinal virtues” that make a man “good” — wisdom, temperance, courage, and justice. For Cicero, wisdom requires one to “learn the truth” and to seek the facts of an issue. Justice measures the extent to which one keeps his promises (A Warning). Every senator swears to “bear true faith and allegiance” to the Constitution, which ensures “domestic Tranquility” and our “general Welfare.” These senators are failing us.
We must trust the “good and righteous” and reject the duplicity of those who put their self-interests before the welfare of their constituents. It’s almost that simple.
Cray Little, Vero Beach
What could prompt middle-schoolers to act this way with artwork?
I am writing because I, like so many, am so disturbed by the racial artwork of the six middle-school students recently. What motivated these students to do such a thing?
What can be done so incidents like this will not happen in the future? It starts with education. Our lawmakers have put into effect laws that do not allow teachers to foster learning environments that promote a tolerance and respect of one another. We need to be able to teach sensitivity training, the history of all races, social justice, and be able to have honest discussions and debates in schools backed up with facts so our students can learn to love one another.
Our lawmakers need to let our teachers, superintendents and school boards do their jobs so that they can educate our students to grow up to be responsible, respectful, citizens.
Also, where are our lawmakers’ voices denouncing this act of racial artwork. Where are Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, Rep. Brian Mast, and our local lawmakers in Tallahassee? By being quiet they are saying this is OK.
This is not OK. Racism in Florida is not OK.
Renee Markowitz, Stuart
Port St. Lucie has trashed statewide recycling goals
The Florida Environmental Protection Agency says, on its website, ”The Florida Legislature, through the Energy, Climate Change and Economic Security Act of 2008 established a statewide weight-based recycling goal of 75% by 2020.”
Port St. Lucie has trashed those goals by suspending curbside recycling in the city as of May 23. With a national focus on The Green New Deal the city has done an about-face on the environmental impact issues it causes. "Keeping Port St. Lucie Beautiful" is now an oxymoron.
The city has created a domino effect. Was there a study conducted to determine how the increased delivery of trash from 180,000 residents will impact the local landfill? What will happen to the employees and their jobs at the recycling center now that there will not be glass, plastic, metal and paper to process? How does this affect the contracts in existence with the companies that receive and transport the glass, paper, plastic and metal for re-purposing? How many of those people will now be unemployed?
The Florida Recycling Loan Program provides money for the purchase of equipment used in public-private partnerships. There are other federal and private environmental sources that are committed to recycling efforts that are available to the city. The city of Stuart uses their own personnel and equipment in a commitment to curbside recycling. Port St. Lucie could replicate their program while litigating against Waste-Pro to recover those expenditures.
Martin Jacobson, Port St. Lucie
We who didn’t take out school loans don’t want to pay for those who did
Student loan forgiveness will be the death of the Democratic Party. Of course, Hispanics and other minorities who are homeless due to rent hikes are outraged that President Biden threw them under the bus. Just because you’re an assumed vote doesn’t mean you’re dispensable.
The new target audience is the country’s finest future leaders. Smart, highly educated, computer-savvy, privileged world travelers with extreme debt. Per campaign promises, we will pay for their votes.
Stupid me worked three jobs, had four roommates and ate ramen noodles every day to pay my way through school when I could have passed the buck and partied my way through Europe with my peers.
Now we have to tell our hard-working elderly parents they can’t afford nursing home care if their tiny Social Security checks end up paying for this $1.7 trillion disaster. I don’t want to be paying for this, nor does any other hard-working taxpayer. Goodbye, Democratic Party.
Mary Devine, Palm City
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Letters to the Editor: May 27, 2022
