Letters to the editor: Religious bigotry shown at UF football game against Utah
Letters to the editor present the opinions of readers on news stories and other pieces published by The Sun.
Intolerance at UF game
Is religious intolerance and bigotry the last acceptable form of prejudice? At the Florida vs. Utah game on Sept. 3, I was disappointed to see and hear stereotypical statements about members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called “Mormons”) by our community, which prides itself on tolerance and acceptance.
Sheets strung from fraternity houses referenced polygamy and spoke of “soaking,” a grossly overgeneralized and rumored practice associated with students — not even at the University of Utah — but at Brigham Young University. It seems that all the sensitivity training in the world cannot stop our prejudicial tendencies from leaking out when we find an “acceptable” outlet.
Many will say it was all in good fun. But I can’t stop thinking about the impression we made on a diverse group of Utahns that saw our dirty side. Utah fans weren’t the only ones hanging their heads at the end of an energizing game. I hope we can do better at winning at decency and understanding.
Michael Barber, Starke
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Upgrade infrastructure
Where are the environmentalists and why haven't they weighed in on the single-family zoning issue? One need only to look at Colclough Pond off South Main Street to see what an environmental disaster awaits us should we move forward with eliminating single-family zoning, without upgrading sewer and stormwater infrastructure throughout the city.
How is a single-family home on a small lot, that is converted to multi-family use, supposed to deal with septic system issues? How many trees will have to be cut down to make room for larger drain fields? Many small lots simply cannot be made to handle the excess perc load.
The Florida Keys learned its lesson when septic pollution first began appearing in canals and then spread to the surrounding ocean. They installed new sewer piping to every house and added pump stations and treatment facilities throughout the Keys and, in short order, the water began to clear and the indigenous wildlife returned in abundance. Do we wait until the Floridan Aquifer shows signs of human pollution before we act?
How are the developers seemingly having no problems with getting public sewers provided to their development, yet old established neighborhoods still suffer with septic systems? This seems like an issue that somehow got swept under the rug. Sooner or later, the city will have to deal with this issue. Why haven't they considered this already?
John J. Wernery, Gainesville
Uvalde police response
The police were already outside and inside the school in Uvalde, Texas, and they knew which room the shooter was in. Why did it take so long for them to storm that classroom? The doors were closed and word on the street was that the killer had a semi-automatic weapon.
“Bill, you got a rifle and a handgun, go in there and take that guy out!”
“No! As soon as I open the door I’ll get shot! You go in there, Fred!
It doesn’t matter how many other policemen had joined Bill and Fred, only one can go in the door at a time. The shooter could be anywhere in the room. It could take a few moments to spot him under a table or in the corner — plenty of time for the killer to blast away a dozen times.
Yeah, it’s a policeman’s job to defend us, but we shouldn’t expect them to be so duty-bound they’ll jump in front of a rifle and become a martyr. The solution is to ban semi-automatic weapons. Why do we need them when they do so much harm?
What chance does Bill or Fred have upon opening that door? Would you go inside?
Gary Anglin, Gainesville
Terrific performance
Recently, I caught the final performance of "Simply Simone" at the Star Centre Theatre and it was terrific. Featuring the songs and civil rights activities of Nina Simone, it was a history lesson with outstanding vocal harmonies. I was happy to see a packed house and I urge everyone to support these honest down-to-earth efforts to enhance our local arts community.
Ed Kellerman, Gainesville
Pay attention to tennis
There is another ball sport, just like those other three: baseball, basketball, football. It’s called tennis. It would be nice if The Sun would give some attention to this sport, at the very least during the championship tournaments.
Kate Lee, Gainesville
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This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Letters on religious bigotry at UF, Gainesville zoning, Uvalde, more
