Letters and feedback: Feb. 6, 2022

Clear Lake story: History's important

Thank you for the recent feature article titled "Residents Mourn Clear Lake Area."

It brought back memories of celebrating my son’s first birthday with a picnic at Clearlake Park, the little Cocoa citizens putting tiny toes in the lake.

The cultural assets around Clearlake provided recreation and knowledge to all central Brevard. There is nothing to match the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science, with its Ais Indian artifacts and native plant trails, the planetarium which also offered experiences with astronomy, the gym and Olympic-sized pool, and the lake itself.

I hope these assets can be restored to our residents and promoted and shared with visitors. They show the real Florida, our history and culture. This center of nature and learning brings us together. Let’s keep it alive.

Judy McCluney, Cocoa

Florida needs death with dignity law

I read the Jan. 29 FLORIDA TODAY column by Norris Burkes, which was excellent.

Florida needs to pass an end-of-life option or death with dignity law for our state. My son-in-law recently died a very painful death from cancer. No one should have to go through the pain he had to go through, even when everyone knew there was no hope, and he was slowly dying, and he wanted to put an end to it all — but could not because of the law in Texas.

Each person should have the option to get medication that would bring about their peaceful death if such conditions warrant it. It is cruel to make them go through that. We do not even make our animals suffer like that — when there is no hope, we end their suffering and have them peacefully "put to sleep."

Vernon L. Loyd, Rockledge

Inflation by the numbers

The numbers are in and 2021 inflation rate was 7%, reducing real wage buying power by 2.4%. President Biden’s economic policies were clearly purposeful and almost immediately destructive.

Last year his administration and the Democrat-controlled Congress enacted trillions of dollars in COVID unemployment insurance bonuses and income-producing stimulus spending. The Fed massively increased currency printing to fund exploding government spending but Interest rate adjustments aren’t likely before March 2022. History tells us these combined initiatives risk causing an inflationary spike and that spike is already a reality.

Additionally, Biden’s increased regulations on transport and energy production only served to create a supply chain truck driver shortage and significantly higher gas and transport costs from large-scale reduction of oil/gas production on government land.

President Biden is clearly in denial when recently stating: “We are making progress in slowing the rate of price increases.”

Where? History provides a solution for inflation:

· Cut federal spending.

· Tighten money supply and raise interest rates.

· Cut taxes (even consider cutting payroll taxes for a period of time).

President Reagan and Fed Chairman Volker used this formula, in 1981, to revive the faltering economy he inherited. By 1983 economic equilibrium was returning.

To work, interest rates must exceed the inflation rate for long enough to achieve economic equilibrium. Current interest rates are 1-2% while real inflation is 5-7%. Cutting government bond sales and money printing operations would reduce the money supply.

And, returning oil production to 2020 levels would provide the quickest inflation relief.

Ed Taylor, Satellite Beach

Just who's uncomfortable and where?

In regards to Rep. Fine’s House Bill 57, I have a question: Who are you referring to as “feeling discomfort?”

As a multicultural society, we have a population of different races, countries of origins, religious backgrounds and sexual orientation. Based on history they might all “feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex.”

Do we ignore the past; act like it never happened? If we do that, what is left to teach in a history class?

Writer and philosopher George Santayana is credited with saying “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” By eliminating facts from past events, HB 57 is setting up future generations to potentially make the same mistakes of previous generations.

HB 57 can also go to the extreme because an individual can be “uncomfortable” in an English class based on the reading list, in biology if they don’t believe in evolution, in the cafeteria if the menu isn’t appropriate, as well as in athletics if they don’t want to stand for the national anthem. We still have math, as long as teachers don’t select word problems that might be offensive to someone.

The 2020 Census found the country's overall racial and ethnic diversity has increased since 2010. Unless you are the indigenous people, based on our ancestry, the rest of us have a prefix before the word "American."

So, back to my original question: Who are you referring to as "feeling discomfort?”

Anita Moore, Merritt Island

POTUS' stance on Ukraine is telling

As a young man I was sent to a war we shouldn’t have fought in a place we didn’t belong. The rationale for this folly was a “commitment to our allies” in SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization) and to “maintain America’s prestige."

Now we’re supposed to go fight in Ukraine because of our “commitment to our allies” in NATO, and to “maintain American prestige." Those advocating this Ukraine fiasco seem to forget how many of us heard those spurious reasons for sending young Americans to die in foreign land once before.

I have a suggestion for Biden if he is so anxious to go to war. Lead the troops yourself, Joe.

President George Washington did. When federal troops were deployed in 1792 during the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania, Washington took his responsibility as commander in chief literally and lead the troops himself.

But then George Washington had proven his bravery during the Revolution, when he faced British bullets along side his troops. Something Biden clearly lacks. He didn’t have the courage to serve during Vietnam so he needs to prove himself now.

Aside from a compulsion to prove his manhood, Biden is also falling back on the one of the oldest political ploys. When domestic politics are going to hell, as they are for him, get the country into a foreign war in hopes of rallying the country behind you. As Samuel Johnson famously said, “Patriotism is the last bastion of the scoundrel."

Gary Beatty, Sharpes

What's happening to this country?

I cannot relate to what is happening in our country, in our neighborhoods, in our families.

Churches should instill morals, not rebellions.

Schools should be able to teach children and not worry about displeasing a politician.

Laws should be obeyed, but not abused.

Homes should be a safe haven, not fortified with guns and ammunition.

Newspapers should be able to print the news without fear of lawsuits.

A person of any color or nationality should be proud of their heritage and not live in fear of their lives.

Adults should be protective of their children, their parents and their friends, and get vaccinated.

Politicians should be truthful and honest about the people they represent, and quit spreading lies.

Oh yes, the devil is having a field day messing with our minds, our lives, and our souls.

Geraldine Hoyt, Melbourne

Imagine this kind of 'United' States ...

According to Wikipedia, Modern Library's 1998 nonscientific online poll of the 100 best novels of the 20th century found "Atlas Shrugged" rated No. 1, even though it was not included on the list chosen by Modern Library's board of authors and scholars.

As of 2019, 9 million copies have been sold (and my guess is many more people have actually read it through borrowing from friend or library).

As I watch millions of people illegally entering the country, I have to wonder if it is not time for red states to join together and create their own "Galt's Gulch" of American citizens who believe in the traditional values that made America so great.

Imagine a nation where there are no corporate taxes (because it is really the customers that pay those taxes in the price of what they pay for any product or service. Imagine where everyone paid the same percent of their income to protect and defend the country.

Imagine an America where no one was forced by government to support someone who earned less, often because they just refused to actually work to support themselves.

Imagine an America where each person was encouraged to succeed to the best of their ability, instead of rewarded for being as unproductive as they chose to be.

Just imagine.

Ilene Davis, Cocoa

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Letters and feedback: Feb. 6, 2022