Letters: Pros, cons on classroom cameras from director of Jacksonville child care center

A local news station reported a story earlier this month about a mother who placed her autistic child in preschool for the first time. Upon picking him up that first day, he had some severe bruises. She is now pushing for all child-care centers and schools to have cameras in their classrooms.

As the director of a small nonprofit child-care center, cameras in the classroom would be a great idea. The major problem with this is costs. The cost of the equipment, having the proper internet connection that can handle the amount of data needed, and the cost of a hosted website that only parents can access.

Some parents don’t want other people or even other parents to watch their children on the internet. This is where privacy and security become a major issue. In our center, when one child has a problem with another child, we do not reveal who the other child is to keep conflict between parents to a minimum. If a problem is severe, we then meet with both parents and act as a mediator to find a resolution.

I do allow my teachers to text the parents and send pictures. As the director, I am informed of all communication with parents.

Having said that, cameras in the classroom would also be a big help to the directors, as they could observe the students and teachers without disturbing the class. Personally, I enjoy the interaction with children and learning about what they are coloring, building or painting. I love seeing them smile because they are happy to see you.

Plus, getting a hug in the morning (or as a goodbye in the evenings) is just about the best part of the job.

Gina Jiminez, director, Murray Hill Baptist Child Care

Judicial bias, alive and well

Recently, the Colorado Supreme Court, after careful study of the 14th Amendment, Section 3 of the American Constitution, ruled that Donald Trump could not be on any ballot for public office. Now several other state courts have ruled differently.

Given that the 14th Amendment, Section 3, could easily be understood by anyone with a third-grade reading ability, it is unfathomable that any other state would rule differently than Colorado.

This section reads, " No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."

What is not clear about this section of the Constitution that enables any other state to allow Donald Trump on the ballot when he clearly violated this amendment? The only answer is that other courts must not be judging by Constitutional law, but by their own personal political beliefs, which is anathema to any democracy.

It is unthinkable that after what Donald Trump did — visible to the entire country — he would ever be allowed to run again in any state.

The only hope now is that loyal Americans will not vote for him so that this country does not become an authoritarian abyss, where the Constitution means nothing and power means everything.

Terri Quint, Ponte Vedra

Done with politicians

I am at the point where I am fed up with politicians, no matter what party. They all campaign with good thoughts and ideas that many people agree with, but when they get into office they forget about their constituents. Then they only vote for their own personal views.

It seems like they spend a lot of time trying to make friends with other politicians who have opposite views, just so they can get their votes on bills. Immediately after being elected, they also begin the process of campaigning to get re-elected. I did not vote for them to do that.

Have you noticed how much vacation time politicians take, without getting anything accomplished? I bet they take more time off than any of us and get paid for it. The other thing I noticed is that once they get into office, they suddenly become experts on everything — health care, defense, gun legislation, budgets, etc.

Most of them are just lawyers who think they can advise their constituents on everything. But there is more incompetency in Tallahassee and Washington than ever.

I voted for Ron DeSantis to be our governor, not to run for president. I wish someone could explain all this to me. Otherwise, I’m done with all of them.

John Ferlisi, Jacksonville

Mayor fulfilled a campaign promise

So, the deed was done. The Springfield Park monument was removed and now we have the predictable outcry. I won’t attempt to call my response the voice of reason, as both major political parties and their closest adherents made the concept of a “reasonable” voice laughable — or maybe I should say cryable.

Some are calling this a gross mayoral overreach and an attempt to rewrite history.

Keep in mind that Gov. Ron DeSantis has attempted to come up with many outrageous acts to bolster his failing presidential run. One of them is the suggestion that schoolchildren be taught that slavery was sometimes good for the people who were uprooted from their homelands and shipped across an ocean to work as beasts of the field to build this country.

Is that not a gross overreach? Is it not rewriting history?

At worst, Mayor Donna Deegan’s act was a tit-for-tat, but since the removal of Confederate monuments has been an issue for at least three years, it’s hard to put it down as only that. A decision had to be made, she campaigned on it and she did it. End of story.

Jim Burns, Jacksonville

A very special Christmas party

Santa Claus came to our house in mid-December with a real fire truck for the annual Special Olympics Swim & Surf Teams Christmas Party. After exploring the fire truck, all 45 attendees gathered on our back porch to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

After all of them had seen Santa, I took him back to his sleigh. As we drove back, he seemed very quiet, so I asked him if he was OK. He responded that something happened that he had never seen before.

“Every single one of those special young men and women told me the same thing. They did not need anything for Christmas, but asked could I please get something nice for their mom, dad, sister, brother or friend who was in need,” he said. “It looks like the Christmas Spirit is still alive.”

With that, he jumped into his sleigh and took off in a flash while exclaiming, “Ho, ho, ho!”

Max Zahn, Jacksonville

Statues are merely scapegoats

I was saddened to hear that the Women of the Southland monument was removed. It is a shame that many on the Left seem to have distorted the history of this memorial by saying that it is all about slavery, Jim Crow, racism and white supremacy. The truth is that it was erected to honor the women of the South who had to piece things back together after the devastating Civil War.

In my view, this memorial wasn't about intimidating Black Americans or justifying Jim Crow laws. The statue was erected in 1915, many years after Jim Crow laws had taken effect. Again, it was simply to remember the women of the South, because most of these remarkable ladies had passed away by that time.

One of my biggest concerns is that this memorial (and others like it) are scapegoats for failed liberal policies and will lead to more “cancel culture” actions.

Calvin Johnson, Jacksonville

Well done, Mayor Deegan

It is certainly time to bring Jacksonville into the 21st century and the removal of the Springfield Park statue was long overdue. Those who live in the past are destined to make the same mistakes in the future.

As a descendant of one of the Confederate generals in the Civil War, I’m quite sure he would be pleased that we’ve started to heal this wound in our city. Mayor Donna Deegan, your courage is truly noted.

David B. Lee Jr., Jacksonville

‘No’ to recreational weed

The Dec. 22 Times-Union front page asked, “Who in Florida is for, against recreational marijuana?” My response: I am against it.

There are already too many drunk drivers on the road creating dangerous conditions for other drivers and killing innocent people. Do we really need to add to the situation with drivers who might be under the influence of marijuana? I don’t think so.

Carole Ginzl, Jacksonville

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Should Jacksonville schools, daycare centers have classroom cameras?