Request for civilized discourse; make plans for a better Vero Beach: Letters, Nov. 6, 2022

Need for a return to civility

In what civilized country is it OK for an ex-president's son (or anyone's son) to make light of and mock the horrible attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband? For Donald Trump Jr. to go on Twitter and brag about how his Halloween costume is going to be a man in his underwear carrying a hammer is beyond despicable.

Sometimes it feels like we are all back in grade school and the bullies are in control. I pray every day we get our sense of decency back.

Susan Southard, Sebastian

Planning for the future of Vero Beach

Vero Beach is considering how to develop the Three Corners property along our dying Indian River Lagoon. Should they promote businesses — more hotels, houses, restaurants, and other commercial opportunities, or should they uniquely use the lands for public and environmental benefit?

How about restoring trees and wetlands to demonstrate the value and unique nature of precious land? Or, build unique environmentally sustainable living structures that provide an unique and innovative venue to attract artists, poets, musicians, and actors and showcase local creativity?

Or, perhaps incorporate educational parks, recreational opportunities, and stormwater ponds to help clean up the stormwater and wastewater flowing into our lagoon that is killing the seagrass, starving the manatees, fishes, and other animals?

In planning for the future, Vero Beach also needs to update its landscape and tree ordinances to enhance our communities to be “national parks.” Reduce exotic turfgrass sod whose two-inch roots require frequent watering to only 10-15% of the yard and plant the remainder in Florida native plants and trees that have at least 12-inch roots.

This will save 64-88% of our drinking water and stop fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides entering our lagoon and save cash spent on gasoline for mowers and blowers, leading to noise and air pollution.

Hurricanes like Ian are getting bigger, affecting wider areas, destroying homes, possessions, and causing deaths. These are affecting our pocketbook. Our insurance rates keep going higher.

Stop clearcutting and killing our beautiful trees, including mangroves that protect our homes from hurricanes and provide cooler temperatures and oxygen while removing CO2 from the air we breathe.

A Chesapeake environmental team found that one inch per acre of rain over forest land generates 750 gallons of runoff. One inch over pavement generates 27,000 gallons of runoff. Natural areas provide free services to us if we maintain them.

Richard H. Baker, Sebastian, is president of the Pelican Island Audubon Society.

President Biden's accomplishments vs. GOP 'buzz words'

Economy, inflation, crime, (President Joe) Biden: are all GOP buzz words. We hear candidates and voters use these words as why it’s necessary to vote Republican Nov. 8.

Here are some questions:

Since the economy is generally associated with high unemployment, how come unemployment is so low?

Since inflation is closely tied to the pandemic and resulting shortages, plus natural disasters like drought, floods, and hurricanes, and since this has been on a global scale, what plans does the GOP have to counter it? And if proposed solutions don’t immediately show improvement, will they fall back on “it’s Biden’s fault”?

Since the GOP doesn’t want to enact any strict gun laws, and guns are so available, including to the 18- to 21-year-old group, don’t they see some kind of connection between guns and crime?

President Biden has accomplished quite a lot in two years, such as working with NATO to help Ukraine, the infrastructure bill, which will help restore our failing bridges and roads, and proposing ways to cut dependence on oil.

He is also adding more jobs, working on trying to stop climate change from getting worse, restoring relations with our allies and restoring decency to the presidency.

Anne Brakman, Vero Beach

Gov. DeSantis right to support conservative school board candidates

The Oct. 31 story on Gov. Ron DeSantis' efforts to support conservatives running for school boards around the state, has a generally negative tilt, consistent with much of what the Press Journal publishes regarding the governor.

I didn't see any mention of "critical race theory," the "1619 Project" or similar left-wing initiatives which have found their way into many secondary and in some cases elementary schools nationwide, which precipitated his efforts.

The left has made vast inroads into the country's universities, where "politically incorrect" speech has been largely shut down, and a conservative must be careful not to speak too loudly for fear of retribution.

There is a strong effort to inject many of those beliefs into the nation's high schools and elementary schools, and it is a reaction to that which drives actions of governors such as DeSantis, and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, among others.

The transgender issue is tangential to the above, but a law such as passed in Florida to preclude schools teaching kindergarteners and first-graders about transgender options is hardly a wild a crazy right-wing idea, regardless of what one hears from Democrat politicians and editorial writers.

Harold Ofstie, Vero Beach

Midterms offer interesting phenomenon

The midterm elections this year have presented an interesting phenomenon. Over 60% of voters will have a Republican on the ballot who is an "election denier."

These candidates profess there was enough fraud in the 2020 election to cause the election to be "stolen" from former President Donald Trump. Enough Republican voters actually believed this to allow Trump to dupe them out of a quarter billion dollars by merely asking for money with the promise the money would be used to investigate election abuses.

America has processes that can take place when there are disputes as to fraud in an election: Civil lawsuits may be brought to obtain a court determination if the results should be discarded and criminal charges can be brought against those accused of voter fraud.

That is where it begins and ends. Despite what people were thinking on Jan. 6, 2021, no one has the right without concrete evidence to overturn an election. There were 60 court cases pertaining to election fraud and nothing significant was ever proven.

Our leaders must be chosen based on who gets the most votes, not on unsubstantiated claims of election rigging.

Steve Tierney, Fort Pierce

No more GOP nice guys

The Nov. 2 column by Larry Reisman reveals frayed feelings facing the oncoming red wave. Reisman enlists a few disgruntled voices of Indian River County Republicans shouting that activist Republicans are just bad people.

He quotes Ed Barenborg, whose wife had been challenged in her campaign for school board, and complains that the gloves coming off had become too uncivilized. It’s a lack of integrity he cries when leaning on Reisman’s shoulder.

What in the referenced letter made Mr. Barenborg so “incensed?" More whining accused the Republican Executive Committee of endorsing a slate of candidates for Indian River County.

Wait. That’s what they’re supposed to do. Sebastian City Council candidate Damien Gilliams has been convicted of nothing. Further in this diatribe questioning “the GOP’s future,” are other voices purportedly injured by Republican “renegades."

A few want back the good, old days before the Big Orange Man started kicking things around. You know, when Mitt Romney and John McCain were losing all those elections and Republican meetings resembled bridge parties.

Last, the financial health of Jackie Rosario is irrelevant. When President Joe Biden’s Department of Education demands “social justice,” promotes supporting gender identity, and pushes “emotional learning” as much as STEM, we see the need for the school board to resist.

Yet Reisman persists in bringing up Rosario’s  financial past. As the red wave approaches, we can understand the desire for détente, while forgetting the political labels, but touting where you and your neighbors stand most of the time, makes things happen. In these troubling times, leading means breaking a few eggs.

Gov. Ron DeSantis never won the “Mr. Nice Guy” award, either.

Norman Grant, Vero Beach

Is there no shame?

Larry Reisman's column about the future of the Indian River GOP illustrates the extreme decisions of the group. They decided to endorse all Republican candidates including former Sebastian City Council member Damien Gilliams, who was found guilty of violating Sunshine laws. Have you no shame?

Now let's look at the Republican Party of Florida. Recently I received a postcard from them showing an obvious gay-looking student receiving his diploma with the caption, "Thank you, Joe Biden and Charlie Crist for making Floridians pay off my student debt." On the back it says he was getting degrees in gender studies and French poetry. Why didn't they show a pre-med student showing his or her degree in biology?

Again: Does the Republican party in Florida have no shame?

Blake Boyle, Vero Beach

Marco Rubio's 'problem' with our current government

Sen. Marco Rubio was raised by parents who apparently got along well in a country run by a conservative, corrupt dictator with strong Mafia connections, but then "lost their country" to a dictator backed by Russians with their corrupt liberal communistic ideals.

By totally ignoring Donald Trump's unfounded election allegations, Rubio reveals he has no problem with dictators, or people losing their right to choose their leaders, as long as they are right wing and he gets to retain his government position.

Rubio does have problems with our present government, however, and is spending millions to inform us of his heroic crusade to save America from the real dangers we're facing.

These dangers include, aborting babies "up to the moment of birth" and "changing our little boys into little girls." According to Rubio, both fiendish acts are primary objectives of the "radical left" led by Nancy Pelosi and embraced by his political rival Val Demings.

Rubio's Senate attendance record is marginal, at best. I think the reason is, he's spending most of his time reading QAnon conspiracy theories. Rubio needs to find a different line of work. He's clearly unqualified for the U.S. Senate or any office in a functioning democracy.

James Broadhurst, Palm City

Teaching the curriculum

The article about conservative school boards on Oct. 30 should have stated “Left wingers we’re routed by concerned conservative parents."

Teachers need not worry; they are paid to teach, not to create curriculum. The difference will be the curriculum provided.

Jim Thompson, Port St. Lucie

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Return to civility; DeSantis should back conservatives: Nov. 6 Letters