Sunday's letters: 78 years later, Hiroshima still stands as warning to the world
Nuclear weapons a threat, then and now
As noted in the recent movie “Oppenheimer,” about the development of the first atomic bomb (nicknamed “Little Boy”), the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki may have been the first shots of the Cold War, as well as the final shot of World War II.
Aug. 6 marks the 78th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. Nagasaki was bombed Aug. 9.
The bombings provided the Soviet Union with a graphic example of the devastation it would face if it challenged American supremacy in the post-war world.
This year, Russia's Vladimir Putin has repeatedly backed up his escalation in Ukraine with nuclear threats. He has recently sent nuclear weapons to Belarus as a threat to use them in Ukraine.
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Putin also recently bragged that he has more nuclear weapons than NATO and, on the subject of nuclear missile reduction talks, said NATO can “shove it.”
The erratic and unstable leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, has an estimated 30 to 40 nuclear weapons and is conducting tests for bombs that could reach America.
Last week, Russian and Chinese delegates joined Kim in North Korea for a military parade that showed off the country’s latest long-range nuclear-capable missiles.
Larry Beck, Osprey
Trump would expand president’s powers
Former President Donald Trump and many other Republicans want the next president to have almost unfettered powers. This would deal a death blow to our founders’ brilliant separation of powers, the very foundation for America’s highly successful system of government.
Trump’s desire is for the president to have complete control over the justice system, private business, appropriation of funds and whether career government employees keep their jobs or not.
In other words, this would no longer be America.
Most of those goals are blatantly unconstitutional, though who can say how our current extremist Supreme Court might rule? Besides destroying our successful system of government, one has to wonder if Trump and his supporters ever considered what would happen if these same powers were granted to a president they did not support.
One also must wonder if these Republicans are intentionally trying to lose. After all, do a majority of voters really support such extremist damage to our country? The answer is an obvious “no.”
Peter Burkard, Sarasota
Great median makeover in historic Oneco
A huge shoutout to Manatee County commissioners and staff for the fabulous makeover of the State Road 70 medians between U.S. 301 and 15th Street East in Oneco.
The new median signs, “WELCOME TO HISTORIC ONECO,” were just installed and emphasize our historic gateway into the county.
The addition of the royal palm trees is especially significant since the Reasoner family’s Royal Palm Nurseries anchored the area beginning in the late 1800s.
These same medians were neglected by the state Department of Transportation for years after we worked with Keep Manatee Beautiful to have them planted when the road was widened from two to six lanes in the 1990s.
The county’s foresight in taking over the maintenance efforts in cooperation with the FDOT is a huge win for our communities.
Further down S.R. 70, in front of IMG Academy, is another example of the county's median beautification program.
It is important that we maintain the unique character of Historic Old Oneco. Few remember its history but those of us who do will always teach others and promote preserving it as a reminder of our past.
Margi Baskerville Nanney, Citizens for Historic Oneco
Republicans in Congress work against voters
Former President Donald Trump has been indicted on charges that he attempted to destabilize our democracy on Jan. 6. It’s an important step toward accountability and I’m thankful that our legal system is working as intended, but it’s hard to feel any relief when Republicans in Congress are actively trying to enshrine Trump’s crimes into law.
The American Confidence in Elections Act should be called the Big Lie Act, since it will finish what Trump started: It would make it easier for dishonest politicians to challenge election results, increase the corporate and dark money influence in our elections, disenfranchise millions of voters, block states from running voter registration programs and empower the spread of disinformation.
It is custom designed to help Trump regain power, despite his indictment.The fact that Trump has been charged with a whole list of new, serious crimes, including conspiracy to defraud the United States (along with his other indictments), shows us once again that Trump and his MAGA enablers in the House are a grave threat to our democracy and our country.
We deserve and demand fair, free and open elections, not shameless power grabs and endless Republican corruption.TJ Miller, Bradenton
Politics could eviscerate education system
I appreciated Sharon Landesman Ramey’s July 23 guest column (“What happens to New College after DeSantis ends his term?”).
She painted a dark, frightening picture of politics not just interfering with education but eviscerating it – a story that starts at New College but is sure to permeate the rest of the public education system in Florida.
The interim president of New College, Richard Corcoran, successfully brought state money to New College after it was denied adequate funding for nearly 50 years.
That achievement seems to have given him license to ignore process, statute, ethics, standards and decency in the pursuit of increasing enrollment – and transforming the college from a leading public liberal arts college to a monument to Christian nationalism and ancient texts.
More: Interim New College President Richard Corcoran finalist to fill job permanently
And don’t forget about "The Mighty Banyans," the sure-to-be disastrous sports program!
If the best predictor of future performance is past performance, a permanently appointed President Corcoran will hire friends, disrespect students and faculty who don’t ascribe to the conservative classic model he desires and ignore anything that gets in his way.
And the taxpayers of Florida will be funding that president with a compensation package hovering around $1 million per year. Good investment? I think not.
Bruce Crissy, Sarasota
DeSantis, Wallace comparison is on target
Herald-Tribune Opinion Editor Roger Brown has a unique way of looking at state and national issues.
His provocative July 30 column (“Ron DeSantis isn’t Ron Desantis 1.0, He’s George Wallace 2.0”) was no exception.
Brown interviewed the historian Dan Carter who wrote a seminal book about George Wallace, the noted Alabama governor who was arguably the most polarizing culture warrior of 20th century America.
In the interview, Carter hit the nail head on when he stated that “DeSantis – like Wallace – understands that conflict and outrage attract the media like moths to the flame. And DeSantis has a broad range of enemies to target.”
Indeed, DeSantis' conflict-driven posture, extreme anti-wokeism and lack of uplifting vision for the Republican Party and the nation are the main reasons why he isn’t breaking through.
Former President Donald Trump has created a unique, charismatic brand that is burned into a large section of the Republican electorate. DeSantis' campaign strategy of becoming a "mini-Trump" was doomed to failure from Day One: he cannot out-Trump Trump.
Istvan Dobozi, Sarasota
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: 78 years later, nuclear weapons used to threaten other countries
