Today's letters: Readers comment on 'Rock the Red,' farmland and a political cartoon

Not a role model

An event called "Rock The Red'' was held all day June 11 at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala. One of the speakers was Roger Stone, a Donald Trump advisor who associates with Oath-Keepers and Proud Boys gangs. Stone is a public figure, but he is no role model for young people — or anyone, for that matter.

Stone was an influencer in the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington, D.C., that caused property damage, and injury and death of police officers. A New York Times Jan. 5 article states an estimated 150 law enforcement officers from the Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department and other agencies were injured when those strange people attempted to violently disrupt the vote certification of President Biden and Vice President Harris.

Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith and Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood took their own lives after experiencing the chaos and trauma. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick was attacked by the mob, suffered two strokes and died the next day.

Televised public hearings are being conducted by the House of Representatives select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Everyone should watch these hearings and ask themselves, "What am I doing to promote good role models for our youths, and what am I doing to stop bad role models from taking center stage?"

Mary Savage, Ocala

Farmland preservation

On June 21 the board considered an application submitted by Golden Ocala Equestrian Land to change the Ocala Jockey Club rural land use designation to a world equestrian center land use designation. This is not a change to the Urban Growth Boundary, but it does invade the farmland preservation area.

In 2005, the Board of Commissioners created the farmland preservation area to manage growth and protect the area’s valuable soils, water and spring sheds. This area included about 193,000 acres, but nearly 2,500 acres have been removed through the joint efforts of developers and the current commissioners.

The question is whether the spirit of the Preservation Act and the intent of the county’s comprehensive plan to “protect the unique assets, character and quality of life in the county” are to be maintained.

There is, and will continue to be, pressure on our commissioners to boost the economic wellbeing of the county by individuals and organizations that see large profits to be made by converting valuable natural resources in new housing and commercial developments.

We can and will continue to replace housing and commercial space, but we cannot replace depleted natural resources such as soil and water.

Burt Stephens, Ocala

Disparaging cartoon

There are so many things that are disparaging in the June 19 opinion cartoon that makes one wonder, what were you thinking when you decided to publish it?

Gov. DeSantis is certainly not a Nazi, but yet his arm is raised in that type of salute. (If physical disability prevented raising the right arm, it was acceptable to raise the left and, yes, “magic potion” is beneath, subtle play.) In addition, and by far the greater continued media conspiracy against the public at large, is attempting to frame any of his supporters as dumb, as depicted in the wording message call out and the "F" on one of the baseball style caps.

Free speech and expression are the basis of our democracy, but when the newspaper is so slanted that it publishes absolute crap about its own readership/population at large, that is beyond the bridge too far.

Jim Jones, Ocala

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This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: July 17 letters: Readers comment on 'Rock the Red,' farmland, cartoon