Tuesday's letters: Celebrate freedom and our 247th birthday
On Independence Day, celebrate liberty
July 4, 2023, is America’s 247th Birthday, Independence Day! We celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July in 1776.
On this day, we celebrate the delegates from the 13 colonies to the Continental Congress who approved the Declaration of Independence, making them free and sovereign. The colonies moved into a new era of political independence with no ties to England.
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I encourage readers to read our historic document, which states that all men are created equal with certain rights of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
On the Fourth of July, be proud and fly the beautiful American flag, ring the bells of freedom and attend patriotic events.
Jean Maxwell Catsakis, chairman, Commemorative Events Committee, Sara De Soto Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, Sarasota
To ease lifeguard shortage, pay more
There is a national lifeguard shortage, and it’s not getting any better. All over the country, cities and towns are scrambling to cover their pools and beaches.
For some, it’s a seasonal issue, but here in Florida it is a year-round crisis.
Sarasota County has a critical lifeguard shortage. Why? Perhaps it’s the starting hourly pay of $17.03 to $18.08 (according to a job listing).
That’s woefully low for the daunting level of responsibility placed on these men and women. In addition, it's difficult to recruit lifeguards to an area that has prohibitively expensive rental rates.
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My suggestion? Take a page out of the school district’s playbook. When there was a critical shortage of bus drivers, the School Board raised the starting pay to $25 per hour, plus signing bonus, training and free health benefits. And it worked!
Sarasota County should pay lifeguards what they deserve. They are first responders, same as our fire department and police officers, and should receive wages that reflect that.
After the recent drowning tragedies in the Panhandle, I hope that the county will take another look at how to attract and retain the qualified lifeguards that our residents and visitors deserve.
Cindy Effron, Nokomis
Conservative judges again ignore precedent
The Supreme Court issued momentous decisions on race and orientation June 30. Beyond civil rights, they portend far-reaching consequences.
The court struck down affirmative action by colleges and universities based on the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause. Overturning 40 years of legal precedent, the court ruled such institutions can no longer specifically consider race in admissions.
The court then held the First Amendment prohibits forcing a Christian website designer to create messages with which she disagrees, specifically about gay marriage. This for the first time granted businesses open to the public a constitutional right to refuse service to members of a protected class.
Both cases had the court divided 6-3 along ideological lines. They follow the landmark decision last year overturning Roe v. Wade. The court, breaking 50 years of precedent, denied women control over their bodies, also 6-3.
For lawyers, these decisions raise concerns about the fundamental doctrine of stare decisis (essentially courts honoring previous rulings).
For the public, they may further destroy confidence in the supposed political neutrality of the court. They likewise have the potential to exacerbate disrespect for the court, particularly considering their contentious remarks and following recent revelations of justices accepting lavish boons from billionaires.
Jan Schneider, Sarasota
Immigration law preserves limited resources
The June 29 guest column by Silvana Caldera was way off base, “Citizen or Not: Why Hispanics and people of color are not safe in Florida.”
Caldera, who is a senior policy strategist for the ACLU of Florida, writes that the state's new immigration law “attacks immigrants.” In reality, SB1718 targets only illegal immigrants.
What part of "illegal" does Caldera not understand? The new law only became necessary because of the Biden administration’s “open borders” policy.
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The Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis acted to preserve Florida’s limited public resources for the benefit of its residents. We simply can’t absorb a new influx of border jumpers trying to game an obsolete asylum system.
Caldera is wrong to say Florida has an “anti-immigrant culture.” Immigrants in Florida play a vital role in keeping things running in industries like tourism, construction and landscaping.
Nobody is “dehumanizing and criminalizing” immigrants, as she claims.
Hopefully, next year’s election will lead to some badly needed reforms in federal immigration laws. These should include tightened border security, asylum reform and a vastly expanded temporary worker program targeted at chronic worker shortage areas.
Roger Bonke, Lakewood Ranch
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: America gained independence from Great Britain 247 years ago
