Wednesday's letters: Teacher punishment excessive, Rubio no leader, navigating roundabout

Move Manatee teacher back to classroom

I read with interest the article Sept. 24 about the Manatee High School art teacher who was removed from his classroom after yelling at a disrespectful student for failing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

If the teacher in question is indeed the 61-year-old identified, he probably has been teaching for quite some time. In my opinion, the teacher’s punishment is excessive and it’s a shame we don’t have more teachers like him.

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It’s a shame that the student's feelings may have been hurt. What was his or her punishment for failing to comply with the requirement to stand?

There are 400,000 reasons in Arlington National Cemetery that justify standing for the pledge. Perhaps that student can receive additional history lessons.

Manatee County, please put the art teacher back in the classroom.

Jeff Kelchner, Bradenton

‘It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor’

I am speechless that anyone, much less a governor, would engage in such inhumane treatment of fellow human beings.

May these reminders to our governor from the source of all Judeo-Christian ethics bring an end to the cruelty of using these migrants as pawns to further his ambitions.

• Proverbs 14:31

“Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”

• Proverbs 14:21

“It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor,

but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.”

• Proverbs 28:27

“Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,

but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.”

• Micah 6:8

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.”

• Zechariah 7:8-10

“And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.’”

Marcella Woodworth, Venice

Rubio demonstrates he’s no leader

Should U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio be re-elected? An examination of what he has done, and what he has failed to do, leads me to say no.

Over two terms, he has waffled on issues and showed minimal leadership. An example of poor leadership is Rubio’s remark that Donald Trump’s mishandling of classified documents was simply “a storage issue.”

Fifty years ago, I had a “Top Secret” clearance while working in the defense industry. I was told I would be summarily fired and jailed if I was discovered to have taken “Top Secret” items to my home.

Rubio’s stupid remark likely jeopardizes U.S. relationships with friendly countries, and harms Florida’s defense industries. Friendly countries will likely hesitate to work with the U.S. on international security issues.

Ironically, Rubio is a member of the prestigious Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Foreign Relations. For any member of those committees to dismiss a security breach as a “storage issue” is simply unthinkable.

Robert Herickhoff, Nokomis

Whether to vote Nov. 8 a personal choice

Asking Republicans, moderate or otherwise, to opt out of voting Nov. 8 is the height of arrogance (“Moderate Republicans should skip election,” Sept. 25).

The letter writer has decided that his is the better way, but each of us who go to the polls will make that important decision for ourselves.

Before making your selection, you might ask yourself: Are you better off now than you were two years ago?

Marsha Thompson, Sarasota

Cooperation key in roundabout traffic

I eased into a generous gap at the Webber-Honore roundabout in Sarasota, and was greeted by a loud, aggressive horn blast from a middle-aged man in a black pickup truck.  He was clearly of the opinion that his right to unobstructed passage had been denied.

Roundabouts work best with mutual cooperation toward the goal of maximal throughput. Perhaps such leftist, even socialist, strategies don't belong in the great state of personal liberty.

Bruce Robinson, Sarasota

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Manatee should move teacher back to class, oust Rubio