Listen up, lawmakers
The Florida Legislature needs a lesson in listening. Their constituents, including this second-grade teacher, don’t want classroom teachers armed. We made that clear (and thought we were heard) when classroom teachers were excluded from last year’s School Public Safety Act’s guardian program. Yet in this year’s update — SB 7030 — they’ve made classroom teachers eligible, blatantly ignoring the wishes of the majority of Florida school boards, local police departments, teachers, parents and students.
There is zero evidence that arming teachers will make schools safer, and plenty warning of the dangers. The Associated Press last year uncovered more than 30 publicly reported mishaps since 2014 involving firearms brought onto school grounds by law enforcement officers or educators. Guns were left unattended, went off by mistake and were fired by students.
There are no logical benefits that outweigh these proven risks. If there is ever an active shooter in my school, do you think I will have enough time to unlock my gun, shelter 18 7-year-olds and chase down the intruder?
Tracy Merlin Davie
Population urgency
Frosty Wooldridge’s guest column April 3 (“Exploding population presents problems for future generations”) is right on target.
In order to solve the problems of the world, there must be a pause or slow down in the growth of the number of people. It is projected the world population will increase from 7.5 billion to 10 billion by 2050. The leaders of the countries around the globe need to focus on how to change and cope with never-ending population growth and the problems that stress our societies and our very existence.
Our children are depending on us and we all need a new sense of urgency to come to a solution for the primary problem – too many people.
Dan Beistel Oviedo
Fund Visit Florida
It’s crucial that the Florida Legislature fully fund Visit Florida because thousands of Florida businesses like mine rely on the partnerships and programs offered through their state and local tourism agencies to succeed.
For a business our size, which employs between 50 and 60 Floridians, continued growth relies on our ability to market and advertise to visitors. But we can’t do it on our own. Thanks to our partnership with organizations like Experience Kissimmee, Visit Orlando and Visit Florida, Boggy Creek has welcomed journalists from around the globe to experience Florida in a new way. Our partnership has garnered us exposure in renowned publications such as The New York Times and taking part in advertising that we simply don’t have the staff or resources to find on our own.
Visitors have choices in where they can visit, and Florida has a lot to offer them. But if we want to remain the No. 1 choice for people to visit and play, we must remain competitive and reauthorize Visit Florida. People don’t go where they are not invited, and this holds true for Florida. We must continue to invite the world to experience our state or they will go somewhere else.
Each day, Boggy Creek is committed to highlighting the natural resources Florida has to offer to visitors from around the world. I urge the Florida Legislature to remain committed to Florida’s businesses and let us continue bringing the beauty of Florida to others.
Paul Proly Director of sales, Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures
Business as usual
I don’t understand why the Florida Legislature is attempting to raise the percentage it would take for the public to pass an amendment to the Florida Constitution from 60 to more than 66 percent. They ignore the language of amendment, and the will of the voters, whenever they want anyway.
Bob Poe Orlando
A black hole
Kudos to the artist of the political cartoon on Wednesday’s Opinion page. A black hole is the perfect metaphor for the chaos of U.S. politics. Trump is that extremely dense body from which nothing can escape. The non-stop investigations arising daily are a cosmic nightmare for the American people. He is where people and things, especially money, disappear without a trace.
Debra Lupton Winter Park
(Editor’s note: We take the writer’s point, but a production error is why the cartoon didn’t appear.)
Editorial headline offensive
I was offended by the Sentinel editorial “Florida should not join in on the fetal-heartbeat ploy” (April 5).
“Ploy?” You’re saying those who want to prevent aborting a fetus who has developed a fetal heart that beats are engaging in a cunning plan or action to turn a situation to their advantage?
That is disrespectful to those who openly, honestly, sincerely and yes — painfully — see elective abortion as the taking of a real life and who act for the benefit and advantage of that life, and not for their own.
There are good-faith arguments to be made on both sides of this highly charged issue, but only one side is self-serving and selfish to the extent that they use abortion as birth control after obviously not doing so earlier.
Peyton Hodges Orlando
Congressional waste
Have any other taxpayers noticed as we near April 15 how many of our tax dollars are being wasted on congressional investigations that will do nothing to solve our nation’s many serious problems?
I would certainly prefer that Congress spend its time and energy on rational solutions to economic, security, immigration and health care issues. Will other taxpayers remember at election time the names of representatives and senators who are wasting precious time with investigations?
Maureen Holloway Orlando
