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Gators must be removed from residential areas
I’m writing to bring attention to an issue in Brevard County as well as throughout the state. My golden retriever, Gracie, was attacked and killed Dec. 8 by an alligator in the community lake behind our property.
We are heartbroken by her tragic loss. The current laws favor the alligator and not taxpaying residents. This was at least a 10-foot alligator. The idea of coexistence within a residential neighborhood is absurd as well as deadly.
Manmade lakes are not the same as natural lakes. Developers create the lakes for their own purpose.
Manmade lakes are NOT the gators original natural habitat. When we purchased our home 29 years ago there was a cow pasture behind our property. Then developers came in and built the gated subdivision off of Carolwood Dr., adding a drainage lake. They have since allowed gators to reside in the lake despite complaints from neighbors.
There needs to be regulations and substantial fines for the homeowners’ associations of communities that harbor gators. These communities should be held responsible for monitoring and successfully removing dangerous wildlife. Gators should be required to be removed from residential manmade lakes. Period.
We lost our precious dog; it could have just have easily been someone’s child. We are in the process of fencing our yard to protect our animals. Tragically, too late for Gracie. We need rigorous laws to keep this from happening to someone else.
Laurie Cooper, Melbourne
We need strict laws regarding e-bikes
E-bikes are dangerous.I was on the sidewalk the other day. My hearing is good, but I did not hear one coming.Had I moved a foot to the left, I would likely be dead from multiple broken bones,me being 84. Even worse, I find today that e-bikes have bicycle brakes. So maybe he couldn’t even stop in time had he needed to! IMHO, those brakes need to be upgraded, by law.
I also propose no sidewalk riding. Make it illegal. Or if on a sidewalk, riders need to at least make audible beeps to let pedestrians and their pets know they are there. In addition, riders should be required to attend and pass a safety course, maybe with a refresher every year.
We do need to take care of the problem. Hoping our legislators can solve it in this year’s session.
Sharon Adams, Titusville
We’d protect children from abuse. Let’s vaccinate them
Let me point out that most of the people calling for not vaccinating children have already been vaccinated. What hypocrisy.
When you go to a cemetery, take notice of all the baby graves. Then notice that there are hardly any past the 1960s. That’s because people began vaccinating their children. The proof of vaccines’ effectiveness is literally written in stone. Why haven’t we invoked, as a society, “In loco parentis (Latin for “in the place of a parent”) to protect our children against these horrid diseases? We protect children from parental physical abuse; we require children to be educated. Why don’t we invoke mandatory vaccines? It doesn’t have to be this way — vaccinate the child.
Laura Petruska, Melbourne
Mosquito control system did nature no favor
Sadly, I read the opinion praising the mosquito control system. I have been fortunate to have wandered through all the wildlife areas around this area of Florida. Since I first started my exploring in 2003, I have run across just about every variety of Florida wildflower, insect, reptile and mammal there is. I also ran across a great deal of bugs no one liked: mosquitoes, ticks, fire ants, chiggers, and others. I made sure I was protected from each and every one. Then sadly, over the last few years, nothing — all are gone!
I blame it on the mosquito control system, as well as all the preventive pesticides people are encouraged to use. Insects are the basics of the ecology system; when they were killed off, so was everything up the food chain. No bees, no flowers, etc.! I have all my GPS tracks and thousands of digital photos to prove what was there. I have tried to share my adventures whenever possible. I feel sorry for George’s dog Kai, who I am pretty sure has had its life shortened by the pesticides sprayed around our neighborhoods, as well as what I am sure it is doing to all of us. I wish they knew how to kill just the pesky insects, but they don’t! Please take your “head out of the sand” and realize all that has been lost! Just look for love bugs — where did they go?
Tom Choma, Melbourne
Hegseth ‘sets bar so low’ he’s ‘more apt to trip over it’
Success and failure of organizations stem from the qualities and values of their leaders.
Having observed Peter Hegseth’s struggles as defense secretary, I was reminded of Antony Jay’s book, “Management and Machiavelli.” Jay describes a Moloch who talks in emotional language about fighting back. He is the classic instance of the unintelligent, unimaginative, bull-at-a gate executive with masses of drive and no brain; he is contemptuous of those who want to think and plan.
He doesn’t stop to analyze what went wrong or reconsider a general policy. He uses subjective rationalization to blame others for his failures and to take credit for successes others deserved. He uses energy and emotion as a substitute for thought, and instead of thrashing out policy, picks out the simplest solution because it’s all he understands. He gives away the emotional basis of his argument by his last line, admitting that he is advocating an aim, which if not victory is yet revenge.
Yes, Hegseth’s moniker could be Moloch. His level of intelligence and imagination can be argued but his modus operandi suggests those levels are not very high and he continues to demonstrate they’re not getting much higher any time soon. He has set the bar so low he is more apt to trip over it. He lacks the relevant experience and professional maturity and aptitude to successfully lead the Department of Defense. Of course, this was known when he was nominated and confirmed for that job. But sadly, he got the job anyway.
Joseph Gordon (retired USMC colonel), Cape Canaveral
Our Secretary of War: a ‘Cafeteria Christian’?
I intended to do a wrap-up letter to the editor, but then along comes Pete Hegseth to thwart that.
My 20 years on active duty included time in a war zone. Active-duty troops are aware some rights granted to civilians by the Constitution are modified or limited during their time of service. Example: Freedom of speech is very limited. If asked a question by the media, you must refer that person to your station’s office of public affairs or have authorization to speak on the subject in question.
But to curtail the freedom of religion is incomprehensible. I served with many members of other faiths and beliefs. Pete Hegseth’s type of Christianity is unlikely shared by most Christians. Pete and those types are known as cafeteria Christians; they cherry-pick the Bible. Parts they like they use to attack others; the parts they don’t like, often the words attributed to Jesus, they ignore.
Many of the Mosaic Laws are subject to cherry-picking, such as prohibitions against the eating of pork or shellfish being rationalized as unnecessary to follow, but laws about the subservience of women, they like and endorse.
This is dangerous. Who is to blame? Ourselves. In 2016 those who stayed home and didn’t vote thought Hillary Clinton was too hawkish toward Russia and in 2024, they stayed home and didn’t vote because Kamala Harris opposed the surrender of Ukraine.
Once upon a time, in the days of Connie Mack and Bob Graham, Floridians voted for the best candidate. Those days are gone.
Gregory Pierce, Cocoa
Kudos to Trump for destroying drug boats
Destroying drug boats that contribute to America’s 100,000 annual drug deaths gives credit to President Trump. And when supply and demand for drugs kicks in, there will be less drugs on the market for drug lovers along with increased prices.
Melvin Deere, Melbourne
You asked for it. So what did we get, Trump voters?
You asked for it.
“You Asked for It” was a TV show from the ’50s that indulged people’s wishes to see the unusual things most people don’t get to see.
To all the Republi-Kings(sic) Trump voters, “who asked for it,” which of these unusual “promises” from Trump did you get to see?
* Mexico will pay for a wall. Nope
* ACA will be replaced on Day 1 with something much better. Nope.
* Ukraine war will end on Day 1. Nope.
* Prices/inflation will come down on Day 1. Nope.
What did you get?
A 34-time, convicted-by-jury-of-peers felon?
Check.
Wannabe king who pardons “patriots ” who tried to kill cops on Jan. 6?
Check.
Higher prices?
Check.
A draft dodger who claimed bone spurs as excuse, but won’t share X-rays of such, (FYI, bone spurs don’t go away), and now brags his annual physical is better than that of anyone who ever lived and has a history of disparaging the military?
Check.
Health care costs skyrocketing?
Check.
Look your daughters or wives in the eyes and explain why you voted for the smaller majority (men) of the two sexes to have control over the bodies of women.
Sheep get sheared once a year; Trump voters are getting sheared every day.
Just remember the guy with the shears will inevitably cut close to the skin but will always blame the sheep for flinching.
You can keep blaming Biden. It’s what an ostrich does, but then the storm comes …
It’s what “You Asked For.”
Michael Ruth, Satellite Beach.
Fixing healthcare woes will take massive effort
The healthcare system is complex and challenging. Having spent 50 years working in this field, I can predict the potential consequences of current trends. The extensions currently in place are remnants of the COVID-19 pandemic and should be phased out. The system is indeed broken, but identifying the root causes of the issues is a daunting task.
My colleagues are familiar with one of my oft-repeated sayings: it is unconscionable to profit from people’s illnesses. I am not referring to legitimate overhead costs, the need to keep pace with inflation, or the increasing costs of equipment and supplies. Rather, I am concerned about the excessive profits, specifically the EBITDA, which could be reinvested in the institution instead of being distributed to shareholders and investors. However, implementing such a change would necessitate government intervention, which would be at odds with our capitalist system.
The reality is that many individuals face impossible choices, such as deciding between paying for essential medications or keeping their lights on. Providing financial assistance for insurance premiums is not a viable solution. Instead, institutions will continue to shift the burden to those who can afford it, perpetuating a cycle of unsustainable costs. If genuine change is desired, it is essential to study the healthcare models employed by Scandinavian countries.
George White, Titusville
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Retired USMC colonel: Hegseth sets a low bar | Letters to the Editor
Reporting by Florida Today / Florida Today
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