Betty Mae Jumper was pride of Seminoles
April 27 marks the anniversary of the birth of Betty Mae Jumper.
Betty Mae was one of the most accomplished and transformative leaders in the history of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
In fact, a century-plus after her birth, the impact of her life and leadership continues to shape the tribe, its institutions and the generations that followed.
Betty Mae was born in 1923, in a camp in Indiantown. Betty Mae was raised in a traditional Seminole community surrounded by cattle operations. As a third-generation cattle owner, she grew up with a deep understanding of tribal life, responsibility, self-sufficiency and resilience. Her path would lead her beyond the expectations placed on most native women of her era.
In 1945, Betty Mae made history as the first Seminole to graduate from high school — an achievement that symbolized a new beginning of new opportunities for her people.
She later earned a nursing degree and returned to serve her community by helping introduce modern medical care to Seminole communities.
Today, the Betty Mae Jumper Medical Center stands as a lasting testament to her commitment to improving the health and well-being of tribal members.
Betty Mae again made history in 1967 when she became the first woman elected chair of the Seminole Tribe of Florida — and the first female chair of any tribal nation in North America.
Betty Mae was on the Tribal Council from 1967 to 1971, helping to guide the tribe through a period of growth and change.
Her influence extended beyond the tribe. She co-founded the United South and Eastern Tribes and was appointed by Richard Nixon to the National Congress on Indian Opportunity.
Betty Mae’s legacy endures in the institutions she built and in the strength of the Seminole people she served.
Derek Boyd Hankerson, Fort Pierce
Call legislators, governor over school voucher abuse
Since joining the local non-partisan group Education Champions, I’ve learned a lot.
I’d never heard of the group Moms for Liberty, which originated here in Indian River County, and has had a great influence on book banning in our school libraries and teacher classrooms. Florida and Texas have the most book bans in the nation.
Secondly, I learned about the existing state-sanctioned school voucher program. This allows school taxpayer funds to be used for alternative forms of education, including private, for-profit schools and home schooling, with little oversite or academic accountability.
According to a Florida audit released in December 2025, Florida’s school voucher program is now costing roughly 5 billion taxpayer dollars. That audit also identifies almost $400 million loss of public school funding in just one school year. This program is bleeding money out of our public school system with little accountability.
The state has also acknowledged difficulty tracking approximately 30,000 students, which represents roughly $270 million in funding and without clear confirmation of where those students are enrolled.
When this voucher program was approved in 1999, where was the long-term financial planning to cover public school operational costs, such as health care, building maintenance, teacher pay and other staffing?
Florida has the distinction of the lowest teacher pay in the nation. How can we expect to attract quality educators who are additionally burdened with a lack of affordable housing and uncertain health care coverage expense?
This audit report clearly shows abuse, fraud and mishandling of taxpayer money and the responsibility rests squarely with our governor and our legislators. Republican Sen. Don Gaetz, after reviewing this audit, stated, “To do nothing would be legislative malpractice.”
I urge you to call your state representatives and the governor’s office to ask questions and voice your concerns.
Suzanne Jones, Vero Beach
Travelers can fix line problems at airport like this …
If every airplane passenger gave just $1 to the Transportation Security Administration agent, the long lines problem would be solved.
Spike Vrusho, Vero Beach
Ensure AI used appropriately in letters to the editor
Laurence Reisman’s column on AI usage by even the public in producing letters to the editor was illuminating.
The opinion staff appears quite amenable to including letters in their editions. I read most of them (and the other opinions) with interest.
But, I hadn’t considered the possibility of submitters using AI to enhance their compositions, for which they receive “zero” compensation. Reisman’s revelation and the recent essay you published by Jocelyn Kincaid-Beal clearly point out the potential fraudulent (and plagiaristic) nature of doing so.
As he mentioned, using Google to lead a writer to confirm dates and certain events (to assure accuracy) seems reasonable, but to have the bulk and thrust of the “letter” originated through AI (without attribution) should be anathema to us all!
My grandson, who teaches at a local university in southern New Jersey, is continually alert to his students using AI inappropriately. And, he grades papers accordingly! Hopefully, you can do likewise!
Ron Smith, Vero Beach & Brigantine, New Jersey
Use AI with caution, lest we lose our ability to think critically
A recent column written by Jocelyn Kincaid-Beal, an English major at Albion College, appeared in your publication under the title, “AI is making college students dumber.”
She’s a student who prefers to learn what too many of her contemporaries don’t (because it takes effort and commitment): learning to read, write and think critically. Instead, many of her classmates use generative AI to do their research, write their essays and think through difficult assignments. Thus, they learn nothing essential.
The widespread use of AI demands the implementation of a strict set of guidelines across our entire culture to protect us from becoming over-dependent on a dangerous technology having the ability to “think” for us. We’ve all heard the saying, “use it or lose it.” While trite, it’s an appropriate warning because becoming dependent on AI might be the greatest existential threat to human reasoning.
Like alcohol or other drugs, once humans become addicted to AI’s use, our ability to reason will be compromised significantly. We’ll lose the intellectual capacity to think for ourselves. And what about AI’s potential to restrict the expression of human emotions, including love, compassion, empathy, care and so much more? Don’t think AI won’t affect these behaviors, too.
The Vince Gilligan-created TV series “Pluribus” presents such a possibility. Want to become a cog in an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent technology? Sound like a slave to a mechanical god? That’s exactly what might happen when humans do what they’re used to doing — taking the easy way out. Many of us always do.
You might scoff, but becoming dependent on AI will rob us of the uniquely human ability to perform sophisticated reasoning. Social media, partisan broadcasting companies, moronic podcasters and other so-called “influencers” already have conditioned Americans to ingest damaging swill.
Remember AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell”? We’re on it.
Cray Little, Vero Beach
Are war, other maneuvers prelude to draft?
Is it a pipe dream?
We are in the war room, planning our future military action in Iran. We know it will be costly and many military personnel will suffer debilitating injuries. We need to control costs.
Well, one thing we can do is limit what can be used to gain a Veterans Administration health card and subsequent disability payments through the Veterans Benefit Administration. For example, eliminating tinnitus (proposed diagnostic code 6260).
Why? Because, events that puncture ear drums leave you with a concussion or ringing in the ears. These will be experienced by front-line troops.
As planners, we also know we may need more recruits. We recognize that gay individuals are no longer welcome, and we will not have women in combat action. Consequently, to booster our ranks, we have to instill the draft.
Nah, that is just a figment of my imagination. As was the 2008 housing financial crisis, an apprentice becoming president, weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and bailouts of banks and the auto industry.
Now back to sleep.
Ronald D. Roberts, Sebastian
Democrats vs. Republicans: Two can play that game
A recent review in your letters section of the two parties’ choices breezed by a few things most voters don’t want. Here’s the rundown:
Tax cuts for the rich and corporations: Democrats no, Republicans yes.
Tax hikes for everybody else via indiscriminate tariffs: D no, R yes.
Brutal and deadly immigration enforcement with no accountability: D no, R yes.
An end to birthright citizenship: D no, R split.
Increased burning of planet-warming fossil fuels: D no, R yes.
Curbs on economical renewable energy: D no, R yes.
2020 election denial: D no, R yes or no comment.
Hatred of marginalized people: D no, R frequently.
Pardons for Jan. 6 insurrectionists and cop-beaters: D no, R yes.
Lawfare retribution against perceived enemies: D no, R yes.
Flouting the rule of law: D no, R yes.
It’s time to just say no, especially in November.
Conrad deFiebre, Stuart
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida school vouchers rip-off. Jumper hospital an honor | Letters
Reporting by Letter writers, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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