Superintendent made right call
Let’s get one thing straight: free speech is not a shield for hate or contempt — especially from those entrusted to teach our children. The Lee County School superintendent made the right call to review the possible firing of three teachers who took to social media to spew hateful remarks about Charlie Kirk and his recent assassination.
When educators step out of the classroom and into the public square to lash out with venom and personal attacks, they cross a line that every decent professional understands. Teachers are supposed to model respect, not rage. They are supposed to inspire open thought, not intolerance.
This isn’t about silencing anyone’s political opinions — it’s about protecting the dignity of the teaching profession and the example set for our kids. The same Constitution that gives us the right to speak freely also protects communities from behavior that corrodes public trust. And that’s exactly what happened here.
The idea that teachers can hurl hateful language in public and then hide behind “free speech” is nonsense. When you represent a school, a district, and a community, you have a duty to uphold standards of decency. We don’t need role models who mock, attack, or degrade others.
No one is denying their right to hold an opinion. But the moment educators make that opinion hateful, personal, or politically toxic, they cross a line that erodes trust between schools and the families they serve. Professionalism matters. Respect matters.
The superintendent’s action wasn’t censorship — it was accountability. It reminded all of us that standards still exist, and that public educators must live up to them. We teach our kids that words have consequences. Adults, especially teachers, should know that lesson best of all. Dr. Carlin acted with courage and principle. She defended not just decency, but the integrity of every classroom in this county. And for that, she deserves our support and thanks.
The Lee County School Superintendent Carlin stood on principle, not politics. She sent a clear message: hate has no home in our classrooms, our schools, or our community. For that, she deserves not criticism — but our gratitude.
Pamela Collins, Naples
Vital public resource lost
I am writing to express my deep concern over the recent loss of a vital public resource. In September, the Florida Library Delivery Service, a program enabling public libraries to share books and materials statewide through interlibrary loans, was shut down.
This service was a lifeline for small libraries. It ensured that students and researchers in Collier County had access to the entire Florida collection. It created a more equitable and consequential library system by connecting us all to a vast collection.
The shutdown was the direct result of a federal executive order to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS provided two-thirds of the program’s funding. When that support was eliminated, the delivery service collapsed.
Now, our community libraries are isolated, and our collective access to information is significantly diminished. This is a detrimental step backward for every Floridian who relies on the free exchange of ideas. We are turning the page on an era of statewide collaboration, and our communities will be poorer for it.
Bebe Kanter, Naples
Road excavation hazard
For more than sixty-five consecutive days, crews have dug up, filled, and re-dug the same patch of roadway on Old 41 near Bayshore / Pine Island Road, just south of the pawn shop and one block north of the Caloosahatchee River.
This is not a routine delay — it’s a portrait of negligence, waste, and indifference.
Fifteen years ago, taxpayers funded the widening of this very corridor. Seven years later it was torn up again. Now it’s under “improvement” yet again — complete with curbs being added, removed, and re-added in a revolving-door construction cycle. We, the residents who drive this corridor daily, have had enough of the perpetual construction theater that never seems to finish the act.
FDOT’s District 1 office blames “unforeseen utility conflicts.” Fine. But when a single square of pavement becomes a permanent excavation site while the rest of a seven-lane highway sits unfinished for two months, that’s not a conflict — it’s mismanagement.
And when tourist season is days away, the delay becomes a public-safety hazard and an economic choke point.
We need a state-level inspector, with firing authority if necessary, to walk that site in person, identify who has been asleep at the wheel, and hold someone publicly accountable — today, not after the holidays.
The residents of Lee County don’t need another round of press releases about “progress.” We need competence, oversight, and closure. If a contractor, supervisor, or administrator cannot finish a job in two months that involves one patch of asphalt, they should not be entrusted with seven lanes of it.
Randall E. Ratliff. North Fort Myers
Thanks to Patty, Jay Baker
I would like to express my deep gratitude to Patty and Jay Baker for their extraordinary generosity and unwavering commitment to our community. Their philanthropic efforts over the past 35 years have significantly enriched the lives of so many, myself included. Thanks to their giving spirit, I’ve had the privilege of enjoying numerous community facilities and cultural opportunities that simply would not exist without their support. Their impact has truly made Naples a better place for all of us.
With that in mind, I was surprised that the excellent “Giving Hearts” article published on October 12 did not receive front-page placement. In contrast, we continue to see repeated and exclusive coverage by Laura Layden (latest on October 8) of the Hoffmann family’s acquisitions and expanding portfolio — topics that, while perhaps of some public interest, lack the meaningful community impact demonstrated by individuals like the Bakers.
I believe readers would be far more engaged by learning how the Hoffmanns are giving back to Naples, rather than reading again and again about their latest business purchases and their portfolio. It would be a welcome shift to see more coverage focused on charitable contributions and community enrichment efforts, rather than real estate and investment transactions, which often are not even related to Naples.
What Jay and Patty Baker have done and continue to do for this city is front-page news. Their legacy of giving deserves to be recognized accordingly.
Sigrid Morgenstern, Naples
The cruelty is shocking
“Show me your papers.” Where have we heard that line? Oh, I remember, it’s from World War II films where the Gestapo agent in his black leather trench coat confronts a person behaving “suspiciously” or is obviously not of Aryan descent, and if the person has no papers or the papers look bogus in some way, the person is hustled off to a concentration camp, never to see family and friends again.
The narrative the Trump administration is promoting is that only bad people are being rounded up and deported: gang members, drug dealers, murderers, rapists, the dregs of our society. We know this is a lie, but some of us choose to believe it because it helps us sleep at night. In Chicago, an apartment building was raided by ICE and several other federal law enforcement agencies, some agents rappelling onto the roof of the building from helicopters. Doors were kicked in, tenants were zip tied, including children; no warrants were produced, no rights read. And many of those taken into custody were not immigrants at all, but U.S. citizens.
How is this happening in our country? Why are we allowing it to happen? The man who cut my grass and my landscaping was deported to Guatemala recently. He’d lived in this country for nine years, was married to a U.S. citizen and had two children, both born in this country and therefore U.S. citizens. He employed two men, both citizens. He ran a prosperous business and is a decent, honest man. But none of that mattered; when the Gestapo came calling, he could produce no papers. Is our country safer, better because this man and thousands like him are no longer among us?
The Trump mass deportation program has got nothing to do with illegal immigration; it’s about normalizing a lack of due process, normalizing legal rights being trampled, normalizing masked agents roaming our streets, but most importantly it’s about creating a climate of fear among non-white people in our country. The cruelty is shocking, but we’re supposed to get used to it.
Ray Clasen, North Fort Myers
Follow international law
I am once again horrified to hear my country is blowing up small boats and killing people who are suspected of smuggling drugs. A suspicion shouldn’t result in killing. Intercept the boats, take control of the drugs, and follow international law in dealing with the smugglers (if in fact they are).
Killing people at sea far from our shores and without providing evidence of who they are or the drugs is against our country’s laws and values as well as international law. We should be able to fight drug trafficking without abandoning our values or breaking international convenants. How can we expect to be heard when dealing with global conflicts when we don’t follow international law?
Besides notifying our senators and representatives, how can we demand that our government follow the International Law of the Sea?
Barb Mcfarlane, Fort Myers
Wake up Congress, please
Our military is killing alleged drug dealers on the high seas without citing any proof of the accusations. This is totally against international law and our own laws. Even if these alleged criminals are guilty, the punishment is not death. Congress − you cannot allow this administration to kill anyone they choose. The executive branch is entrusted to uphold and execute the law, not flaunt it. Wake up!
John Speredelozzi, Naples
What happened to due process?
At least 27 people have been killed in total from U.S. naval attacks on suspected drug-carrying vessels in five operations in the Caribbean Sea. Whatever happened to due process? This looks like the actions of a dictator − shoot first and ask questions later.
Chuck Ryntz, Naples and Washington, Michigan
History repeats
The United States is experiencing a variation of the infamous November 1938, Kristallnacht in Germany, the wave of anti-Jewish riots carried out primarily by Nazi Party members, including the SA, SS, Hitler Youth. In the United States, for lack of a legitimate translation, it could be called a Kristallwagon or a Glaswagen. Not storefronts, but car windows are being broken. Not Jews, but migrants, or perceived migrants, and Browns being dragged onto the streets. Those doing the breaking and dragging are the special troops of our government, unidentified, plainclothed, and masked — the modern-day equivalents of the Blackshirts of Italy, the Golden Dawn of Greece, or the Falange Española of Spain.
Federal troops are on United States streets in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act (1878), which restricts the use of federal military forces to enforce civilian law unless authorized by Congress or through exceptions such as the Insurrection Act. The past uses of such force have been:• New York City Draft Riots (1863), deployed to restore order and enforce martial law during violent civil unrest in New York City.• Bonus Army Dispersal (1932), to remove World War I veterans protesting in Washington, DC, for promised bonuses.• Detroit and Newark Riots (1967), assisting law enforcement to suppress riots, restore order, and enforce curfews.• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination (1968), deployed to restore order and enforce law.• Los Angeles Riots (1992), when the president invoked the Insurrection Act to assist in restoring calm and enforcing local law.
To date, there have been no equivalent riots, but the presence of federal troops has initiated the self-fulfillment of unrest and fear within the occupied communities. The history of the 1920s and 1930s in Western Europe is repeating itself. The locally affected city and state governments are resisting and must continue to do so. The United States cannot afford to let this process continue, or we will lose our country and self-determination.
Gillon Ward, MD, Naples
Prize greater than a Nobel
In the realm of our recent multitude of unprecedented events, this isn’t one of them. A little more than 80 years ago, nearly the entire world erupted in jubilation! The War Department had prepared all the official instruments and obtained the ultimate approval from U.S. President Harry S. Truman, and General Douglas MacArthur had been selected as envoy for the U.S. and Allied Forces. After six grueling years and as many as 65 million lives lost worldwide, on September 2nd, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, select Japanese representatives signed the official Instrument of Surrender. As envoy, Gen. Douglas MacArthur accepted the Japanese surrender and cemented the deal. Finally, under the leadership of President Harry S. Truman, WWII was officially over!
Everywhere, American flags and banners were waving, even throughout the world our national anthem was playing, and here in America, as well as in Tokyo Bay, fighter jets were flying proudly overhead to the tune of “When Johnny Comes Marching Come.” The words “Hoorah, Hoorah” were on almost everyone’s lips.
For ending the war, President Harry S. Truman had been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. However, as the days and months passed and the celebrations waned, the sobering reality set in. In our worldwide fight for peace, as many as 65 million people had been killed. So, despite President Truman’s nomination for the Nobel, Secretary of State George C. Marshall actually won for his European Recovery Program, better known as the Marshall Plan.
My takeaway is, that sometimes the prize just comes in doing the right thing and not expecting a prize for having done it.
Lance C. McCormack, Marco Island
Charlie Kirk’s honorable crusade
This is a response to a letter of October 15, which attempts to portray Charlie Kirk as an un-Christian agitator whose death somehow fails to deserve respect. The writer is free to hold his views, but his letter reveals a deeper problem — our growing inability to distinguish disagreement from moral condemnation.
Charlie Kirk was, first and foremost, a man of faith. He didn’t hide his Christianity behind a press release; he lived it publicly, prayed openly, and quoted Scripture before audiences that often mocked him for it. He believed that faith belongs in public life, that one’s beliefs should inform one’s convictions, and that grace is available even to those who call you names. His Christianity may not have looked like the letter writer’s, but it was real — and it sustained him through a torrent of personal attacks.
To brand him “racist, misogynist, homophobic, xenophobic” is not analysis; it is caricature. Those words have become the reflexive punctuation of outrage, meant to end debate rather than illuminate truth. Charlie challenged DEI because he believed it reduced people to categories rather than elevating them as individuals. That may offend some, but disagreement with orthodoxy is not hatred — it is the essence of free thought.
Turning Point USA, which the letter writer calls “un-American,” is in fact an expression of what America does best: empowering young citizens to speak up, question authority, and engage in civic life. Many of these students felt silenced on their campuses. Charlie gave them a platform and encouraged them to defend their beliefs with reason, not violence.
As for tolerance, few in public life endured more vitriol than Charlie Kirk. He was shouted down, threatened, and vilified — yet he never demanded that his critics be silenced or canceled. He argued back. He showed up. He believed that truth, if spoken clearly and courageously, would ultimately prevail. That is tolerance in its highest form.
Charlie Kirk was not perfect, but neither was any prophet or patriot who ever challenged the mood of their time. He believed that faith and freedom are inseparable, and that both deserve defending — even when the crowd boos. You can dispute his politics, but to deny his Christianity or his courage says more about our cultural bitterness than it does about him.
In a nation that claims to value free speech, we should honor those who exercise it — not only when we agree with them, but especially when we don’t.
Chris Corrie, Bonita Springs
Extreme and fascist response
On Tuesday the 14th, I read in your newspaper that two armed police officers were sent to the home of Mr. and Mrs. O’Garas in an attempt to intimidate Mr. O’Garas for having made “threats to public officials.” In this case, Mr. O’Garas sent a postcard to Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, on which he wrote “YOU LACK VALUES.” Seems to me, Mr. Ingoglia’s extreme and fascist response proved Mr. O’Gara’s point beyond a doubt.
Madelaine Gardner, Naples
Time to awaken
History, when viewed without bias, reveals the enduring cycles of human behavior. The issues we face today are not new — the struggle for wealth and power is as old as civilization itself. Democrat or Republican, it makes little difference; true power resides with the oligarchs, plutocrats, and elites who control both parties and, by extension, our nation.
Concessions to the public have historically been granted only when the ruling class feels its grip threatened. The real history of the United States documents these moments — periods of unrest when the status quo was challenged and consequences followed.
Today’s political climate is the latest iteration of this cycle. Donald Trump has become a catalyst, energizing a challenge to entrenched power. Ironically, his authoritarian tendencies are motivating citizens to defend democratic principles and confront the imbalance of wealth and influence.
Let’s be honest: We do not live in a true democracy. Wealth inequality and the erosion of basic human rights expose the hypocrisy of our leadership. Real change will only come when enough citizens unite to challenge the system. Unfortunately, this process is slow when constrained by democratic mechanisms. But there are signs of awakening. More people are engaging — running for office, voting, and reclaiming their rights. The cycle continues, but this time, the momentum may be shifting.
Rick Helvey, Cape Coral
What is Veterans Day?
Veterans Day is a reminder that the protection of the United States of America is through our active military branches (Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, Merchant Marines and Space Force)! All of the branches interact together to safeguard our country. Not only do the branches protect America, they do so as part of NATO, and in peacekeeping missions worldwide.
I learned on my first day in Vietnam in 1967 that where there is war there can be peace. The training for the individual who becomes a veteran is based on duty, commitment, honor and country. The uniform symbolizes the dedication to uphold the values and principles that is, justice, freedom, liberty, and human rights. Veterans are peace workers.
So in my thinking, Veterans Day is everyday. Give a veteran a smile and say thank you. “Imagine peace, create peace through communication.” The motto of the Vietnam Veterans of America is ”Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.” This is our human spirit for all.
Louis Cohen (Koltun), Naples
‘Antifa’ means ‘anti-fascist’
I want to be clear: I do not support violence, and I do not belong to any group that does. I guess I am confused by the word “antifa.” It means “anti-fascist.” I oppose authoritarianism, racism, and political violence − no matter who commits it. I stand for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Am I “antifa”? Being against fascism should not be controversial. Are you “antifa”?
Tom Grier, Cape Coral
Foreign base on our soil?
First our President accepts a Boeing jet from Qatar to speed up having a newer Air Force One. Now we give Qatar permission to build a Qatar Air Force facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base (a United States Air Force Base) in Idaho. How is any other country having a base on United States soil in our national interest?
I don’t get it. Yes, we have bases all over the world but why do we need to have a foreign country have a military base on our soil? Can anyone explain this to me?
Steve Wiener, Fort Myers
Opportunistic oligarchs
In the 1980s, an American economist, James Buchanan, put forth the idea that our government was overinvested in public services, and that the majority was all too willing to tax the wealthy minority to pay for these programs. Buchanan stealthily set about undermining the public’s trust in government. His aim was to get voters angry and take their attention away from growing wealth inequality of oligarchs. Buchanan successfully sold his economic philosophy to the Koch Brothers.
The Koch Bros’s control of the GOP kicked into high gear after the financial crisis of 2007-08. Koch’s State Policy Network and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) were involved in pumping big money into state judicial races. The purpose of the Koch-led movement is absolute domination of American politics — vanquishing Republican moderates and centrists, replacing the Republican Party’s political apparatus with their own private, political machinery and eliminating Democrats electorally.
What we have now are the Koch led oligarchs opportunistically riding the shirt tails of Trump’s populism as they rip off ordinary Americans who will be caught up by the suck of the marginal undertow.
Joe Haack, Naples
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Sunday, October 19, 2025
Reporting by Letter writers / Fort Myers News-Press
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