School district officials must start listening to public
I attended the Brevard school board meeting on March 31 as a retired Brevard Public Schools teacher who still advocates for public education.
What concerned me was the hostile feelings Mr. Susin had towards the public speaker during the agenda comment portion of the meeting. When the commentator was trying to elaborate on their comments making references to other events that have happened it the past, they were immediately shut down- talked over by the chair.
There in many cases was not even an attempt to try to understand the commentator’s message to the board. Even if it is an issue that the board may not agree with, there must be an attempt to try to be respectful and serve our students with the same respect. Now, it is the job of the school board to address these questions that our citizens have, that voted for them. If we cannot address our students with respect in public comment, how can we expect them to feel heard by the board if they are held in a view of disrespect?
We need to work together as a community especially with the challenge financial reality of our public schools with vouchers and the reality of needed millage to help with our teachers’ salaries. Now is the time for us to work together for the greater good … and that mean LISTENING to our students and our community.
Gina Derenge, Satellite Beach
What was the POTUS thinking with that Easter message?
Like many Americans I saw with disbelief Trump’s obscenity-laced Easter address to the nation on Easter Sunday morning. I was both gobsmacked and appalled.
Congratulations, Donald, it takes a lot to shock me. That those remarks would come out of a president’s mouth on one of Christianity’s most sacred days is beyond comprehension and explanation. His remarks were so outrageous, even Fox News was offended.
Oh incidentally, I am still waiting for the Christian Right evangelicals’ response to Trump’s Easter address. (That’s right, Franklin Graham, I’m talking to you!). Imagine if former Presidents Biden or Obama said something half as offensive. The religious right, nay, the whole Republican Party, would be screaming “Crucify him! Crucify him.” But what to we hear? Crickets. In fact, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and most of the Republican congressional delegation has been positively aphasic. Neither Johnson nor any Republican in Senate leadership had responded to media requests for comment on Trump’s obscene post on Truth Social. If they buried their collective heads any deeper in the sand they would be looking up at China.
For the party that claims to represent the moral majority, they are twisting themselves in knots to ignore Trump’s remarks and hope it just goes away. Well, to paraphrase Matthew 12:34, “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when Trump’s remarks are so evil?”
Paul Capaldo, Viera
The SAVE Act: a losing proposition on many levels
If the SAVE Act passes, my mother will never be able to vote again. She is a lifelong Republican who never missed an election and is an ardent supporter of Donald Trump. But he will have to forgo at least one vote if he manages to get the Save Act passed.
Her driver’s license recently expired. She needs a Real ID but the DMV wouldn’t accept her birth certificate. They wanted it to have a gold seal. Sadly, in 1945, there were no gold seals. So, we ordered one from her birth state for $85. It took seven months to arrive.
She is also going to need to provide her marriage license. That doesn’t have a gold seal either. So now we have to order that for another $75 and many weeks or months of waiting.
Whew! Ok, $160 later and now we can take everything to the DMV and pay another $50 for the Real ID.
But, a Real ID is not sufficient for the SAVE Act. Now we need to get a passport — for an 80-year-old woman in assisted living who will never travel. That would cost another $165. She’d need a passport photo as well, another $10-$15 and 2 month wait to receive the passport.
An 80-year-old, disabled woman on an incredibly small income would shell out $390 and wait over a year to obtain all necessary documents and paperwork just to vote like she has for the last 60 years.
I hope his other supporters are wealthier. Otherwise, this may not turn out the way he thinks it will.
Carolyn E. Perrine, Melbourne
Common sense seems lacking in ICE opponents
The duties of Homeland Security are to keep America safe from all threats. But some city mayors, state governors and congress members want ICE abolished for rounding up illegal migrants for deportation, some of whom are criminals. That reasoning is like a homeowner sending his watchdog to the city pound for doing its duty running off a burglar.
Benjamin Franklin said, “Common sense without education is better than education without common sense.”
Melvin Deere, Melbourne
Speak up and make your voice heard by voting
Florida needs to go BLUE! What is your president doing for you?
What are your representatives for you? Grocery prices are up, energy costs are up, gas and medical care are up. We are in a war that was not approved by congress (unconstitutional). We are detaining immigrants without due process (unconstitutional). And of course we have tariffs without congressional approval (unconstitutional).
This is costing you $1,000 to $2,000.00 a year. Our allies are no longer our allies. Our president is rude and nasty. We are experiencing a complete collapse of our American democracy,
Let your voice be heard at the polls.
Kathleen Durtschi, West Melbourne
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Reader says SAVE Act will cause GOP vote loss in Letters to the Editor
Reporting by John A. Torres, Florida Today / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
