The readers’ forum

Juneteenth — a celebration of freedom

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, the Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas with the news that the war had ended and freed all remaining slaves. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation — which had become official on Jan. 1, 1863.

Bees not news

Re the June 16 story Miami couple saddened after bee hive destroyed: It must have been a slow news day for the Miami Herald. This article took up two-thirds of a page in the newspaper’s local section.

Bees could be saved

An experienced bee keeper could have moved the beehive to a less troublesome location; perhaps on the couple’s property where they could continue to enjoy the bees and the bees could continue to do their good work.

Don’t hurry executions

Re the June 14 story Gov. Rick Scott signs bill to speed up executions in Florida: Why the rush to execute? There have been any number of cases in which alleged killers have been cleared by exculpatory evidence many years after they were convicted and imprisoned.

Mistakes were made

The headline How could this happen? over the Shuckers deck-collapse story really should have been placed over the story next to it, the one about Gov. Scott signing the Timely Justice Act into law.

Citizens is not on our side

Re the June 14 story Scott, others were told about insurance deal: I find it amusing that Adam Hollingsworth, Gov. Rick Scott’s chief of staff, says, “We expect the experts at Citizens and the Office of Insurance Regulation to act in the best interest of Citizens policyholders and the taxpayers that support the company.”

Fraud is fraud

Re the June 16 editorial, Election fraud: From the streets to cyberspace: OK, so last year, there was no such thing as voter fraud and any effort to require photo I.D. or proof of citizenship was a racist redneck attempt at voter suppression.

On Syria, tread carefully

Americans who are critical of our government’s seemingly slow response to aiding the Syrian rebels need to step back and consider why such steps must be taken carefully.