Democracy first for Haitians

The Oct. 4 editorial, “Not all agree U.N. coalition in gang-ridden Haiti is a good thing. But what’s the alternative?” misses the point — and the alternative. No one is saying Haiti doesn’t need help.

What Haitians and Haitian Americans have been demanding is that such help must be requested by a consensus transition government, the formation of which the Biden administration has been blocking for years, instead of by the corrupt, gang-and-assassination-implicated, illegitimate regime whose misrule this intervention is unfortunately designed to perpetuate.

Stop propping up the regime. Untold thousands have died in Haiti as a result of this cynical, misguided, and anti-democratic U. S. foreign policy. Genuine democracy for Haitians isn’t a luxury or afterthought, and it can’t be manipulated; it must take precedence if Haitians’ lives are to be respected.

Steven Forester,

Miami Beach

Black women make legal history

Almost one year ago, the nation celebrated the elevation of Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black female justice to the United States Supreme Court. A similar event happened recently in Atlanta, with implications for the administration of justice in the three states within the jurisdiction of the 11th Circuit U. S. Court of Appeals — Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

In a large and emotionally moving ceremony, Nancy Gbana Abudu was installed as the first Black female judge in the history of the 11th Circuit. Her father had come to this country from Ghana to attend graduate school at Howard University, where he received a Ph.D. in political science.

I hired Abudu about 15 years ago as legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. I appreciated her skill, integrity and passion for justice, especially racial justice. She served many years as senior attorney with our national organization’s Voting Rights Project. Florida needed an attorney with expertise and sensitivity in defending the right to vote. Later, she went to work for the Southern Poverty Law Center.

When legal historians look back at the administration of justice, Abudu will be seen as having performed her duties with integrity, due respect for the work of judges who preceded her, the wisdom to incrementally expand the reach of the law to protect everyone and the courage to protect American freedoms from the tyranny of the majority.

As Judge Beverly B. Martin, whose seat Abudu now occupies, said at the joyous installation ceremony: The court is stronger and the trust in justice that it administers is stronger when the courts looks more like the people it serves.

Howard L. Simon,

interim executive director,

American Civil Liberties Union of Florida,

Miami

Limited options

I am one of thousands who have been “depopulated” by Florida’s Citizens Insurance in mid-policy and farmed out to another company, with a 20% increase. This is after Citizens raised our rates considerably last year. I — we — cannot afford this. My teaching pension increases 2.5% annually, and my Social Security payment increases 3% in January.

Does this cover state-sanctioned insurance hikes?

I have taken three part-time teaching jobs to stay afloat. I’m 68, battle chronic illness, and must now consider returning to work full time. I have been forced to abandon the notion of enjoying the great American promise to those of us who have worked for 40-50 years, paid our share in taxes and retired, expecting to live somewhat comfortably.

What’s the alternative?

Leaving South Florida (I am looking further north) or moving to a state that doesn’t enable corporations to gouge its residents.

Lisa Shaw,

Tamarac

Pop-star power

Let’s cheer up the writer of the Oct. 3 letter “Can’t shake it off,” who bemoans Taylor Swift’s incredible impact — this time — on the economic world of football. Swift, it seems, is well aware of her power. She has been urging millions of “Swifties” to sign up to vote.

She explains why, urges the importance, then posts the link. The last statistic I saw was a bump of 35,000 new voters.

Mary Motes,

Redland

House chaos

The federal government is in a free fall, and we are scared to see where it lands. Our representatives, on all sides, have become tribal warriors fighting to the death and accomplishing nothing except chaos and debt. If I did not see it with my own eyes, I would not believe it. The gamesmanship and immature antics achieve nothing. Each side acts with glee when they prevail against the other, yet have nothing to show for it.

How do we effectively communicate to Washington, D.C., that we want wise, professional leaders who can accomplish results in America’s best interest, not tribal warriors wasting our time and money?

I have and will continue to write my representatives to voice my concerns. To date, I have only received form-letter responses that often do not address the issues I have raised.

There is a serious communication gap between Washington and the rest of the country; they are not listening, and it is costing all of us. They are hindering, rather than helping, Americans.

How do we turn this around?

Fleta Stamen,

Miami

Money man

It’s hard to understand how Lionel Messi, allegedly “the best fútbol player in the world,” sat on the bleachers with his family to watch the final game of the U.S. Open Cup, one of the most prestigious soccer tournaments, because of his “fatigue.” This should have been in evidence before he signed his multimillion-dollar contract with Inter Miami.

Messi, at 36, has missed six of the last seven Inter Miami matches, apparently due to injury. Instead of resting, he flew to Buenos Aires during one of those missed six days and played at full steam with Argentina’s national team, scoring the winning goal against Ecuador in the qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup.

Inter Miami may not make the post-season, particularly without Messi on the field. Meantime, the organization recently sent renewal notices for next season, with large price increases for every section and individual seats. Messi’s jersey is the most expensive and top seller in the league.

Nelson Benedico,

Miami

Triple threat

Rick Scott, a multi-millionaire involved in the largest case of medical fraud in our country’s history, embarrassed himself by hiding behind the Fifth Amendment 75 times. Floridians put him in the governor’s office.

Then, we elected Ron DeSantis, who seemingly has no use for Florida’s Constitution. Instead of fighting an insurance crisis, an affordable housing crisis and a climate crisis, he decides to fight Disney.

Now we hear the publicity-seeking Matt Gaetz may decide to run for governor. This Putin-loving Republican, who has proudly become a tool of Donald Trump, would complete quite a trifecta.

My out-of-state friend laughingly said, “If Florida didn’t have beaches and golf courses, it probably would be the first state expelled from the union.”

Martin Kleinbart,

Aventura

Mow or woe

Because Florida is such a flat state, I go to Three Mountain Park in Coral Springs to walk at times. Unfortunately, this place is always overgrown.

Can’t the city council keep a little green area mowed?

Joan E. Williams,

Tamarac