On Jan. 20, I chose to honor those who serve the greater good | Opinion
Chosen road
Monday, Jan. 20, was a most interesting day: the inauguration of Donald Trump as president and the national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I chose to focus on King, who gave his life standing for justice and to all those great men and women who served the nameless of our society, including Mahatma Gandhi, who worked against oppression through nonviolence, and the Dalai Lama, who maintains a policy of kindness despite living in exile and seeing the persecution of Tibetans.
I chose to give gratitude to late President Jimmy Carter and his beloved Rosalynn, for dedicating their lives in service to others. My thanks also to men like José Andrés and his volunteers at World Central Kitchen, and to the men and women of Doctors Without Borders, who put their lives in danger every day.
If we are to have heroes, let them be those who serve the greater good for the greatest number.
Kathleen Fleischman,
Miami Springs
Ruining ridges
Re: the Jan. 16 Miami Herald story, “Work on developer’s Coconut Grove mansion damages protected limestone landmark.” Developer David Martin, who supposedly is an environmental activist, is ultimately responsible for the destruction of a portion of Miami’s historical natural ridge in the Silver Bluff area, which is in the canal behind the home that he has been building since 2019.
Martin is just another example of greedy developers who act on the belief that it is better to apologize than to ask for approval. As a native Miamian, I have seen this type of behavior many, many times. The desecration of Miami’s past seems never to be a problem for most city, county and state commissions. Developers get a slap on the wrist and pay a fine that is just pocket change for them.
Thank goodness for veteran South Florida archaeologist Bob Carr, for alerting the city of Miami to this problem. Thank goodness for anyone who sees and reports destruction of our natural environment.
Ellen D. Coulton,
South Miami
True intentions
Actions speak louder than words — until they don’t. I initially interpreted President Donald Trump’s choice of a purple tie at his inauguration as a not-so-subtle gesture of unity, symbolizing the blending of red and blue. Alas, my hope was short-lived.
The moment he opened his mouth, the same old vitriol spilled out. Shame on me for forgetting the moral of The Scorpion and the Frog: vicious people cannot resist harming others, even when it goes against their own interests or the interests of those they have pledged to serve.
Mayree Morin Fernandez,
South Miami
Refined young man
At President Trump’s inauguration, his youngest son, Barron, took a moment to shake the hand of President and Mrs. Biden.
A true gentleman!
Joy Pargman,
Miami
Ripping headlines
The Miami Herald has joined the many newspapers that have capitulated to Donald Trump. The Jan. 21 Herald headline, “Trump promises ‘A Golden Age Of America’” is very similar to the New York Post headline of the same day. The Post is owned by Rupert Murdock.
The Herald could have run a headline that told of Trump’s lies during his inauguration speech, or that his words defied the Constitution, or that he was letting all of the violent Jan. 6, 2021 insurrectionists out of jail.
The Herald’s choice of headlines was pathetic and has added its voice to the demise of democracy.
Marty Kleinbart,
Aventura
Our values
If we lose our democracy, it will be because we did not value it the way those who came before us valued it. The way our laws are written, the vote is the most powerful protection we have for our democracy. If one votes in a manner that allows that vote to be diminished, or if one doesn’t vote, then one endangers our democracy.
Whatever we are enduring now and whatever we will endure later will be because we allowed some individuals and corporations to dilute our vote at the ballot box. We allowed lies and distortions from the lips of others to guide us rather than educate ourselves.
I don’t know what this new administration will do, although at the moment it looks scary. That said, I pray I am wrong.
If we value our democracy as much as those who came across the seas and ocean, as much as those who built our democracy and fought for our rights and in our wars, then we will figure it out. If we don’t value it as much, we will no longer be a democracy.
Frances Siegel,
El Portal
Politics to profit
“Trickle down economics” and “the government should be run like a business” are economic theories popularized in the 1980s under President Ronald Reagan. Over the past 40-plus years, middle class Americans have seen their share of the American dream transferred to individuals such as Elon Musk, Jeff Besos, Mark Zuckerberg, the Koch brothers and Donald Trump. These men can be defined as oligarchs who use their money to influence government policy for their personal advantage.
In a democracy, government is a collaborative effort of its citizens to do things that cannot be accomplished individually. Government differs from business because of its mandate to serve all, not just a selected few. A corporation’s mission is to make a profit. Government’s mission is to provide for the “common good” by building our roads, providing public education, maintaining law and order and providing for the common defense of our country. It’s a government, not a for-profit business.
The preamble to the United States Constitution defines the purpose of our government: to “establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence [sic], promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”
Profit is not mentioned once.
Karen Adler,
Hollywood Beach
Inaugural fashion
First Lady Melania Trump wore the ugliest gown in the history of presidential inaugural ceremonies. She wore a white shift emblazoned with black masking tape in a distressing pattern.
Lauren Sanchez, fiancee of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, attended the ceremony in a bosomy white corset more acceptable for the Viper Room than the Capital Rotunda. This very un-demure outfit was not only inappropriate it was impertinent and insulting.
Candice Russell,
Plantation
That’s the idea?
I’m sure President Trump’s second term will be very different than his first. Entering office in 2017, he had no ideas.
Judging from his campaign this time, he has bad ideas. And instead of picking advisers based on competence, they mainly have had to pass a loyalty test.
My message to his supporters is, be careful what you wish for.
Tony Chifari,
Miami
Violent age
In my eight decades on this planet, I don’t recall witnessing so much violence: of man against man, as we saw on Oct. 7, 2023, when a band of terrorists unleashed medieval cruelty on unsuspecting men, women and babies, starting a war that has killed and displaced thousands of people.
In Ukraine, after almost three years of war, entire cities have been destroyed by Russia’s unprovoked invasion. In recent years, nature has unleashed its own violence, burning thousands of acres and leaving thousands homeless in some of the most beautiful places on earth, such as in Maui, Hawaii, two years ago, and now in coastal southern California. It almost feels biblical: Mother Nature displaying its own violence as it rages against the bad behavior of its inhabitants.
Just as the sun always rises after darkness, let’s celebrate the release of the hostages in Gaza and the promise of peace in the Middle East. Let’s pray as well for a more peaceful Mother Nature.
Betty Heisler,
Aventura
Fishing rules
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission regulates recreational fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, up to ✓nine miles from Florida’s Gulf Coast. Because President Trump has renamed the Gulf as “the Gulf of America” through an executive order, there are no corresponding fishing regulations on the books under the new name.
Does this mean I now get to keep all the grouper, snapper and cobia I catch in the Gulf of America, regardless of size?
Alfonso Fernandez-Fraga,
Miami