A Trump presidential library at FIU should spur a new course: ‘Dark Days of Democracy’ | Opinion
Learning objectives
Re: the Jan. 24 Miami Herald story, “Could FIU land the Trump presidential library? One of his lobbyists toured campus.” While some may look forward to this, others may see it as an opportunity to use presidential library records to create new college courses.
For example:
▪ Dark Days of Democracy;
▪ How to Become an Autocrat;
▪ Global Alliances — How to insult your friends and weaken relationships;
▪ How to be unaccountable for promises made but not kept.
Juan A. Galan, Jr.,
Coral Gables
Missing details
Re: the Jan. 21 Miami Herald editorial, “Trump pardons for Miami J6ers and others is dangerous step toward whitewashing history.”
Seems clear that the editorial board has terrible amnesia and continues journalistic partiality by omitting that the Biden administration also whitewashed history when it renamed U.S. military bases and removed the Confederate memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
Fernando Gallo,
Miami
Muzzling healthcare
On Jan. 21, President Donald Trump ordered the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and other Health and Human Service agencies to cease all communication with the American public. Moreover, no grant funding for medical research is allowed to be made until at least May.
Apparently, Trump wants Americans to die of bird flu and other dangerous ailments. His muzzle on health agencies keeps American doctors and American patients ignorant of lifesaving drugs and procedures. He prevents warning of diseases or pandemics from reaching Americans. By prohibiting grants for medical research, Trump prevents Americans from finding lifesaving drugs and keeps America’s children vulnerable to cancer, asthma and infectious disease.
This is America First?
This is putting Americans last!
Maria Roberts,
Homestead
Cheap offer
Ken Griffin is just another out-of-town billionaire who has entered our beautiful city to feed their own self-interests, as shown by his apparent attempt to secretly buy out the owners of the Solaris condominium, as detailed in the Jan. 23 Herald story, “Condo owners next to Ken Griffin’s planned Miami HQ reject ‘cheapskate’ buyout offers.”
If he’s truly behind efforts to buy out the owners, he has no regard or respect for those owners or for Miamians. He wants what he wants. He’s using his billions to sneak around in the dark.
And for what? Add more to his already insane amount of wealth?
Shameful, greedy and devious. An ethical businessman would go to the owners, in the light of day and put his cards on the table.
And no, I’m not a Solaris owner.
Peter R. Evans,
Miami
Forget something?
Since Inauguration Day, President Trump has pardoned the Jan. 6, 2021 rioters, made plans for deportation of immigrants, attempted to end birthright citizenship, ordered deregulation of drilling, signed an order to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, established a policy recognizing only two sexes (male and female), ordered the dismantling of DEI government initiatives and signed an order to withdraw from the World Health Organization.
The list goes on and on, but what happened to ending the war in Ukraine on day one?
Distraction works wonders.
Ossie Hanauer,
Miami
Sex mandate
President Trump recently signed an executive order stating that the government will recognize two genders, male and female, as if life imitates ideology.
Is there a single expression of maleness or femaleness?
In life, gender fluidity is a matter of observation. Feminine males and masculine females exist and there are multiple variations in between. A single casting for either sex is yet to be discovered in nature.
To bind human sexuality into rigid categories serves no useful purpose excepting the advance of an ideology ignoring observations unobstructed by bias.
Phil Beasley,
Plantation
In the cloud
To memorialize President Donald Trump’s lifelong penchant for grifting, his enthusiasm for crypto and his disinclination to read documents, the most suitable location for his presidential library is cyberspace.
Bob Ross,
Pinecrest
Backstabbing the Blue
Let’s never hear Republicans try to tell us that they are defenders of the police.
Now that our twice impeached, felonious and sexual abuser leader has released all of the cowards who attacked the Capitol Police on Jan. 6, 2021, anyone who continues defending this fraud and his minions is an enemy of our government.
Americans, stand up and disavow these traitors. They have shown what matters most to them; it sure is not the United States of America.
Jeff Haller,
Cutler Bay
The American way
Nationalism is a perversion of patriotism that infringes on the rights of all. Inclusion and diversity are the strengths of this nation.
The future will judge us as to whether we continue to be the beacon of hope for the poor and downtrodden of other nations. Future generations will write about whether we provided them opportunity for freedom and prosperity or shut them out and only provided for the rich and privileged of other nations.
Our choices are clear. Either we stay the greatest nation on Earth or we degrade into a third world nation. Either we continue in our forefathers footsteps or we dissolve our ideology and become a nation of hate and division.
Let’s find the beauty in our differences and reject hatred. Let’s maintain the resolve of a true patriot and reject nationalism for the evil it is.
Marcos Pena,
Hallandale Beach
Twisted realities
The new United States of America is where a mob of American rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol building to reach members of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021 are not domestic terrorists but “patriots taken hostage.” Republican members of Congress, whose lives were in peril that day, have acquiesced to President Trump’s pardoning of the very people whose intent was to kill them.
Violent assaults on police officers, resulting in injury and deaths, is not a crime but a “peaceful protest.”
Federal employees are regarded as lazy and not to be trusted to work from home. Apparently, they will most certainly be distracted by a basket of laundry.
Climate change is not America’s concern, so “drill baby drill.”
Demonize, Eliminate and Isolate is the new DEI initiative.
America no longer needs to be part of the World Health Organization. Apparently, Americans have achieved herd immunity.
Revenge and retribution is on the agenda for the Republican Party for the next four years.
Enid Garber,
Palmetto Bay
Dol-fans for life
A boy and his dad watch Joe Auer return the first kickoff to score the first touchdown in Miami Dolphins history and we jump on the thrilling roller coaster ride for the next 58 years.
Dolphins owner Joe Robbie hires Don Shula, acquires Paul Warfield and we celebrate three Super Bowls in a row. Robbie builds his own stadium and Dan Marino brings us years of glory and excitement with his golden arm.
Shula wins 347 games. Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor are tackling machines.
Our best memories include sleeping overnight at the Orange Bowl to buy Super Bowl tickets; greeting the team in the MIA Concourse after they defeated Kansas City in the Divisional Playoff on Dec. 25, 1971; the Don Strock to Duriel Harris to Tony Nathan “hook and lateral” in 1982; seeing my dad, Arnie Straus, on the big screen last season as Fan of the Game.
We have not missed many home games since 1966, but now, sadly, it’s too difficult for my dad to attend in person, so we will watch on TV. For a son and father, aqua and orange have given us a lifetime of fantastic memories.
Thank you, Messrs. Robbie, Huizenga and Ross.
Skip Straus,
Pembroke Pines