Charlie Kirk’s assassination was a coward’s act against a courageous soul | Opinion

Kirk’s legacy

Charlie Kirk was more than a patriot. He was a torchbearer. A husband devoted, a father unwavering, a conservative whose convictions were not worn like armor, but lived like scripture. He believed in liberty not as a slogan, but as a sacred inheritance. And he gave that belief to our youth — boldly, tirelessly, fearlessly.

He stood before them, as he always did, speaking truth into the winds of confusion. It was there, in that moment of clarity, that an assassin’s bullet struck him down. A coward’s act against a courageous soul.

Bullets can silence breath, but they cannot silence legacy. Kirk’s words echo still. His mission endures. His sacrifice will not be forgotten.

Let us honor him not only with mourning, but with momentum. Let us carry forward the ideals he championed — faith, family, freedom — and let us speak with the same fire, the same grace, the same unyielding love for this country.

May God protect Kirk’s soul, comfort his family and bless the nation he so dearly loved.

Alfredo Hidalgo-Gato,

Coconut Grove

Health negligence

I hope Floridians noted the irresponsibility and negligence on display when Gov. Ron DeSantis and his so-called health director Joseph Ladapo announced the end of vaccines for children attending our public schools — but only if the state legislature is foolish enough to go along with this reckless scheme.

Put aside for a moment this policy shift’s disastrous consequences on the health and lives of children. The medical community will continue warning that what the governor has authorized amounts to inviting the return of crippling and deadly diseases which had long been eradicated through scientific discovery, dissemination, use and recognition of the parental and civic duty to inoculate children for their health and safety and that of the entire community.

I hope readers also focused on the process by which this decision was made. At the news conference announcing the policy shift, DeSantis noted, completely oblivious to his negligence, that Ladapo had called him and spoken about the idea the night before. “This is where I think we should shoot for, are you okay if I do it?” DeSantis recounted Ladapo saying.

The governor signed off, then, on a policy change that impacts the health and life of Floridians (and no doubt the country, given how such infectious diseases as measles rapidly spreads through the population) in an evening phone call, less than 24 hours before the announcement. Whether one is a fan of DeSantis or not, this is governing based on little more than gut feelings — no data, no facts, no science.

Where are the memos staff are directed to produce so the governor can assess the pros and cons of this significant change in state policy?

The health and safety of Floridians, apparently, are in the hands of reckless amateurs.

Howard L. Simon,

Gainesville

Tone down rhetoric

Words often lead to actions. Divisive and inflammatory rhetoric across the entire political spectrum must be toned down.

Those who are cheering Charlie Kirk’s murder must take Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s advice and look into the mirror to find their better angels. Murder is never right.

Miles D. Woolley,

Kendall

Honoring hate

I’m unable to understand why President Trump chose to honor Charlie Kirk with flags at half mast. The racist and ethnic hatred spewed by Kirk flies in the face of everything good in America.

Do Trump’s words of praise for this vile hater echo his own beliefs?

Shame. Harry B. Schrier,

Miami

Gotta have faith?

In her Sept. 9 op-ed, “Why the ‘millennial saint’ is needed in our digital age,” Mary Anna Manusco wrote of the need for faith in our digital age. However, we should never forget that faith brought down the World Trade Center Towers in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001.

Faith also fueled — and continues to fuel — the many religious conflicts around the world.

While faith may offer comfort to its holders, unmoderated by reason, it can be a uniquely dangerous force in the world.

Edward Mast,

Miami

Silent Salazar

U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar calls Donald Trump a “hero to immigrants.” Yet he continues to rip protections away from thousands of Venezuelan families. It isn’t just disappointing, it’s dangerous.

In one breath, Trump and Salazar warn that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is dangerous, a dictator, a criminal and a threat to our national security. They even put a $50 million bounty on him. In the next breath, Trump ends Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for those who fled that regime in search of safety, true freedom and democracy.

Either Maduro is dangerous, or he’s not. And if he is, then why are we sending families back? How does any of this make sense?

South Florida is home to the largest Venezuelan population in the country.

TPS gave them a chance to build a life, legally, while contributing to our economy and community. They are part of what makes Miami great. Now those families are being told they no longer belong. And the very member of Congress who claims to represent them has little to say.

This isn’t new.

Salazar has talked much about immigration — and has delivered nada. Her so-called “Dignity Act” has been filed three times and hasn’t passed a single committee. It is all for show, a hypocritical attempt to look like she is doing something when she isn’t.

Miami deserves more than press conferences and slogans. We need someone who understands these aren’t just political talking points. People’s lives are at stake. Thousands of Venezuelan families are now living in fear, unsure of what tomorrow brings. That should break all of our hearts.

Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicaraguans, Haitians — every community that has strengthened Miami — deserves a representative who will fight for them, not one who disappears when it matters most.

Richard Lamondin,

Miami

Careless leaders

The cornerstone of public health is preventing disease. Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo’s stance on vaccines is the antithesis of disease prevention.

He said he does not have the right to tell parents what to put in their children’s bodies. If he believes that, he should immediately step aside. He is well compensated, with our tax dollars, to shoulder the responsibility of safeguarding the health of Florida’s residents. Instead, he is weaponizing his position to pander to extremism and guide the spread of misinformation and distrust.

The blame for any future illnesses and deaths of our children and grandchildren falls squarely on Gov. DeSantis’ political greed and expedient policies for allowing Ladapo to continue in his position.

Carroll Billups,

Fort Lauderdale

Runway incursion

Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salzar and Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez want to punish companies that do business with the “murderous communist regime in Cuba.” Fernandez has threatened to yank these businesses’ occupational licenses, thereby prohibiting them from doing business in the county.

A quick online check confirms that American Airlines will gladly fly me from Miami to Havana and back for as little as $305, sometimes offering five flights on the same day. I suggest that flying people from Miami to Havana, in exchange for money, constitutes doing business with Cuba.

Accordingly, will Fernandez revoke American Airlines’ license?

Leo Bueno,

Coral Gables