Opening the Gulf of Mexico to oil drilling is a bad deal for Florida | Opinion

Slick article

I thank the Miami Herald for publishing the Nov. 20 article concerning the opening of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico to oil drilling and the after-effects of this action. Articles like these are crucial in protecting Florida’s extremely unique environments and thereby protecting the massive tourist industry alongside it.

Expressing Florida residents’ concerns as a result of the previous oil spill is crucial in reflecting people’s views and stating how elected officials are representing their districts is an amazing example of the power of democracy. The article emphasizes the people’s views and the power of democracy at its finest.

Frederick Landsea,

Palmetto Bay

Code of ethics

President Trump’s latest rant about the congressmen who told military members they don’t have to follow illegal orders shows that Trump is ignorant or is trying to win the public relations contest by misrepresenting what they said. They stated what is in the U.S. military code: that service members have a duty to refuse orders that require the commission of a crime, violate the Constitution, federal law or clear international law obligations.

Furthermore, if the military or its members commit a crime, they can be prosecuted by article 92 in the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Unlike Trump, they don’t have immunity and following orders is not a get out of jail card.

This might have been a factor in Admiral Alvin Holsey’s unexpected early retirement from Southcom, as the legality of the strikes in the Caribbean is extremely dubious and may come back to jeopardize military personnel who did them.

Trump probably doesn’t understand that the military swore an oath to follow the Constitution, not the commander-in-chief’s orders if they are unconstitutional or unlawful.

Jose Teijeiro,

Miami

Level head

Who would have thought it would come to this?

Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is now the voice of reason in the Republican Party. And for that, she is called a traitor and getting death threats. Unbelievable.

Norman Segall,

Coral Gables

Highest hypocrisy

Isn’t it rich and at the same time pathetic to hear Donald Trump threaten some elected members of Congress with “death” because they encouraged active military members to refuse to obey an illegal order?

Trump justifies this as seditious behavior.

On Jan. 6, 2021, Trump’s conduct and speech invited a mob of his MAGA followers to rebel against the authority of the U.S. Congress and the Constitution. That is seditious behavior. Trump was impeached. He also should have been convicted and imprisoned for his role in the events of Jan. 6.

He says he wants death. If so, for whom?

David Kahn,

Boca Raton

Points to consider

Re: the Nov. 20 op-ed, “Does Trump have a tipping point?” I smiled as I read John M. Crisp’s theoretical proposition. It affirms everything I have told friends and family alike about the president. From past history to current events, Trump has been untouchable, getting away with everything he has wanted to do — with the unwavering assistance of his MAGA supporters.

There is no tipping point when your base is a political cult led by a charismatic person who orders the beliefs, behaviors and customs of all members. The cult’s characteristics convey authoritarian control, extreme beliefs, isolation from society and veneration of a single individual.

Trump’s supporters are too deeply invested in him to conclude they were wrong. Doing so would tacitly be admitting they were duped, conned and lacked the wisdom to know any better. That embarrassing conclusion would prevent any MAGA supporter from reaching the tipping point.

Edward Blanco,

Cutler Bay

Reducing exposure

For decades, PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances), have been a class of synthetic chemicals used in products such as nonstick cookware, firefighting foam, stain-resistant fabrics and food packaging. Dubbed “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down easily in the environment, PFAS can accumulate in soil, water, even in the human body. Long-term exposure has been linked to liver damage, suppression of the immune system, thyroid disease and various cancers.

PFAS have been detected in rainwater and some public water sources across Miami-Dade County, though testing shows levels remain below federal and state safety limits. Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department regularly monitors the contaminants. Residents concerned about exposure are encouraged to use certified water filters or have their tap water tested.

Elsewhere in Florida, PFAS contamination has drawn more urgent attention: elevated levels in groundwater and private wells near military bases, airports and industrial sites have prompted some counties to provide bottled water or install filtration systems. Communities in Pensacola, Orlando and Tampa have all reported PFAS above advisory levels, making this a state-wide problem.

With federal regulation still evolving, Florida continues to grapple with how to effectively monitor, limit and remediate persistent pollutants.

Jonathan Rubin,

Boca Raton

Tastes change

Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, obviously hit a nerve with most New York City voters. Mary Anne Mancuso’s Nov. 16 op-ed, “Miami GOP is right to sound the alarm on Mamdani,” did not mention how those New Yorkers came to support Mamdani.

When members of a society are continually exposed to the greed and avarice of corporations and political cronyism, they begin to feel hopeless. They start thinking about change.

This has happened in the past and unfortunately, history repeats itself if lessons were not learned the first time. Today, this is especially true for our young people, who face excessive college debt, often lack a decent living wage and starter homes that can cost half a million dollars and up.

Mancuso writes that the distinction between communism and democratic socialism doesn’t matter. Apparently, it does. When we talk about wealth in our country, we look at median and average household income. The numbers can become skewed because the top tier includes billionaires and millionaires.

Mancuso further warns us that this threat of democratic socialism will bring more government intervention. Where has she been for the past 10 months?

Cutting SNAP benefits from children and the elderly, healthcare costs skyrocketing and ICE rounding up immigrants without due process is the epitome of government intervention.

Mancuso cautions us to remember history and warns others not to repeat it. That warning might be the only point of agreement she and I have.

Kathleen C. Fleischman,

Miami Springs

Floating library

The Presidential Library, which will be built on Biscayne Boulevard, will be a fitting tribute to Donald Trump and his presidency.

Of course, it will have to be built on stilts, because after a hundred years of rising sea levels, the Atlantic Ocean will be lapping at its foundation and, in the distance, Miami Beach will be just a memory.

James Gross,

National Hurricane Center meteorologist,

retired,

South Miami

Fat of the land

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has issued an initiative that will affect me directly: a ban on obesity. I can understand why a nation would want their citizens as healthy as possible (although having visited the U.S. on several occasions, I didn’t see many salad bars).

A guiding principle in life is that all people are equal, irrelevant of gender, race, religion. Now apparently, not bulk. Many in the world are obese, especially in the U.S., so I might have to cross it off my list.

I would probably also be crossed off the list given that not all of my letters to the editors have praised President Trump, who looks like he is also in the obese category. Dennis Fitzgerald,

Melbourne, Australia

That’s all folks!

So, can we now tell any woman, “Shut up, piggy?”

Asking for a friend.

Marcelo Salup,

Coral Gables