A university is much more than a business enterprise. Its purpose is not simply to churn out students with degrees. It has an obligation to its stakeholders to set an example and provide not just academics, but instill moral values in future leaders.
Unfortunately, as Florida International University attempts to open Northeast 135th Street to its Biscayne Bay Campus, its president demonstrates that any means justifies an end.
A university president has an obligation to lead by example. President Rosenberg does not consider the environment, the safety of residents, or the impact on a community in achieving his objective. He proves that one can use any tactic available to get to “yes,” and that compromise is not in the negotiation tool box.
Ironically, in the case of FIU gaining its goal by underhanded tactics, the university president hid behind the students of Parkland, who demonstrate moral leadership in their fight for better gun control laws.
Maryvictoria Pyne,
North Miami
Off the beach
An open letter to Governor Rick Scott: I’m not a resident of the Sunshine State. However, if I were, I would be really furious.
Your new law restricting access to some beaches around the state violates taxpayers’ rights. If taxpayer money is used to maintain a beach, taxpayers should be allowed to use that beach. This is nothing more than a land grab by the wealthy at the expense of the taxpayer.
As a tourist who has been to your state numerous times (six times to Daytona Beach, twice to Panama City Beach, twice to Key West, and once to Siesta Key), it ticks me off because my wife and I like to walk along the beach. When we walk past the hotels, we like the quiet of the more residential areas. We’re not invading anybody’s privacy.
Thanks for reminding all of us common peasants that we’re just common peasants. (“Please sir, may I walk upon your precious sand?”)
I don’t know how other tourists feel about this, but I know I won’t be returning to your state while this law is in effect.
Chris Tate,
Evansville, IN
Stinging debate
Re the March 29 online article, “A pill could make your blood poisonous to mosquitoes, research shows.”
We have our own problem in South Florida. There is a group that wants to experiment on us by releasing GMO mosquitoes and no one has a clue how it will affect us.
Sherwood Swartz,
Hollywood
VA choice
Re the April 3 letter by John Falcone, “VA care for some.” Thank you for serving our country in the military. How fortunate for you that you are a veteran entitled to full care from the Veterans Administration. Yet, you do not use VA care. That is your choice. You have your own healthcare plan.
But what about the many veterans who cannot afford to have their own healthcare? You have doubts about the VA’s quality of care. Perhaps your doubts are unfounded. Those other veterans don’t have a choice about that though, do they?
Because the government is willing to provide the care, all veterans should be eligible to use the VA for their healthcare if they so desire. That’s the least the government should do for the men and women who serve our country.
Elissa Horowitz, Plantation
Merle Haggard
Friday, April 6 marked the second anniversary of the passing of Merle Haggard, ranked recently by Rolling Stone Magazine as the greatest country artist of all time.
His stage presence, instrumental virtuosity, singing and especially songwriting (he had 38 No. 1 hits), he stands above his peers. Rest in peace, Hag. You are missed, but not forgotten.
Alex Rivero, Miami
Extreme views
Re the April 5 letter by Daniel D. Shaw, “Do not think of repealing the Second Amendment:” I doubt this letter writer would expect readers to obey an order like, “Do not think of a polar bear.”
A kind of all-or-nothing thinking besets the monomaniacal NRA, that knows very well that the Founding Fathers could not have conceived of the kind of one-man-militia firepower that was used in Parkland, let alone
Orlando or Las Vegas. Surely a repeal of the Second Amendment might be limited to rapid-fire weapons, which are much more suitable to the military or the police.
Underlying Shaw’s letter is a veiled threat that those who would have to store their guns someplace other than their homes or cars would view the government as illegitimate, and by extension, take up arms against it. This is extremism, however urbanely Shaw’s letter is worded.
The risk of school shootings tends to peak in April, when Columbine and the me-too shooting of Virginia Tech occurred. This is the very best time to think about repealing the Second Amendment, which should not, after all, trump the Sixth Commandment.
Ron Charach,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Probe voting rights
Re the April 5 letter, “Voting restoration,” and U.S. District Judge Mark Walker’s recent order that Gov. Rick Scott and his cabinet dismantle Florida’s “fatally flawed” system of arbitrarily restoring voting rights to felons.
The court also prevented Florida from following through on its threat to be the only state in the nation with an irrevocable lifetime ban on voting for all former felons. Scott issued a statement that defended the current system.
The letter writer insinuates that Caucasian felons, with little effort, encounter very few roadblocks to restoring their voting rights. This may be a job for the Miami Herald Investigative Team.
It would be interesting to see the state’s race-based data on the number of convicted felons who have sought restoration of their voting rights, how many were approved and/or rejected, how long it took to have their voting rights restored, and how many are still waiting.
Rosa Osborne,
Pembroke Pines
Not another one
Someone should tell Donna Shalala that there are already enough anti-union, anti-environment representatives in Congress. They are called Republicans.
Ernest Lent,
Miami
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