Letters to the editor for Saturday, May 11, 2024

Beneficial Lee schools program

Thank you, thank you, thank you Lee County Schools. My son Ethan Hampel graduated this year from Riverdale High School and earned his Associates in Arts degree from Florida Southwestern College. I absolutely love the Dual Enrollment program and strongly feel it helps students achieve milestones that were not possible a few years ago. Students in Lee County are able to take college classes in the summer, fall and spring at zero cost to parents. Plus, Lee County pays for all college textbooks and related material. I bet a lot of parents are not aware of this amazing program. If you're a parent thinking about your high schooler getting ahead and knocking out a few college classes or possibly earning a college degree, please have them talk to their school counselor about the benefits of Dual Enrollment at FSW. It's one hell of a program and the educational benefits will last a lifetime.

Otto Hampel, Fort Myers

Restaurant inspections

Thank you for your ongoing coverage of restaurant food inspections and the May 7 article that explained them. As you reported, inspections are mere “snapshots” that only twice a year capture the health conditions at the precise moment the inspector arrives. Inspections do nothing to record failures 99 percent of time.My wife and I have been visiting area restaurants only a few times a month, yet in the seven years we have lived here, we have experienced food poisoning after eating out. On one occasion, my wife was hospitalized for three days after she was taken by ambulance from our home.I know restaurants try very hard to maintain clean and sanitary kitchens. But there is little recourse for the compromised diner unless he chooses to go to court and claim significant damages. Even if stool samples confirmed food poisoning, there is nothing there that says the source was the restaurant we had just visited. I cannot call the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation to complain – no hotline, no response team. I could call the restaurant, but the owner would probably think I was out for a free meal. Even then, what could they inspect a day or so after I called?I suspect we are not the only ones who have experienced regular food poisonings here. And I suspect, like me, you’re frustrated by being unable to seek recourse. It’s not fun to be so sick; it’s aggravating when there is nothing you can do about it.By the way, my wife’s illness stemmed from eating raw seafood at a well-respected, new restaurant in Naples. Don’t assume it came from food trucks, which by my observation consistently have the best scores.I will continue to support our fabulous restaurant community, as we all should, but I will acknowledge that it comes with a slight risk that can't be remedied.Tom Marquardt, Naples

Expansion of Title IX

In Wednesday May 8 SWFL Voices there was a letter concerning the proposed changes to Title IX. The letter writer started out with “Title IX has been a critical framework for ensuring equal opportunities for all students…”

The author, however, does not want equal rights for those students who identify differently than her own beliefs. Namely youths who have identified themselves as transgender should not be treated equally to other students (be given equal opportunity) according to the author.

Title IX has accomplished a lot over the years and without it most likely we would not be providing equal opportunities for female students in our public schools today. Expanding the use of Title IX to other underserved groups of students should be its mission going forward not fixing its limits to what it has accomplished.

Steve Wiener, South Fort Myers

Pricing and inflation

It’s understandable why the electorate doesn’t feel the benefits of lower inflation. When it comes to kitchen table items, the price of groceries and gasoline haven’t joined the downward aspect of said deflation. These critical components of everyone’s daily lives are still way too high and have remained so since the pandemic. In addition to these high prices, the corporations have cut back quantities, weight and size. This is called space-flation. Examples of this are frozen pizzas whose diameter has been reduced. The number of health bars has been cut in numbers and sizes. When you look at the individual bars, they are also smaller, but the packaging remained the same. The last inch of the wrapper is left empty.

So why is it the shipping woes have been rectified but the prices remain high? It’s purely and simply greed. Once they see how their bottom lines fared, there’s no chance they’re going to return to pre-pandemic pricing. The public has gotten raises but they’re eaten up by high food and gas prices. The government should go after the gouging by suppliers and subsequently supermarkets. It’ll hopefully happen before the election − it better.

Glenn Chenot, Cape Coral

Double talk from Biden

Joe Biden is withholding munitions to Israel at a time when Israel is fighting for its life. Hamas attacked Israel not the other way around. Even though Biden says he stands with Israel he is lying. He is qualifying what kind of war Israel is fighting and his actions show what kind of person Joe Biden is. Israel is not asking for troops only the equipment they need. Jews must recognize that Biden has been a double talker he doesn't really care about them only their money.

Sheila Zubrow, Naples

What is 'woke'?

“Woke” and “anti-woke” are slurs that are regularly hurled across the political divide by combatants in the War on Culture.  Oddly enough, there seems to be little agreement on what the two terms actually mean.  The definition changes depending on whom you ask.

Politicians routinely dodge the question when asked by an inquisitive reporter.  However, Governor DeSantis’ administration has crafted a unique meaning for woke: “the belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them.”

According to Wikipedia, woke means “alert to racial prejudice and discrimination.”  In recent years the definition has been expanded to “encompass a broader awareness of social inequities such as ... sexism and denial of LGBTQ rights.”

The Oxford definition of woke is “aware of social and political issues, especially racism.”  The Urban Dictionary offers this: woke is “being aware ... knowing what’s going on in the community.”

“Anti-woke” is even harder to describe.  Google suggests that someone “could be anti-woke so that they don’t change from the advantaged side to equality.”

To the best of my ability, I would define woke as the acceptance of all people as individuals, no matter their skin color, gender identity, abilities, place of birth, etc.  I would define anti-woke as the exclusion or non-acceptance of individuals who are not white, straight, able-bodied, and preferably American-born.  Now this all gets very confusing, so I have devised a clever solution: whenever you see the word “woke,” simply replace it with the word “love.”  Whenever you encounter “anti-woke,” simply substitute the word “hate.”  This little trick will greatly simplify things and help you to understand what’s going on in the culture wars today.

Gail Hermosilla, Estero

Trump is a false idol

Donald Trump proudly bragged that he could grab women by the "p....y" and that they would let him because he was "famous." Yet, when a woman came forward and claimed that he did precisely that, he accused her of lying, saying she was not his "type."

Who is the liar? Who is the person who lies about minor things and major ones on a regular basis?It is the man who lied about Barack Obama's birthplace, the trajectory of a hurricane, the worth of an education from Trump University, the size of his apartment, and that, despite all evidence to the contrary, the 2020 election was "stolen" from him. People who have worked for him are "only the best people" until they disagree with him. Then are disparaged and lied about.Because he repeats his lies over and over and over again, his gullible audience accepts them as truth. They want to believe him even though the facts prove that he is nothing more than an opportunist posing as their savior. There is even an ad out that proclaims that God "chose" Donald Trump to save us. How blasphemous!Donald Trump is a false idol, born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He doesn't care about you or I. He cares only about what benefits him.

Mary Calabrese, Bonita Springs

Listen to Trump’s words

During the Watergate scandal, President Nixon said that he was “not a crook.” Perhaps not a crook but certainly a liar. Nixon in his own words proved his involvement in the coverup. Donald Trump also tells us in his own words what type of person he is. “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose voters.” “I am your retribution.” “We pledge to root out vermin.” “Dictator for one day.” “Kim Jong Un speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.” Putin: “If he says great things about me, I’m going to say great things about him.” John McCain: “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured.” Jeffrey Epstein: “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy.” Concerning women “Grab them by the p…., you can do anything.” Bill Barr his attorney general: “gutless pig.” Mike Pence: “delusional” and “not a very good person.” As for the rioters found guilty of attacking the Capitol and our democratic system: “I call them hostages.” “We’ll be looking very, very seriously at full pardons.” Back in 2016 if he hadn’t gotten the nomination: “I think you would have riots.” Trump now faces felony charges in the four indictments. How can he possibly be president? The chaos that he creates will not MAGA. If you are a Trump supporter, there certainly has to be a candidate that better represents your moral values.

Warren White, Estero

Briberies for votes

It is a sad situation when a sitting president has to resort to multiple briberies for votes, directed mostly to young voters, especially when these policies will cost every American some of their very hard-earned dollars.  For example: the elimination of student debt, (this week the addition of 6 billion dollars forgiveness for art students alone), abortion, the introduction of new legislation for legal marijuana, and open borders for potential party votes.  The list may go on, but isn’t this enough?  Sad indeed!Marilyn Doherty, Naples

Netanyahu disrespects our wishes

Netanyahu is exploiting his citizens and the USA. He no longer helms the steady ship of democracy in the Mideast that our country has supported since its founding. He is disliked by many if not most he governs. In spite of his documented corruption, he remains in office and has regressed to the barbarism that has been the way in that part of the world since recorded history. Netanyahu is disrespectful of our wishes regarding stopping the genocidal war he is conducting in Gaza − essentially biting the hand feeding him. The USA needs to start weaning Israel from our support and give up on counting on it to provide stability in the Mideast.

C. A. Farrington, South Fort Myers

Biden has weakened us

Joe Biden has now proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is a feckless, spineless, coward of a president. On May 7 he extolled his “iron clad“ support of Israel. His iron clad support turned to rusted metal the very next day during an interview on CNN when he announced he is withholding the munitions that the IDF needs to finish the job and forever erase Hamas from the face of the earth. On one day he loves the Jewish people and their contributions and the next day he shoots them in the back of the head. He panders to donors and then gives them the finger when he walks away.

Most sane and reasonable people will agree that Biden is just a puppet. He is diminished not just physically but mentally. His entire presidency has been based on lies and left-wing progressive ideology. From shutting down the pipeline, the Afghanistan fiasco, the “closed border,” his silence for so many days on the college antisemitic protests and encampments, to the lies that spew from his mouth on a daily basis, Biden has shown he is not the person to be president. Whoever is pulling his strings in this sham of a presidency, they must be revealed and removed from deep state political power.

During the past 3 ½ years, The United States has given up its stature in the world. Our enemies recognize this and know that Biden is the best thing that ever happened to them. Biden has weakened us at every level. He must not be reelected.

Michael Zubrow, Naples

Hold them accountable

The citizens of America are watching very closely to see if these terrorist students and outsiders who are causing damage and using antisemitic language and calling for support to Hamas and the Palestinians after the October 7 massacre will be given any type of punishment. These protesters have not brought up anything about the hostages being held. Will the protests and criminals get prosecuted and treated the same as the January 6 people were treated? Why isn’t the State Department or FBI starting an investigation. Over 1,200 have been charged in the January 6 incident and around 460 have been convicted. Unlike most all the college protesters who were arrested and immediately released with no bail and went back to do the same thing. It's just like the BLM protests of the summer of 2020. Some college administrators and the media are calling these protests peaceful, but people can see with their own eyes.The safety of students, faculty, staff and protecting property should always be a top priority and any threats or declarations of association with terrorist organizations must be taken seriously and should be investigated no matter what side you’re on.Expulsion and jail time should be taken to prevent any further harm or disruption within the college community. By holding accountable those who make such dangerous claims and cause damage we can send a clear message that terrorism and extremism have no place in our educational institutions or our society. Let's see how many of the criminals who took over the college campuses do any prison time. The progressive and far left will not let anything like that happen!

Lou Walker, Cape Coral

Cunning artifice at play

In our current political landscape, where truth seems stranger than fiction, we find ourselves confronting narratives that challenge our understanding of integrity and leadership. Just as the crafty fox in countless folktales uses wit to deceive its forest companions, so too we observe this cunning artifice at play in modern media.Take, for example, Fox News and its intricate dance with former President Trump. Much like the fox, known in fables for its deceptive strategies, Fox News has mastered the art of weaving narratives distorting reality, to fit a particular agenda. This relationship between Fox and Trump has cultivated an environment where facts are obscured leading viewers through a labyrinth of misinformation.We stand on the brink of another crucial election. It is imperative that we seek out the truth and strive for transparency. Challenge the cunning foxes of our time, question the tales spun by those who seek to benefit from deception, and demand accountability from our leaders and their media counterparts.Let us then rally for leaders who value truth over fiction, who embrace accountability over deceit, and who will govern with a commitment to fairness and justice for all. Our vote is our voice. Let it speak for integrity and let us choose a path that leads us out of the forest of falsehoods and into the clear light of day.

If your next vote is your first, make it count. Save America. Remember, in the story of our future, we decide the ending. Choose wisely — choose truth.

Paul Howard, Naples

Hypocrisy

In 2019, Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine. He was impeached. The mainstream media suggested what Trump did was against the law. Biden was quoted as condemning Trump for withholding aid to a significant partner and could not fathom it being done. Now we have this same Biden doing exactly what Trump did, but to Israel, a much closer partner than Ukraine. The mainstream media is nowhere to be heard. Is there a better example of hypocrisy?

Ron Wobbeking, Naples

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Saturday, May 11, 2024