Let’s remember these martyrs for freedom
This weekend, our president said that he and history will never forget Charlie Kirk (“Trump, others praise slain activist,” Sept. 22).
I was reminded of the martyrs for freedom to attend school without fear of being shot. Too few remember them, and apparently our president does not care enough to use his control of Congress to do something about it.
According to the Gun Violence Archives, through 2025, 171 children under 11 years of age and 737 teens have been killed. Only 515 of these were from school shootings. Should that make any difference?
President Trump could change the statistics if he wanted to.
Kathy Kennedy Orlando
Kirk’s memorial echoes Nazis
So, now we’ve established a fake memorial day for a fake hero. What’s that sound like? My goodness, the Nazis did the same thing in the 1930s, memorializing a low-level diplomat at the German Embassy in Paris who was shot by a Polish Jew. The Nazis used this as an excuse to ramp up their extermination of the Jews and anyone else who did not kowtow to them. Congratulations, Republicans … you’ve reached new lows. I wonder why Republicans didn’t rush to create memorial days for the Democratic legislators assassinated in Minnesota? When will Americans wake up and realize there are those who have taken over our country and brought back events that I believe evoke concentration camps, thought police, book banning and celebration of mediocrity?
Thomas Greenman Orlando
Doing your part for environment
Every so often something one reads or learns from various media inspires a person to take action. And that is certainly the case with William McQuilikin’s essay in Friday’s Sentinel (“Stop EPA from rolling back environmental regulations”). Although I’ve always been environmentally concerned and active in past years, I was not aware that the EPA had repealed the “Endangerment Finding” that provides legality for limiting greenhouse gas emissions. McQuilikin writes that there is still a chance to provide public comment to the EPA regarding this, and I fully intend to do so, and encourage others to do the same. Thank you, Sentinel, for publishing this and similar articles that inform the public of how to get involved.
Nancy Caroline Tait Altamonte Springs
It’s ‘We the people,’ not ‘you people’
In the early 1970s, Norman Lear’s groundbreaking, taboo-exploring television show “All in the Family” provides profound insight today into how little the United States has progressed socially and morally. Quite to the contrary, it exposes our overt regression.
In one episode, white, bigoted Archie Bunker is engaged in a heated exchange with the brother of his African American neighbor George Jefferson. As the discussion concludes, Jefferson proclaims, “That’s the problem with you people!” To which Bunker vehemently retorts “Who are you calling you people? You people are you people!”
Here we are over a decade later and “We the people” still espouse, but with intensified vitriol, the mindset of “you people” through political, religious, gender and racial prisms. Lord help us.
Christopher A. Clegg Davenport
You can submit a letter to the editor by sending it by email to insight@orlandosentinel.com or by filling out the form below. Letters are limited to less than 250 words and must be signed (no pseudonyms nor initials).You must include your email address, address with city and daytime phone number for verification. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length.
