On President Trump’s behalf, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shamelessly ordered the killings of non-combatant and presumably foreign civilians.
We likely will never learn the identities of those who occupied all of those small boats operating in Caribbean and Eastern Pacific waters, but the count so far totals 83 dead. None of the boats was operating near U.S. territory. The administration’s justification is as phony as a three-dollar bill. These killings were illegal murders.
Most informed Americans realize we’re not at war with the sovereign nation of Venezuela, despite claims by Trump and Hegseth that we are. Moreover, the specific order to kill survivors of one of the strikes violated, at the very least, the laws of war and U.S. military regulations.
If the command to kill the two survivors was given by Adm. Frank Bradley, it was surely illegal. He should be court-martialed.
If the evidence proves that Hegseth ordered the illegal killings that Admiral Bradley should have disobeyed, then Hegseth should be fired by Trump (“You’re fired!”) or impeached by Republican senators who ignored multiple indicators of his unfitness and still recklessly confirmed him.
David Kahn, Boca Raton
Too dangerous at Defense
If there were any doubt about Hegseth’s gross ineptitude, his “fog of war” remark in explaining the shooting of survivors of a sunken ship made it all too clear.
“Fog of War,” as credited to Carl von Clausewitz in the early 19th century, referred to the overall confusion and frenzy found on the battlefield, not literal fog caused by our exploding weapons.
How dangerous that this Fox News talking head, who berated our generals for being overweight, knows so little but has his finger on the trigger that could send us to war.
Harvey Starin, Boca Raton
Justices, playing politics
President Trump pledged to deport all the dangerous people who illegally enter this country.
These people, who aren’t hard to find, work at jobs most Americans find beneath them. They are also easy to identify because they are dark-skinned. Having legal status and documents to prove that often means little to federal agents confronting them.
Racial profiling is illegal — or it was until this Supreme Court ruled that it wasn’t.
Why should any of us be surprised? The Supreme Court just upheld its tradition of being on the wrong side of discrimination. It seems like those renown justices on the court bend the law to adhere to the prevailing whims of the government. Something needs to be done about that.
Scott Shampaner, Coral Springs
A horrific bear hunt
The tragedy of the Florida bear hunt is that it is horrific and unnecessary.
As in the Western U.S. and suburban Orlando’s Seminole County, there are ways of peacefully living with these magnificent creatures. I don’t know what’s behind the cruel decisions of the Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and why they persist, despite the public outcry. It would be nice to see behind the curtain as to why they don’t listen or transparently communicate their reasons.
They should consider taking the word “conservation” out of the FWC’s name.
Stuart Himmelstein, Lake Worth Beach
Trump and national harmony
Richard Klitzberg wrote a letter to the editor full of unsubstantiated assertions that concluded with the possibility of shredding the harmony the U.S. has known for 150 years.
I’m not sure of the 150 years part. Our nation is almost 250 years old and the Civil War ended 160 years ago. But I think I figured it out. The 150 years of harmony in question fits nicely between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of Trump’s first term.
I have to agree with Mr. Klitzberg: Trump and harmony cannot possibly co-exist.
Bob Chaban, Boynton Beach
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