Guns, groceries don’t mix
I was shocked when I read Thursday’s front page headline: “Publix allows open carry of guns, employees say”.
As a loyal Publix shopper for over 50 years, I never expected “Where shopping is a pleasure” become “Where cowboys and gunslingers roam.”
The lethal combination of Florida’s Stand Your Ground law and the Open Carry law is frightening. Consider an innocent shopper caught in the crossfire between a gun toting yahoo and a shopper with an attitude.
If Publix is concerned with customer safety, I would hope they would take a stand and clearly post NO OPEN CARRY at the entrance of each store, like they recently did when they posted NO PETS ALLOWED.
When Poor Fido is deemed to be a greater danger to customer safety than guns, something tells me this decision wasn’t about safety, it was political.
Violet Irminger Mount Dora
Open Carry is not a joke
Please tell me the Oct. 9 Orlando Sentinel headline and story, “Publix allows open carry of guns, employees say,” was a misprint or an April Fools’ joke in October. Open Carry puts every customer at risk of dying while shopping.
Is Publix going to post someone at the door to stop unstable people carrying guns? Why would anyone take their children there under such danger? What’s next, an “Enter at your own risk” sign to protect the store from liability?
Open carry intimidates, endangers, and causes panic and deadly escalation. I’ll shop where safety still matters.
William Higgins New Smyrna Beach
Kirk left a complex legacy
Tuesday, October 14, we will be encouraged to remember and honor the late Charlie Kirk, senselessly murdered by a young man so far to the political right that he approaches an ideological vanishing point. I’m uncompromising in my condemnation of all political violence. However, there are ironies to notice.
First, Kirk was a strong advocate for free speech. I entirely agree. But it’s strange that some people have been censored and censured for expressing disapproval of Kirk’s life and ideas.
Second, he was famous for his unwavering support for the Second Amendment, suggesting that we should be willing to accept a certain number of deaths each year to protect those rights and the other “God-given rights” we enjoy. Do you think he ever suspected, in a million years, that he would be one of those regrettable gun casualties?
I never thought much of Kirk’s ideas or his way of spreading them. At best, his ways of thinking were anachronistic, intolerant and reactionary. At worst, his ideologies were bigoted, cruel and based on glaring inaccuracies. His argumentative technique, performed primarily on college campuses, was more berating than debating.
In this strange upside-down world, we’re expected to honor the outrageous and be outraged by the honorable. With that in mind, I will not honor Charlie Kirk and will be doing my best to forget him.
Bob Sanders Orlando
Alaska lands under threat
There was an interesting article in the October 10 Sentinel regarding President Donald Trump greenlighting the Ambler Road project for mineral mining in the Alaska wilderness, a project that was cancelled by the Biden administration (‘Plenty of time to get it done’).
As a contributing member of over a half-dozen environmental, wildlife and National Parks advocacy organizations, I have been following this story for several years. This project poses serious environmental risks, impacts a national park, and tramples the interests and rights of Alaska Native tribes. Based on the histories of the previous and current Trump administrations, it’s not a stretch to say little would be done to mitigate these concerns and impacts.
But something else in the article caught my eye: that the White House announced it is taking equity stakes in companies seeking to develop the Ambler mining site. This isn’t the first time I’ve read about this White House and/or the U.S. Government taking equity stakes in private corporations. Could these actions provide further opportunities for Donald Trump to enrich himself while in office (i.e., corruption)? And excuse me, but isn’t this, by definition, socialism?
Craig Scott Orlando
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.
