Teach students about fascism
When I went to Boone High School here in Orlando in the 1960s, we had a required course called “Americanism vs. Communism.” I recall the teacher saying that, in Russia, they have courses in political indoctrination and that we didn’t have that here. I recall pointing out that the Communism course was political indoctrination. Now that Florida schools are required to teach “Patriotism,” seemingly based on the right-wing Heritage Foundation definition, maybe what we really need is a course called “Americanism vs. Fascism.”
Students could be taught to be on the lookout for fascism, like trying to overturn the results of an election by inciting a mob to attack the U.S. Capitol or sending masked agents and members of the U.S. military into U.S. cities to attack immigrant communities.
Phil Dunkle Orlando
DeSantis’ moral inconsistency
Having just heard that our governor has signed another death warrant for a convicted murderer this year, I’m convinced that he believes that the taking of a life is OK, and that his understanding of the sanctity of life is incorrect. When I compare the number of deaths he has ordered versus his stance that the taking of a life via abortion is a high-order crime, it is easy to see that a moral inconsistency exists. He is either for the sanctity of life, or he’s not. He can’t have it both ways.
Chip Vanture Orlando
State is harming public schools
The state of Florida has opened the door for parents to enroll children in charter schools and is issuing vouchers for private schools that receive compensation for their enrollment. Thus more and more children are being removed from public schools and enrolled in voucher schools with no oversight or accountability as well as charter schools.
This exodus from public schools creates fewer classes and less use of public school facilities.
Now the state of Florida passes a law to allow charter schools to use space in public school facilities that are underused, with no compensation to the school district for this use.
So charter schools will be taking over public school facilities because of a condition they created.
Only in Florida.
Mike Galyean Winter Park
Trump administration is unserious
Regardless of what anyone thinks of Joe Biden — and opinions certainly vary — he was a sober and serious president. He appointed serious people to serious positions.
So what am I to make when the White House press secretary’s answer to a legitimate question — namely, who arranged a meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States — is, “Your mom did”?
What am I to think when the American president posts an AI-generated video of himself dropping human feces on his opponents?
How can I respect a secretary of defense — excuse me, a secretary of war — who tells a room full of generals and admirals, “No more fatties in the military”?
These are deeply unserious people, better suited to comic books than senior positions in the United States government. And, not for nothing, several of these second-stringers are in their roles precisely because they lost their own elections.
My new favorite word is kakistocracy. Look it up.
George Devitt Maitland
Empty talk of reform
Republicans have been criticizing the existing health care laws for a long time. They need to offer a solid alternative. The Trump-led GOP often claims to be “the party of health care,” yet the party has not provided a detailed plan.
Without a clear alternative, their talk of reform seems empty and leaves both the policy field and Americans in need without a new health care plan, despite repeated promises to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Early in his 2024 campaign, Trump promised that “everybody’s going to be taken care of much better than they’re taken care of now,” and said the government would pay for it — but the details have never been revealed.
Rob O’Neill Lighthouse Point
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