As an animal lover, advocate, rescuer and mom to four rescue dogs, I am appalled and outraged that Alex Benefield has received nothing more than a slap on the wrist for the years of terror and misery he has brought to defenseless animals.
And he is employed by the Broward County School District, no less!
A convicted criminal who’s a sadistic torturer, completely without a moral compass, has daily access to young, impressionable students.
My mind cannot comprehend this situation.
Animals have souls, feelings and emotions, often purer than those of humans. I have had the privilege of volunteering with an animal rescue for years and have seen first-hand the devastation we humans can cause to an animal.
I have also seen the powerful transformation that love for an animal can bring about.
Anyone who causes pain and death as entertainment should not be allowed to walk away from their crimes and should certainly not be a teacher.
Would you allow Saddam Hussein to teach at Boyd Anderson High School?
We need to do better as responsible humans for the sake of our students and for the animals we’re supposed to protect.
Joanna Ribner, Fort Lauderdale
Struggling in South Florida
South Florida families are still struggling to keep up with grocery prices that feel like they’re rising weekly.
Even as food costs stay high, programs like SNAP and WIC (Women, Infants and Children), lifelines for mothers and kids, remain at risk. No parent should ever have to hear “we don’t have enough money to help you feed your child.”
SNAP lags behind the real cost of meals. Anyone who has been to a South Florida grocery store knows that a few dollars barely covers fresh produce, let alone a full meal. These programs are for survival, not convenience. The least we can do is ensure that children have enough to eat.
Maliha Rahman, Plantation
(Editor’s Note: As part of the deal to end the shutdown, Congress voted in November to fully fund WIC through Sept. 30, 2026).
A MAGA flag is incompatible
We’re all from another country, except for indigenous people. So it should be OK to fly your original heritage flag alongside the American flag.
If you identify another way, such as LGBTQ, you should be able to fly a multi-colored Pride flag and not see it vandalized.
Any flag compatible with American principles should be flown alongside it.
The more divisive (and ironic) flag-waving combination is flying the Confederate flag and Old Glory together, and for obvious reasons.
An extension would be the MAGA or Trump flag next to the U.S. flag.
White nationalists who want a form of exclusivity deserve to have their own flag, graciously refraining from using our collective flag, and proudly displaying their MAGA principles. It could be, for instance, a plain white flag depicting a library shelf with no books.
I just hope that we never see the Russian flag and the U.S. flag flying in perfect harmony.
Steven Mento, Boca Raton
A local icon leaves us
I am saddened to learn of the passing of John Kross Jr., aka “Footy.”
I listened to him on the Y-100 Morning Show on my Walkman as I rode the bus to and from school in the early 1990s.
I remembered he announced the sports scores and headlines from the previous day. I liked him a lot. He was the best. My condolences to his family and friends. RIP, Footy.
Paul Bacon, Hallandale Beach
My heart is heavy today over the loss of the legendary John “Footy” Kross. Footy helped wake up South Florida for 30+ years on Y100 and his commitment to community was second to none. Through Here’s Help, he assisted thousands of people fighting addiction and changed so many… pic.twitter.com/7j7GscS4qR
— Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (@RepDWStweets) December 13, 2025
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