I wonder how the crisis in home insurance in our state became all about property taxes.
Almost overnight, it appeared the issue was flipped to something that it wasn’t. Addressing homeowners’ insurance is not about abolishing property taxes.
If property taxes are abolished, how will our schools, police, fire-rescue and libraries all be funded? If this isn’t part of the debate, it certainly should be.
And what happened to the resounding chorus in Tallahassee about insurance?
After this bait and switch, it’s now a very different tune.
Stacie M. Kiner, Hypoluxo
Target social media
Using guns to kill randomly in the U.S. has surged in the past 20 years. Older readers may recall the case of Charles Whitman, the University of Texas sniper, in 1966, which was unprecedented, and wasn’t repeated for a long time.
Why have random killings surged? It’s not gun laws or the availability of guns.
Society has changed enormously with the internet. It didn’t create our societal conflicts, but it seems to have accelerated them (isn’t that what computers are supposed to do, speed up our actions?)
Many changes have been bad. Young people are more insular, more exposed to horrific acts and more inclined to lash out. It is so easy to be cruel using the impersonal computer screen as your vehicle. For those who have lost respect for their fellow man, taking a life is no big deal. It’s aggrandized in songs, movies, TV and video games.
Religious and social institutions that promoted respectful conduct (remember the Boy Scouts?) have largely disappeared. The teacher is now the smart phone, from which absolutely anything can be accessed.
Don’t outlaw guns. Instead, let’s follow Australia and outlaw social media for youngsters until they graduate from high school or reach 21, whichever is first (Australia’s cutoff is 16). Our country’s trajectory appears perilous.
Perhaps it’s time to think outside the box.
Tom Bolf, Plantation
Know about guns
I read the letters of gloom and doom on open carry and how Florida will be the “Wild West” any day now. I’m a Democrat, but I am also a gun owner as my job is to protect my family at all costs. One way is through education. Kids of all ages and adults need to know gun safety rules, how a gun operates, and how to operate one.
This helps prevent tragedies and is true responsible parenting. Even if you have no guns in your home, you and your kids should know how to deal with one if the situation arises. If a crazy person has a gun and threatens your family, how do you intend to protect them, with 911 and a hug?
Ivan Ivanovich, Delray Beach
No open carry problems
A letter writer, Mark Walker, is worried about more gun violence because Floridians can now openly carry firearms. He shouldn’t be paranoid. Most of us who carry will continue to do so in a concealed manner.
The last thing any responsible gun owner wants to do is draw his firearm, period.
Living in North Florida near the state border with Georgia, where open carry has been legal for some time, I haven’t noticed an increase in shootings. I occasionally open carry in Georgia and no one bats an eye when I walk into a store. We go about our business and greet one another in peace. I suggest minding your own business and living in peace with your neighbor.
Earl Harris, Greenville, Fla.
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