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Wednesday's letters: Let the teachers decide on guns

 
Published March 20, 2018

Trump touts arming staff as key in plan for school security | March 12

It's the teacher's call on weapons

Please, let's try an alternate view about guns in the classroom. First, it hasn't gone unnoticed that the preponderance of letters about guns published by the Times lean toward scribes with an anti-gun bias. A reading of these kinds of letters about armed teachers in the classroom, by some, might conjure visions of the O.K. Corral. Nothing could be further from the truth.

There's more to arming a teacher, which by the way is a personal prerogative, than just handing them a six-gun and telling them "go forth and cover my six" (back, in military parlance). Qualification to be armed will necessitate familiarity with the firearm, proper handling and transport, range training and safety, proper concealment and retrieval and methods and procedures to follow when faced with a belligerent, etc.

Still there will be some who say, but that's not a teacher's job, not what we hired them to do and not their responsibility. To those I say let each teacher decide — it's the law.

William Lines, Spring Hill

I was better informed getting my news on paper | March 18, Perspective

Getting past the noise

I wholeheartedly agree with Farhad Manjoo about turning off the electronic news media and actually waiting to read the news in his paper the following day. I have been a subscriber to the Tampa Bay Times for 20 years ago and it is my morning ritual before work.

Yes, I am on Facebook and Twitter, but I never read what so-called "pundits" have to say when they read a headline without reading the meat of the story. We all have opinions, and if I wanted theirs I would have asked for it.

What has gone on in the world, published in the morning paper, is more important to me than what I might or might not have seen on social media. We are losing the print media at a fast pace and my wish is that the Times keep me informed about what is going on in this crazy world and, worse, what this administration is doing to undermine our credibility on the world stage.

The American public, I am finding out, has become more ill-informed, and that is why we are in the state we're in. Don't give up the ship, and I will keep up my reading.

Rosanne Paris, Palm Harbor

Walkouts join students in grief | March 15

Listen to the young

As one who grew up during the protests of the '60s, it's encouraging to see the youth of today coming together over a common concern. As the voters of tomorrow, and the people who seem most at risk, their voices should be listened to.

Contrast that with our politicians, who believe that the solution is "more guns," except anywhere where politicians actually congregate.

Warren Klein, Tampa

Trump assails Mueller | March 19

Stand up to president

Last weekend saw the president tweeting about the need to shut down Robert Mueller's investigation. Make no mistake, this is an effort to softly float the idea and see how much resistance it gets before making a final decision. Because of that, a response is absolutely necessary.

It is imperative that the investigation be allowed to continue, independently, so that Americans can learn the truth and extent of Russian election attacks. If politicians like Rep. Charlie Crist, Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Bill Nelson don't speak out loudly and clearly about the integrity and necessity of the investigation, the president will fire Mueller and we will be in a full-blown constitutional crisis. Legislators must condemn the president's statements and then take legislative steps to protect Mueller and his investigation.

Kelly Moore, St. Petersburg

Elections offer (final?) hope

The 2018 midterm elections may be the most impactful in our nation's history and conceivably the only way to constrain President Donald Trump's escalating abuse of power. With the Republican majority in Congress turning a blind eye to its oversight role, it is incumbent upon the electorate to intercede.

Absent a change in majority control from Republican to Democrat, the president's unchecked executive power will solidify and ensure the continued marginalization of our democratic institutions. Voting may be the last line of defense against what many view as an emerging autocracy. Failure to exercise that privilege is nothing short of complicity with a feeble Congress.

Trump's disdain for the rule of law and his authoritarian tendencies are well documented. The recent spate of high-profile firings is emblematic of his need for blind loyalty from both staff and Cabinet members. Demeanor, not conflicting policy positions, determine whether or not a pink slip is issued. The oft-cited concerns about the president's fitness for office are reinforced by decisions borne of vindictiveness and not practical governance.

Congressional Republicans, for the most part, stand united in silence as the president defiles the Constitution. This is not what the Framers had in mind with the separation of powers dictum. It was created to guard against tyranny, not foster it.

Jim Paladino, Tampa

Sad end for toy land | March 16

Victim of changing times

The demise of Toys "R" Us can be attributed partly to the dominance of Amazon and Walmart, and partly to the radical change in children's taste regarding toys.

When I was a boy I gravitated to board games, plastic model car kits, jigsaw puzzles, and outdoor sports, fishing and camping gear. Today, these iconic toys are not nearly as desirable as they were when I was a boy. Children now prefer tablets, video games, remote control gadgets and construction toys like Lego.

Similar to the large bookstores that went out of business a few year ago, the large brick-and-mortar retail toy stores with big overheads, such as Toys "R" Us, aren't needed to showcase the toys in demand; these toys can be easily displayed and purchased online.

Henry J. Weese, Palm Harbor