Advertisement

Wednesday's letters: Heed common sense on guns on campus

 
Published April 7, 2015

Six issues that need work in the Florida Legislature | April 5, editorial

Heed common sense on firearms

The bill to allow guns on Florida college campuses should be defeated. When the campus carry bill comes to the House floor, legislators must not kowtow to special-interest groups but rather stand up for the safety of Florida's students. Administrators, law enforcement officers, safety advocates and students oppose putting loaded, concealed weapons on campuses. Shouldn't we all?

According to neuroscientists and developmental psychologists, the human brain is not fully developed until the late 20s. And one of the last parts of the brain to mature is the prefrontal cortex — the region responsible for impulse control. Furthermore, research shows anxiety, depression and alcohol use peak between the ages of 18 and 25. To make matters worse, severe mental illnesses often emerge between the ages of 15 and 25. Since 88 percent of college students at four-year public campuses are between 18 and 25, Florida's legislators are about to allow gun access to students lacking control over impulsive behavior, during a high-stress time of life, when the risk of developing mental illness is most prevalent.

As a college English teacher and the mother of a daughter who will attend a Florida public university in the fall, I implore legislators to apply common sense when it comes to guns on campus. If safety is the real issue, let's empower campus security and local police forces — the trained, experienced professionals — to serve and protect. Allow the 18- to 25-year-old students to grow up and develop fully in an environment free of hidden weapons. We cannot protect our children from everything; we can protect them from HB 4005, and we must.

Stacy Clark, Tampa

Six issues that need work in the Florida Legislature | April 5, editorial

Testing companies win

The big losers in Florida's infatuation with standardized testing are students, parents, teachers and schools. The big — and perhaps only — winner is the American Institutes for Research, a private vendor. It was awarded a six-year, $220 million contract by the state Department of Education.

Such deals are part of the hundreds of millions spent annually in the United States on testing. The spending totaled $1.7 billion in 2012, according to one estimate. You've heard of Big Tobacco or Big Pharma? Meet Big Testing.

What have Florida taxpayers received thus far from American Institutes for Research? It's called the Florida Standards Assessments. The computerized tests debuted recently, and problems quickly surfaced and multiplied. Students in various locations statewide couldn't gain access to the online writing tests or were knocked off the Internet, and when they logged back on, some or all of their work was gone. The state Education Department says it's working to fix the problems.

The department better hurry. This month, another round of tests will be given, but to a much larger number of students — including my child.

Shannon Minor, St. Petersburg

Bay area traffic ranks 11th worst in nation April 4

Still sitting in traffic

Thank you for the article on traffic on Tampa's interstates and the report on how bad driving in Tampa actually is. The report's findings probably didn't surprise Tampa drivers who use I-75 or I-4 to get to and from work.

It would be interesting to hear why those of us who drove daily during rush hour from the Lutz area on I-75 to West Shore Boulevard during construction have felt no relief from congestion. With construction completed, traffic is just as bad or worse. And forget going over to Dale Mabry, which is a perpetual parking lot during rush hours.

We continue to ribbon this county with concrete rather than put strong efforts behind mass transit. Where are our leaders? All living in South Tampa? Surely they are not sitting in this traffic during rush hours or they would be more vocal on behalf of their traffic-weary constituents.

Mary Ann Stiles, Tampa

Bill puts gay adoptions in peril | April 3

Religious rights, wrongs

There seems to be confusion in the Florida Legislature concerning religious freedom. The Constitution guarantees your right to practice your religion without interference from government. It does not guarantee your right to impose your religious beliefs on me, or to try to modify my behavior because it doesn't match your religious beliefs.

Much like your right to freely swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose, your "religious freedom" ends at the beginning of my civil rights. That is why the Founding Fathers wanted to eliminate any connection between the civil realm and the religious world.

The Florida Legislature was elected to protect and defend the rights and privileges of all Floridians, not to advance or be adherents for a particular religion or religious sect. Doing so probably borders on misfeasance if not malfeasance.

Frank McMullen, Ruskin

Hoosiers grappling with newly soured image April 5

Separate commerce, faith

The "right" of a seller to refuse service to someone who engages in behavior that runs contrary to the seller's religious beliefs is rife with absurdities.

May the seller refuse service to someone who:

• is divorced?

• practices birth control?

• has had an abortion?

• transports alcohol from one place to another (e.g., the Arab taxi driver refusals at the Minneapolis airport)?

• believes in evolution?

How does a seller determine whether or not a potential buyer is "not worthy" of a transaction? Require filling out a questionnaire? Guess?

The entrance of religion into our legal system is a never-ending mess and diverts public assets from meaningful tasks. It has taken decades to rid ourselves of most blue laws. Don't start moving away from a secular government now.

Donald Barnhill, Trinity