Waterfront won’t change
St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch calls for ‘broader analysis’ of Albert Whitted Airport | Feb. 18
I question why St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth Welch would even bring up this distraction to his more important agenda items. Playing around with Albert Whitted Airport or Al Lang Field are distractions that could suck all the air out of the room, when there are far more important issues to address.
Changes to St. Pete’s waterfront park system are provocative and controversial subjects that will further divide our citizens. In the end, the referendum required to make changes would fail, as has happened in the past. I’m very disappointed that the mayor has even started these discussions.
Hal Freedman, St. Petersburg
The Second Amendment
Putin raises threat level | Feb. 28
The Ukrainian government has handed out thousands of rifles to arm its citizens to fight off the Russians. In a similar vein, thank heavens that our Founding Fathers had the foresight to add the Second Amendment to our Constitution. We have the right to bear arms and protect ourselves in situations like these. These are the very rights that many Democrats want to severely restrict or even do away with altogether.
John Spengler, Spring Hill
Perception over reality
After verdict, emotions still raw | Feb. 27
I would like to thank Richard Escobar, the defense attorney for Curtis Reeves, who was found not guilty of murder in the movie theater shooting death of Chad Oulson. Why? Because, in my opinion, Escobar concisely encapsulated how many Florida Republican lawmakers function. Whether it is a popcorn-throwing texter, a theory exploring the historical impacts of systemic racism or the use of the word “gay,” the reality of a threat is irrelevant. Escobar instructs us that most people “…don’t understand the danger someone is perceiving doesn’t even have to be actual. As long as the perception of the shooter is that he reasonably feared for his life, the law protects you. … There’s a lot of wisdom in this law,” referring to Florida’s stand-your-ground law. I believe that perceived fears, more often imagined than real, fuel today’s Republicans. I guess they’re just fraidy-cats.
Patrick Jennings, St. Petersburg