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© St. Petersburg Times, published April 22, 2002
Re: Rage, then Outrage, April 14.
I was interested to read a confirmation of CASA's experience that the community is outraged about animal abuse. We should be outraged at the abuse of a trusting, innocent family pet.
Since we have learned about the close connection between animal abuse and abuse of women and children, CASA works closely with the SPCA and other programs that willingly shelter a pet when its owner comes to CASA for shelter from domestic violence. However, I am saddened when the community does not feel similarly outraged when a woman is beaten by her intimate partner, who promised to love and cherish her.
A year or so ago CASA -- 24-hour crisis line: (727) 895-4912 -- sent a fundraising letter describing abuse of a woman, a child and a kitten. We received letters from some recipients asking us to take their names off our mailing list because we had described the abuse of a pet. No one wrote us about the abuse of the baby or of the woman.
As one who has owned pets for much of my life, I take seriously my responsibility to animals that give us unconditional love and loyalty. But we also have an equally important responsibility to our families. Why is it that a judge would set a $10,000 bail for animal cruelty and a $1,000 bail for aggravated battery on an intimate partner? Is it because the community is outraged about animal abuse and only mildly concerned about woman abuse? I hope not. The judge reflects the values of our community. Women, the mothers of our children, are sometimes still not valued as full citizens deserving the protection of the law and the support of the community. Sad isn't it!
-- Linda A. Osmundson, executive director, CASA, St. Petersburg
Re: Rage, then outrage.
Barry Colbert battered his girlfriend so severely that she suffered a broken nose and a concussion. While in the hospital recovering from her injuries, she lost her job. Just before Colbert attacked her, he hit her dog, Buster, with a hammer causing a broken jaw and a lost eye.
The state attorney's office took both attacks seriously. It charged Colbert with aggravated domestic battery against his girlfriend, a second-degree felony that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, while charging him with a third-degree felony for animal cruelty that carries up to five years in prison.
The judge did not take woman battering seriously and set the bail on the aggravated domestic battery at only $1,000, while setting the bail on animal cruelty at $10,000. It is appalling that the judge does not understand the severity of attacks on women.
Animal cruelty is not only serious in the injuries it causes, but it is also an indicator of the danger of violence against women and children. While continuing to work to stop animal cruelty, we need to create awareness and put much more work into reducing the battering of women. More than 2-million women are abused each year by men who claim to love them. The millions of men who act violently will only stop when all parts of the community speak out against this violence and do their part to combat it.
-- Ruth Whitney, Ph.D., president, Pinellas National Organization for Women, St. Petersburg
My wife and I have read the coverage and letters in the St Petersburg Times, regarding British and other foreign retirees with vacation homes in Florida, with interest. We have owned a condominium here for 14 years, and are concerned at the proposed changes to visitor visas and other regulations.
The so-called clarification by the INS (30-day visa rule quite flexible, April 15) regarding the status of retirees from the United Kingdom and elsewhere poses more questions than it answers. Reading the INS Web site, it appears that much will be left to the discretion of individual immigration officers. I don't think many people will find this comforting. What is required is a clear statement of how long people such as ourselves will be permitted to stay, and what our rights and obligations are as guests in your country. We were planning to spend a substantial sum to remodel our condo, and we have now put this on hold as the attitude taken by the authorities here has made us feel insecure.
An example of this was when I went to renew my Florida driver license, which I have held for 12 years without any violations being recorded against me. (I took out the license because we own a car here, and it is difficult and expensive to insure a car in Florida with a foreign driver license.) I was told that I could only renew it to the end of my visitor's visa (90 days) and would have to reapply each time I came into the country. Clearly this is not a viable option. I expected to be asked to prove my identity, and that I was not in the country illegally. Instead I was treated like a potential criminal and given no opportunity to prove that I was honest and genuine.
I cannot see that the current position benefits anybody. There must be thousands of people like ourselves who are happy to visit Florida, spend their money and pay taxes. We thoroughly enjoy our time here, and are a threat to no one. We have no wish to spend our leisure time elsewhere. However if our status here is not clarified we may have to reconsider.
-- R.B. Gatton, Clearwater Beach
Re: Metropolitan Ministries drops religious quota, April 12.
So now, in the name of political correctness, it is considered "wrong" for a Christian charity, founded as a charitable "ministry" by Christian churches to "show the love of Jesus Christ," to be directed by Christians. Wow!
What's even more amazing is that the Ministries' board of directors caved in to the demands of large corporations that threatened to withhold their contributions if the charity didn't change its ways. So the Ministries sold its birthright for the proverbial ounce of gold and I presume will now enjoy the flow of corporate dollars unencumbered by any Christian label or message. I assume the often desperate souls that come to the Ministries for aid will also now be denied the opportunity to hear a Christian message of hope, as they previously were offered.
It is indeed sad that political correctness has reached a stage in this country where organizations that serve the common good cannot maintain the uniqueness and integrity of their mission without being pressured to "diversify" almost to the point of meaninglessness.
It will be interesting to see if the Times, which so forcefully supported diversity of opinion at Metropolitan Ministries, will now follow its own advice and perhaps appoint one or two non-liberals to its editorial board.
-- R.W. Ayers, Belleair Beach
Re: The future of Albert Whitted airport.
Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg and other small community airports, such as Clearwater Airpark, provide recreation for a segment of the population just as golf courses, ballparks, tennis courts, swimming centers, skateboard parks and others do. You could say that commercial and residential development of the land upon which any of these activities take place would make for an economically "higher and better" use for a city. However, these activities are placed in the "quality of life" category. I contend that the airports also fall into that category.
I pay taxes to support, but do not use, my community's golf courses. However, I would not want to eliminate the courses since others derive much enjoyment from them. In nearly 30 years of living in Florida, I have never attended a spring training baseball game or a Devil Rays game, but my taxes are used to help provide this pastime for a select group. How many townhouses could be built on the site of Florida Power Park or Tropicana Field -- and all without taxpayer dollars? The St. Petersburg Times was the prime mover to get Major League Baseball and spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars for this "quality of life" issue.
The description of pilots as being a small, "select group" of wealthy individuals is far different from those I see at the airports. Most of us simply have had a dream of flying all our lives and, thanks to those in our communities' past with the foresight to build these airports, have had the opportunity to fulfill those dreams.
The only way in which I am rich is that I have the knowledge to fly an airplane and I can exercise that knowledge whenever I have the money and good weather -- not at all unlike a a golfer. You can have your ballfields and golf courses, but please, let us keep our two small airports.
-- Brenda Harris Nixon, chairman, Clearwater Airpark Authority, Clearwater
Re: On pins and needles, by Alicia Caldwell, April 13.
Wow! Ignorance is abundant at the Belleview Biltmore Resort & Spa. I'm wondering if general manager John K. Daniels is fit for a job in the hospitality industry. Maybe he was having a bad day (let's hope) because racism and bigotry are the first thoughts that come to mind after reading this article.
Change the "group" to blacks, Jews, Latinos or any other minority group, and his comments would be under scrutiny. However, since "pierced and tattooed" people are all the above and more, he should be fired for his lack of moral ethics.
Next, he might have us believe Harley-Davidson riders are all gangsters, thugs and lowlifes. Try explaining that one to lawyers, doctors and other professionals who consider that a part of expressing themselves. Let's hope they did not plan a convention there prior to Daniels being hired.
Ignorance is bliss at the Belleview Biltmore Resort & Spa. That should be its new motto. John K. Daniels should rethink his comments. You can bet I will dissuade all friends and business relations from spending time or money at a prestigious resort run by such an individual.
-- Juliana Saenz, Tierra Verde
Re: Once and again, it comes down to ratings, by Eric Deggans, April 15.
Here! Here! Mr. Deggans.
Once and again I cannot figure out how sensitive and intelligent shows like this do not make it on TV.
It is a sad testament on the viewing public that "reality shows" that depict people working against rather than for one another are so popular today.
Bravo to the actors and writers of this wonderful television experience. It will surely be missed in my home.
-- A. Jane Vitale, Clearwater
Re: This bard is the bomb.
Did I miss something? I didn't see one reader letter regarding the uplifting picture of the Bomb-itty of Errors performer with his tongue hanging out on the front page of the Floridian section on April 15.
Some tourists and potential home owners would certainly get excited to see what a community trying to improve its image can do with a "little" variation on a Shakespeare play. The author was smart not to put his by-line on the article, although he did have to 'fess up the next day.
By the way, if the tongue-hanger helped bring Shakespeare to a new level, where was it -- up or down?
-- Bob Brindley, Belleair Beach
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