Opinion: Progress changes our lives and the landscape as well

Like Diane Roberts, I too trace my (maternal) ancestry to 19th-century Washington County, Florida. The children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those hardscrabble folks have prospered beyond anything that my grandpa and his neighbors up in Chipley could have imagined back at the dawn of the 20th century.

What a relief it was to read Diane Roberts' column about the ongoing changes in Florida's economy, particularly in the state's Panhandle region. She managed to get through the entire piece, including its many references to the St. Joe Co., without beating gubernatorial incumbent, first brother and former St. Joe executive, Jeb Bush, around the head and shoulders with it.

Economic development in this state will only come about with a price. Just as progress has changed our lives, it changes the landscape in unimaginable ways as well.

Many average people have built their fortunes via the process of commercialization Ms. Roberts complains about.

The scrubby sandlots that once provided my old neighbors with a place to hunt rabbits, doves and squirrels are how the home of the University of South Florida campus in north Tampa. No one would seriously suggest those changes didn't bring about genuine progress.
-- Jim Parker, Tampa

A corporate scandal in the making

Re: Old Florida is falling to the developers.

Thanks so much for allowing Diane Roberts to climb onto her soapbox again. As a native Floridian, I feel exactly the same way she does. I don't worship at the Church of St. Joe either.

I live in the Panhandle and it makes me sick to know that my tax dollars are helping to destroy the environment I cherish so much. What makes me really angry is that these tax dollars have been allocated without public debate in the Legislature. But of course we have a non-native governor who is a developer himself whose vision does not extend any further than his wallet and his hopes for re-election.

St. Joe/Arvida should not get tax breaks. Looks like a government-backed corporate scandal from my point of view.
-- Armand DuPont, Tallahassee

Americans should question our motives

Re: There's a price to pay for pride, by Elijah Gosier, Aug. 13.

Elijah Gosier's column should have been on the front page in bold letters. He reminds us that Hitler made Germans feel good about themselves by making them feel superior to everyone else.

He then asks why America believes that we are married to the "moral high ground" without exception or scrutiny. Why do we refuse to submit our military to the world court to which we insist our adversaries answer? Why do we applaud the president's every utterance about the "axis of evil" and the need to depose Saddam Hussein as the next step in the ever broadening war against terrorism, without question? Why do we racially profile Middle Easterners living in America without due process? Is it because we're America and what we do is right no matter what the rest of the world thinks?

To some, this is a radical question, because a lot of American's don't think. Have we been effective? Are we safer now? Dare we question our policies and politics? Don't we understand that we have a soft underbelly, our dependence on oil?

We don't like to admit our vulnerability. Gosier tells us that we should, as citizens, scrutinize military actions and take care that our anger doesn't lead us down the path to another Nuremberg, good Americans just following orders.

As a Vietnam veteran, I know that hindsight is important. We still maintain the high moral ground about that war, refusing to admit the lasting environmental effects of our own chemical weaponry, Agent Orange, and the bombing, and the volatile effect that had on Cambodia. This is worth repeating? Pride is important. But patriotism without question is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
-- James Willingham, St. Petersburg

An accurate assessment

Re: There's a price to pay for pride.

Bravo to Elijah Gosier! No doubt he will receive abuse for his Aug. 13 column on the dangers of blind nationalism, but he is absolutely right. He expressed it beautifully, and I hope that column is widely circulated.
-- Melissa M. Nece, Palm Harbor

Constitutional inconsistencies

Re: Constitution's problems, letter, Aug. 11.

The writer concludes that "much conservative, not liberal, thinking is verifiably false." Interesting, since his letter shows a few inconsistencies common to a liberal point of view.

He states that the Bill of Rights is one of two "timeless masterpieces" (the Declaration of Independence being the other). He then goes on to say that the Constitution (which hardly qualifies) "enables citizen-owners of 200-million guns to kill 30,000 of their fellow citizens each year." First of all, the figure of 30,000 is a gross misrepresentation from any point of view and meaningless in its context, and rings false in its implication of some sort of national shootout. Neither the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights enables anyone to shoot anyone else. In fact, the Bill of Rights' Second Amendment acknowledges the right of the individual citizen to keep and bear arms, not the original Constitution. He described the Bill of Rights as a "timeless masterpiece," but then tries to blame the Constitution for his erroneous statistic and statement.

He also states that "a Constitution that allows for a panel of nine judges to appoint a president who received a minority of the popular vote," a description of some sort of delusional election system; no such thing happened. The electoral system was devised by our founders for good reasons. The U.S. Supreme Court simply reminded one state to play by the rules.

The original Constitution did not deal with the "rights of the people," it defined our form of national government and the powers delegated to it and to the states.
-- Lee Hanson, Hudson

A timeless masterpiece

Re: Constitution's problems.

I was fascinated by this letter. It made me pull out my copy of the Constitution to see what amazing changes had taken place.

The only reference I saw with my old eyes was the note including 100 percent of "free persons" and only three-fifths of all others, excluding Indians not taxed, for the selection of representatives. I'd like to know what the letter writer considers "rock solid in favor of slavery." Seems as though it's the Indians who should be complaining.

The Constitution in less than 200 years made the United States the world leader. That alone should qualify it as a timeless masterpiece.

The letter writer calls the Bill of Rights one of the true timeless masterpieces, then condemns the Second Amendment. I must have read his letter incorrectly. He also notes 30,000 deaths by guns, but fails to point out how many were by officers in the line of duty or by property owners protecting their homes, businesses or their very lives, or how many more there might have been were it not for the possibility that a homeowner might be armed.

While our founding fathers were only human, I feel they did an amazing job of starting up a country from less than scratch.

Now let's get to giving liberals the truth for which they're looking. The House of Representatives was set up to reflect the power of the states' populations. With the true hand of justice the founders prevented the lesser populated states from being ignored by making the Senate up of two senators no matter how large or small. Genius!
-- Don McDermott, Palm Harbor

Try the more measured approach

Re: What's that smell?

The Aug. 11 editorial regarding Albert Whitted Airport came across to this reader as strident and written in a fit of pique. The author would do well to take lessons from Andrew Barnes, whose article about meeting President Bush reflected the intent to take a calm, measured and polite approach to disagreements with the president. The same approach would well serve local issues.

One wonders about the value of knowing the names of those doing business with Bay Air Services at the airport. It would seem the financial aspects of the agreement are the most important consideration.

How much does the city receive and is that reasonable and usual for such airport properties? If not, make appropriate changes. For the short term develop a plan to eliminate the subsidy for the airport (and other city properties).

For the long term, the city for its part seems to be taking a calm and measured approach to its review of the best use of its property. Let it continue.
-- Ross Canella, St. Petersburg

Defending a personal expression of pain

Re: Capitalizing on a tragedy, letter, Aug. 9.

First and foremost, my heart goes out to anyone and everyone who has tragically been affected by the loss of a loved one to suicide. Assuredly, God only knows, we as human beings experience the grief and loss much differently than one another could ever imagine. And I would never assume that I could ever tell anyone how to express their grief, live their lives, or grow from a tragic lesson, that we may have mutually experienced.

Sadly, it pains my soul to have to respond to a complete stranger who had absolutely nothing to do with my life, or the life of the loved one I tragically lost, shortly thereafter, the 12 years of our relationship.

With that being said, I feel compelled to express my sympathies to anyone's ongoing pain and hope that someday, they will find it their hearts to respect others' personal ways of expression.

Only my close friends and loving family truly knew how much we cared for each other. And truly, how many years it has taken me to deliver the compassionate message of hope and love, and yes, be burdened by financial loss in preserving the integrity of the story's essence. It is with my deepest heartache, that I have to defend my personal expression of pain, that was meant for those that needed it most. Those who are still alive to hear it.

I happen to be a filmmaker. But had I been a bus driver, I would have found a way to catharticly express the ultimate message of hope, and not judge anyone on their expression. But that's just me.

Respectfully, to Lori, and to those who are similarly of reason no longer with us, your lives and your light will be carried by me like a torch in the harshest of nights. God Bless you all who have supported my efforts of love.
-- Jimmy Fitzpatrick, Studio City, Calif.

Respect is taught by example

Re: Disrespect is a lesson learned at home, letter, Aug. 11.

Teaching respect to children should "begin" in the home, but is not limited by those boundaries. It is something that cannot be "demanded" from any child, but rather taught by example. Adults today, regardless of profession, seemed to have forgotten that respect with children (or anyone) is a matter of reciprocity. If we fail in that responsibility to any child, is our criticism of their absence of respect for adults honest? I hardly think so.
-- Lynda Demitrakis, Tarpon Springs

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