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New House confused on goals

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published January 25, 2007

Re: Brown-Waite: It's still a House divided Jan. 21

Although Ginny Brown-Waite is attempting to regain the confidence of many of her former constituents, she still is missing the point on many issues that need resolution.

I think it's a little premature to judge the Democratic majority after a Republican majority did absolutely nothing over 12 years except squander billions of taxpayer dollars to corporate America, the last four years on a conflict in the Middle East, which in the end will be peace with honor. Remember Vietnam and the "Do-Nothing Congress"?

With all due respect, congresswoman, there is no front line in Iraq. You must understand that the term "insurgent" is a synonym for underground or guerilla. The front line is all around our troops. This is not a conventional war like World War II. When you realize this, maybe your decision will not be based on party politics, but on pure heartfelt analysis.

I applaud you on your voting record related to minimum wage, terrorism, energy, prescription drugs and stem cell research, but Congress has missed the boat on student loan legislation.

What the student loan legislation left out are those students currently carrying student loans at exorbitant rates because they are unable to refinance due to congressional legislation previously enacted to protect financial institutions and prohibit students from refinancing their loans at lower rates after graduation.

It's not a House divided that continues; it is a House confused about where its priorities should be.

Vito J. Delgorio Sr., Spring Hill

Speed laws help in saving lives 

Re: Sic our deputies on real criminals Jan. 23 letter to the editor

Here's some education for Mrs. B. Turner: All police and sheriff's offices have different units (traffic, crime, etc.). The job of the traffic unit is to issue tickets to people who are speeding. Their goal is to save lives. If the speed limit is 40 mph, that doesn't translate to 50 mph.

Another point of interest: Mrs. Turner stated that the deputies sit there waiting for "innocent" people at speed traps. Innocent people are the ones doing the speed limit; the speeders are not innocent. If you are doing 9-10 mph over the posted speed limit, you are speeding. It's a very simple concept.

You may have noticed that cars come with all types of interesting gadgets these days: Directionals to signal turns and lane changes (rarely used by most drivers), speedometers (if you look it actually tells you that you are going too fast; a handy little thing!) and other devices that are meant to keep us safe.

Speeders put not only themselves in danger, but they put the lives of the real innocent people in danger as well.

We need more speed traps in this county and it's a shame the Sheriff's Office doesn't have enough personnel to have them out there all the time.

Coming from a police family and having been married to two policemen in my life, I have the utmost respect for our police officers. Those monitoring the speed limit are just doing their job.

I do the speed limit on all roads, so I don't have to worry about speed traps. Perhaps Mrs. Turner might thank the sheriff for making her slow down and perhaps avoiding an accident somewhere down the road. And the next time someone is riding on my bumper because I am doing the speed limit, well, just think of it as a community service. I may be saving them from a summons.

Loretta Pizzo, Spring Hill

Slavery not main issue in Civil War 

Year of Lee sounds bugles of history, race Jan. 20 Andrew Skerritt column

As a military history buff with particular interest in the period of the War Between the States, I have read innumerable books on the war, its causes and its results. Although I was born in Pennsylvania and had a great-grandfather who served in the 167th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, my personal studies have led me to believe the war itself had very little to do with the institution of slavery, and much more to do with economics, limiting federal control over the states, and a longstanding mutual distrust between the northern and southern states.

History shows that the North and the South were at odds over numerous matters from the 1770s on. The New England states considered secession shortly after our nation's founding, as well as in the early 19th century, and it was generally accepted back then that the Union was entered into voluntarily and could be left at any time the people of the various states believed it was not in their best interest to remain.

As far as slavery being the chief cause of the war, that is not historically correct. In 1861 (and for quite a few years prior to that), more than 80 percent of the U.S. economy was derived from the South, but the majority of the U.S. population was in the North and had much higher representation in the U.S. Congress. Therefore, although the South provided roughly 80 percent of the Union's funding, the North received roughly 70 percent of the benefits.

By most accounts, slavery in the South would not have continued beyond about 1880-1900 because slavery is an expensive way to do business, and the further importation of African slaves was specifically prohibited by the Confederate Constitution.

The comment in the column that "To us, the stars and bars flag of the Confederacy still represents racism, Jim Crow and oppression" may be true from Skerritt's standpoint, but in actuality slavery was legal in North America from approximately 1625 until 1866. All the slaves brought over here from Africa were brought on ships flying the British, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Danish, or U.S. flags - not the Confederate flag.

Jim Crow laws were enacted in 1890 - 25 years after the demise of the Confederacy. The Jim Crow laws were passed under the flag of the United States and sustained by the U.S. Supreme Court, so how is it that the Confederate flag is linked to that, but not the U.S. flag? Although Skerritt is certainly entitled to his perceptions and personal prejudices, I do not see the historical connection between the Jim Crow laws and the battle flag under which Confederate troops fought and died in defense of their homes and families.

I do not see a connection between the display of the Confederate flag or the honoring of Confederate heroes and the plight of black Americans today.

David A. Anthony, Brooksville

[Last modified January 25, 2007, 06:47:14]