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Todays Letters: Don't let our votes evaporate

Letters to the Editor
Published January 8, 2008

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Florida's Democratic primary

I was inspired watching the quaintly antiquated caucuses in Iowa, where you see what our Founding Fathers had in mind when they established this republic nearly 232 years ago. You can see how, on a very basic level, every vote really counts.

Fast forward to Florida, where no Democrat votes will count at all in the primary. Given our history of election errors, this really should be of no surprise.

How can we as Americans preach democracy to the world when we can't even get it right ourselves? We have soldiers dying every day in the name of democracy. Shame on us! Shame on the Democratic National Committee for political schoolyard bullying. Shame on the states for playing political games. Shame on the candidates for playing into the games, and most important shame on all of us as citizens for allowing this to happen!

I am going to e-mail my frustration to the DNC, and challenge all other Democrats both here and in Michigan to do the same. Please, let's get this error corrected fast. I want my vote to count.

Randy A. Smith, St. Petersburg

County sells out to cable provider Jan. 4, editorial

See the whole picture

While your editorial was quick to point out that the Hillsborough County Commission approved an agreement with Bright House Networks that provides $150,000 in air time, many other important facts were left out.

First, there are 65 cities and counties in the Tampa Bay market; only two are suing. How are those cities paying for those legal actions? Most likely with tax dollars. And we know there aren't enough local tax dollars to fight New York corporate attorneys and win.

What other concessions did Hillsborough County get? The Times has given much less attention to the fact that the $1 converter box cost is capped, the original service agreement is in place so Bright House cannot pick and choose whom to serve, and state law programming requirements can be waived so that the access channel cannot be removed entirely.

Further, the advertising airtime is needed to tell citizens about county services they can benefit from in a widely viewed format. Will the Times give us free ad space to do the same?

Pat Bean, Hillsborough County administrator, Tampa

A twisted reading of law Jan. 5, editorial

A move to remove God

While I think your editorial was meant to be critical of presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, I read its message differently.

You state that Huckabee as governor refused to sign a disaster insurance bill until the term "act of God" was stricken from it because, he said, "God could not be blamed" for the wreckage tornadoes bring.

You write, "If people want to know whether Huckabee's overt religiosity will affect his governance, there can be no clearer example." Considering the propensity of fundamentalist religious-political leaders to "credit" God for using natural disasters to punish bad people and otherwise inject the concept of the Almighty into all aspects of governance, I find it somewhat refreshing to note that in this case Huckabee's "overt religiosity" actually prompted him to want God "removed" from the text of the legal document.

While your writing that Huckabee's action "should give voters pause" is meant as a warning, I read what he did a bit differently. For me, at least in this one instance, I see a glimmer of hope and redemption.

Rick Carson, St. Petersburg

A twisted reading of law Jan. 5, editorial

Aligning law and language

Whatever one's party affiliation, it is clear that Mike Huckabee's decision to delete the phrase "act of God" from a disaster insurance bill was not ignorant, but rather a brilliant move to remove theological language from the rule of law. Requiring the Arkansas state legislature to change the language from "act of God" to "natural causes" should be cause for celebration in a nation desperate to return to the ideals of the Constitution's freedom of religion.

What religious leader would be asked to determine what constitutes an "act of God"? Certainly, the phrase "natural disaster" is much more easily defined by a plurality of peoples identified as agnostic, atheist, Christian, etc. We seem to miss the opportunities to promote freedom of religion through the accurate use of language in our laws.

The freedom to worship or not worship God is critically different from the freedom to decide what God tells or does to a certain group of people. The latter has no place in the American legislative process. In fact it generally inhibits personal freedoms.

I have yet to read many of Mike Huckabee's statements, but I am willing to consider that his knowledge of theology may be precisely the key to moving this country away from suffocating and tyrannical religious ideologies toward a true participation in the freedom of religion for all people.

Merrell T. Dickey, Tampa

A twisted reading of law Jan. 5, editorial

Acts of man?

If anything, Gov. Mike Huckabee's refusal to sign an insurance bill until the name of God was taken out of it more clearly delineates the separation of church and state and should be applauded by all.

In fact, considering the human contribution to global warming, severe climate conditions producing tornadoes and such could ultimately be considered "acts of man."

Lawrason Clement, Tierra Verde

A Kwanzaa call for action Jan. 1, Bill Maxwell column

Sound principles for all

This was a very interesting column from Bill Maxwell. However, if we read each of the seven principles he refers to, we could see that they could apply to each and every citizen of this so-called great country, not just blacks.

He refers to unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Just tell me what individual in this country wouldn't be better off if we followed those principles?

We could certainly profit from more unity among all our people. Self-determination could be a plus for young and old alike. Collective work, or working together, could improve each and every community. Cooperative economics could help us and maybe put our country back in the black, not the red. Creativity could improve each and every area, and make us be proud to be Americans. Faith could do wonders for all of us, as faith in our families, faith in our country and most of all faith in God, who gave us this great country and our families. We should be working to preserve all of it.

It seems to me the seven principles of Kwanzaa could only improve our country and its people. After all, we are all human beings and were created by the same God. We should be working together, not pulling each other apart, as we seem to be doing.

Fran Glaros-Sharp, Clearwater

[Last modified January 7, 2008, 23:02:00]

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