Letters to the Editors

Declaration's message is still meaningful today

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 8, 2000

Re: Freedom's words still have fiery resonance, by Howard Troxler, July 3.

Howard Troxler's compelling article on the historic significance of the Declaration of Independence should be read by every local citizen who cares about America and its meaning to the world. Written in appealing, contemporary language, the underlying message of the Declaration contained in the article resonates as powerfully today as it did in 1776. The six-year-long American Revolution was not only a mortal struggle for individual freedom, but also a struggle whose underlying ideas were themselves revolutionary.

For 224 years, America's declaration of liberty has been the driving force of history, even in our own country. It was no accident that Abraham Lincoln reaffirmed the ideals of the Declaration, and not the Constitution, in his defining Gettysburg Address. It was no accident that people from every country around the globe were drawn to America and its universal message of equality and opportunity.

The full realization of the idea of equality for all has been a continuing struggle since the nation's birth. The American ideal may never be fully realized, but the pursuit of that elusive dream continues to be our great national mission, even into the third millennium.

The Declaration of Independence and its message live on.
-- Lloyd R. Watson, Clearwater

A needed reminder

Re: Freedom's words still have fiery resonance.

Congratulations to Howard Troxler for this column. It is the kind of reminder we all need. We all need to stop and remember why we have Independence Day. All too often we pass over many important things such as the Declaration of Independence and what it means to us Americans. We need reminders. Howard Troxler's column was well-timed and well-written.

At times I wish Independence Day occurred during the school year so teachers could discuss it and emphasize it to the students. Such discussions might make Independence Day more meaningful rather than having it be just another holiday.
-- Samuel W. Harris, St. Petersburg

Required reading

Re: Freedom's words still have fiery resonance.

Howard Troxler's column should be required reading for everyone. It is all there -- what we should know and feel for our country as Americans -- and so easy to read. Right on the money!

It made me feel like "Yankee Doodle Dandy"!
-- Patty Saham, South Pasadena

A flawed look at the founders

During the days leading up to Independence Day, I was forwarded an identical e-mail from a number of people on the supposed fate of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Although not historians, my friends and I immediately saw many inaccuracies in the e-mail document.

On July 4, the Times published columns by both Ann Landers (Founding fathers paid a heavy price) and Jeff Jacoby (Declaration signers risked everything) containing nearly verbatim the same information I had received over the Internet.

Whether factual or not, I find it disturbing (although not surprising) that the Boston Globe may be allowing its columnists to use the Internet as a primary source for historical documentation. I hope the St. Petersburg Times has some sort of policy to address this same issue.

Hollywood has worked very hard recently to rewrite the history of the American Revolution (i.e., The Patriot) as well as World War II (U-571); journalists shouldn't be so quick to join them.

Oh, and a little "advice" for Ann Landers. Please spend the time to write your column next holiday in lieu of lifting it from the Internet.
-- Robert J. Carr, Palm Harbor

Mascot issue is about basic respect

The American Indian Movement is an international organization of indigenous peoples of North/Meso/South America. Since its inception in 1968, AIM has opposed the use of indigenous peoples as sports mascots or their culture and spirituality for America's fun and games.

What the Pinellas County School Board is considering regarding school mascots has already been done in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Los Angeles and Dallas among other locations, including Leon County, Fla. These locations realize that using a race as a mascot is a vestige of racism that has no place in the 21st century.

No other peoples face such ridicule and trivialization of their culture. There is no Osceola High Negros where the mascot, a white student dressed a la Amos and Andy, picks cotton and eats watermelon. No Seminole High Jews where the mascot totes a Torah. No St. Petersburg High Catholics where the mascot pope and nun do the lambada, tossing communion wafers on the field while the fans do a rousing rendition of the crucifix chop. Yet this is routine for trivializing indigenous peoples, their culture and spirituality in a circus-like atmosphere. And woe to the indigenous peoples who dare complain they are not honored.

While saving the Everglades is something Florida AIM has worked on with the Seminole Cultural Law Center, Mercury Alliance, Independent Traditional Seminoles and others since the mid-1980s, AIM also recognizes that the mascot issue is a ground-zero issue of respect. There can be little hope of substantive dialogue with the dominant society on such critical issues as treaty rights, sovereignty, water rights, hunting rights, mineral rights, etc. when meaningful dialogue on the issue of whether a grotesque figure like "Chief Wahoo" should exist or not remains impossible. If we can't get the dominant society to understand, let alone accept that trivializing, shaming and disgracefully mocking indigenous culture and spirituality in a circus-like atmosphere is offensive, try explaining the more complex concepts of treaty rights or sovereignty.
-- Sheridan Murphy, state executive director, American Indian Movement of Florida, St. Petersburg

Don't call it genocide

Re: Artist's images on lace reveal grisly past,
-- June 25.
This article contains a hearsay story and expresses hate for the Turkish government and the Turkish people, even those who lost their lives during an earthquake years ago. This article tries to falsify the truth by claming a so-called genocide conducted by the Ottoman government in 1915.
Yes, the unfortunate killings and suffering occurred, and a lot of lives have been lost between the two communities, Armenians and Turks, in Eastern Anatolia during the war with Russia, when many Armenians joined the invading Russian army and fought against the Ottoman forces. The government then ordered deportation for Armenians to other provinces, mainly Syria and Lebanon, which were still in Ottoman territory at the time.
Meanwhile, the Armenians in the other parts of the country continued living comfortably, ran their own schools, religious institutions and their businesses, as it is now.
So, what kind of genocide was it? It is better to talk about truth rather than falsified allegations and hearsay stories. Yes, there was a terrible loss of life and suffering on both side. Yes, there was deportation. But there was no genocide.
Metin Arat, Brandon

Prince deserved better treatment

Re: A prince's to do list, June 25.

I am appalled! How can the whole crew of staff writers of a newspaper be so cruel to a young man?

This young man has not only lost his beloved mother in a traffic accident, but also has a father who has been playing more than footsie with another woman for years. And in the not-too-distant future, Prince William will have the burden of the whole of England on his shoulders.

I am extremely ashamed of the Times staff writers and fervently hope the prince does not see your "to do list."

Your "to do list" is a representation of why so many people in the rest of the world call us "the Ugly Americans."
-- Clare M. Peterson, Treasure Island

Lawmakers foul up again

Re: Insurance bill's flaw painful for some self-employed Floridians, June 29.

Yet again, the Looney Tunes characters in Tallahassee who are supposed to be our legislators have put into effect another law without sufficiently researching the effects of that law.

The Wall Street Journal article you printed begins, "Because of a glitch in state law, beginning July 1, self-employed Floridians will lose their guaranteed access to health insurance for more than a year." Further into the article it states, "In the rush to craft final bill language before the end of the season (italics mine), legislators mistakenly delayed the new August enrollment cycle until 2001 without extending the current session for another year."

I imagine that it slipped by without their noticing, while they were out on one of their steak-and-lobster dinners with the lobbyists.

Finally, for the staff director for the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, Brian Deffenbaugh, to say that it was "an unintended glitch" is unconscionable.

As a long-time insurance agent (thankfully, soon to be retired), I could lose my license for dealing with my clients the way the merry crew in Tallahassee does.
-- Paul E. Lindblom, Largo

The net of blame can be widely cast

Re: Children's crimes will soon cost parents,
-- June 24.
I am concerned about the new state law that requires the parents of juvenile offenders pay to help cover the cost of incarceration.
My first thought is that it is patently unfair to single out only the parents. There is a large body of scientific evidence that reveals an observable cause-and-effect relationship between criminal behavior and products produced by the media such as television and cinema and other manufactured goods -- certain video games, for example.
Second, there is also a large body of evidence that reveals an observable cause-and-effect relationship between criminal behavior and single-parent homes. Much of the media have advanced notions concerning marriage, divorce and sexuality that have been corrosive and deadly to the traditional two-parent family.
Third, the schools have a responsibility to teach the critical thinking skills required by our youth to defend themselves against being victims of all of this kind of "social strip mining."
A well known Latin legal axiom says that "the cause of the cause is the cause of the effect." What I am attempting to say is that there are more fish to fry here, and justice demands that we fry them all.
Daniel P. Quinn, St. Petersburg

Olympic boosters deserve scrutiny

Re: Taxpayers help pay for Olympic bid, June 25.

Wayne Washington's article on the efforts and cost to bring the 2012 Olympic Games to Tampa was very enlightening. Most of the public are probably unaware that their tax money has already been spent in the bidding process. And most likely they don't know they have guaranteed up to $175-million in losses.

We need more public officials like Jan Platt who question the secrecy of this group that is spending our money and that wants to spend a lot more. The article seems to be leaving out an obvious part of this equation. Do the residents want the Games and do they want to be taxed again in addition to the stadiums they are already paying for? Who is this group gunning for the Games, and what do they have to gain from it? I would urge the Times to pursue this issue. There is a lot more to this iceberg.
-- Mark Rathe, Tampa

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