It's supposed to be 'protect' and serve
It's supposed to be 'protect' and serve | Voice of the People (Jan. 26, 2024)
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January 6 police officers condemn Donald Trump's pardons
Lawmakers and police officers criticized Donald Trump's decision to pardon January 6 defendants.
It's supposed to be 'protect' and serve
The Ledger's account of a dangerous Florida Highway Patrol car chase in Lakeland [How an FHP chase ended in a serious crash, Jan. 14] is one more example of a troubling Florida trend toward policies leading to death or injury to innocent citizens.
A chase last fall by the Plant City Police Department ended with a deadly eight-car crash on Harden Boulevard near Lakeside Village. Whatever happened to the policies prohibiting these senseless and reckless pursuits?
Another disturbing policy trend has led to the shooting deaths of disturbed individuals who could have been rendered harmless by means of non-lethal firearms capable of delivering either disabling tear gas or rubber bullets. The Ledger account of the Polk sheriff's sergeant who shot five times a small, 21-year-old new mother who he'd said threatened him with a shovel is a case in point.
This isn't an attack on the ethics of the large majority of our law enforcement personnel. From my talks with them, I don't believe most Polk deputies would have shot the woman, even if policies or a superior seemed to encourage it.
If we really value life we can and should do better.
Randy Wilkinson, Lakeland
Voice of the People (Jan. 19, 2025) What can we expect under Trump's royal reign?
Until 2028, get over it
It amazes me, as I read recent Lakeland Ledger letters, how many folks are still suffering from 'Trump Derangement Syndrome.' Had Harris won, I would have accepted the results. President Trump won a decisive victory and now everyone is still attacking him.
I have friends who lean left. My own conservative political posts on social media are minimal. Could I have gloated, yes, but I have seen so many posts from my democratic friends, so many nasty posts, I think to myself go ahead. This is exactly why Democrats lost last time. If these folks continue to use that as their message, i.e. it is all about Trump, you will continue to lose.
I listened to Biden's farewell speech on Jan. 15 and his reference to oligarchy. Clooney and Oprah Winfrey are not exactly in the poor house. There is a lot of irony in all of this.
So my last words: Get over it. In 2028, we will have an election of new candidates; until then, we have President Trump and JD Vance as our leaders, we are in good shape.
David Shumway, Winter Haven
Voice of the People (Jan. 12, 2025) Fluoride in water: Lakeland looking for the facts
Oil drilling in Gulf: Risk vs. reward
As The Ledger has chosen to continue its liberal ways by regularly publishing the ramblings of R. Bruce Anderson, I am compelled to respond with an alternate viewpoint. Anderson's recent objection to the majority's wishes to reduce prices by producing more oil is an excellent reflection of the approach of many liberal leaders.
My reading of Anderson's article 'Drill, baby, drill-but not here: Are Republicans about to learn another hard lesson?' [Jan. 12] is that we should ban anything that has the risk of a bad outcome.
Wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados and floods are terrible events that result in loss of life and significant economic and ecological harm. Should we ban human activity from areas prone to those catastrophes?
How about disasters such as Chernobyl, should all nuclear power plants be banned?
The BP Horizon explosion and resulting oil spill was a disaster. Lives were lost and the economic and ecological harm was both immediate and long lasting. Is that disaster sufficient reason to ban all oil drilling near Florida's coast? Are there benefits?
True leaders make their decisions based on a risk verses reward evaluation. If we, as Americans, don't agree with their actions, we change leaders.
Edward McDonald, Auburndale
Voice of the People (Jan. 5, 2024) Burning in Combee area hurts quality of life
Musk and America: The Titanic without life rafts
I read the report "Musk brings government efficiency push to Capitol Hill" [Dec. 6] and couldn't stop thinking about the Titanic.
Musk wants to destroy the "life rafts" that tens of millions of Americans cling to: Social Security, Medicare, VA services, Medicaid, and more.
This last election was the final warning to hundreds of millions of Americans and billions around the world that democracy in America is on the brink and the life rafts are missing.
True believers love a crusader, especially one who's willing to take up a cause that they can identify with. The extremely wealthy, have been on the lookout for a vehicle to ride to dominance of the American economy and political system. They found it with the advent of television and the Internet. They (the oligarchs) knew that they had a base – white Christian evangelicals.
The plan? Energize them with wedge issues: brown-skinned immigrants, abortion, gay rights advocates, women's rights advocates, and the like. The oligarchs bought up television networks and newspapers. They then went to work, particularly during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. They wiped out the Middle Class and achieved their final victory in 2024 with the election of Donald Trump.
Richard Sutherland, Lakeland
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Send letters to the editor to voice@theledger.com, or Voice of the People, P.O. Box 408, Lakeland, FL, 33802. Submit on the website at http://tinyurl.com/28hnh3xj, or go to TheLedger.com, click on the menu arrow at the top of the website and click Submit a Letter. Letters must be 200 words or less and meet standards of decency and taste.
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