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Letters To The Editor

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 14, 2007

Lucky To Have Gee

Regarding "Union's Attack On Sheriff Conceals Financial Motive (Our Opinion, Dec. 6):

I want to commend the Tribune for one of the best editorials it has written. We, the citizens of Hillsborough County, are indeed fortunate to have a sheriff of the magnitude of David Gee. He is one of the most caring, committed, bright, law enforcement officers and his department is one of the best in the land.

The union, like most employees in most businesses, always want more - higher pay, increased benefits, and the sheriff agreed to a "step plan" - but as your editorial points out continual "give us more" demands must be met with sound fiscal responsibility, which describes this sheriff to the tee.

JOHN OSTERWEIL

Tampa

Where Was Outrage?

Wow, the Police Benevolent Association angered you! When Kevin Durkin of the PBA and Tracy Walker of the Firefighters' union lied to some current retirees and helped cheat them out of millions of dollars of pension benefits over their lifetimes, where was your outrage? Or did the fact that they were in collusion with Pam Iorio make that different?

PETE BOTTO

Brandon

Can't Ignore Religion

I couldn't care less what recent Dec. 10 letter writer John Culkin believes, but he made a dangerous and misleading statement in his letter. He says that "the good citizens and soldiers" gave us our liberty and freedom. Liberty and freedom are our rights. If they are given by men then they can be denied and revoked by men. If, on the other hand, we accept our Declaration of Independence, we know that "all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights."

To understand God's role in our government, I would refer Culkin to Washington's Farewell Address of Sept. 17, 1776 where he states, "Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

JACK C. BOLEN

Brandon

God And Government

It seems that many people forget the consequences and implications of removing God from the foundation of government as evidenced by the Dec. 10 letter of the day. The Founding Fathers rightly declared that the Creator has endowed us with certain inalienable rights. They understood that it is not the government that grants us our rights, but that it merely secures them.

But as we have witnessed in many times past, especially in the atheistic regimes of the 20th century that murdered untold millions, such governments do exist.

DAVID MOSS

Tampa

Teach Critical Thinking

Regarding "Florida's Schools Are Latest Battleground In Evolution Debate" (Nation/World, Dec. 8):

Referring to your excellent report, it is sad to see people thinking in such narrow terms.

In Florida, we can drive to see the Shuttle leave to repair the Hubble telescope. At college, our children interact with people who use those photographs to explore the development of our universe. Some of these scientists are deeply Christian, awestruck by the wonder of creation.

Yet some teachers and parents want our children to imagine that their world is confined within the timeframe of Judeo-Christian oral and written history. Even human archeology shows other civilizations to be much older.

Internationally, the vast majority of Christians believe in evolution, teach evolution in schools and see it as God's marvelous way of creating life (sometimes the Intelligent Design model).

Educators need help to teach critical thinking, questioning and to build students to give the USA a competitive advantage in innovation and cognitive excellence.

GLYNIS ROSS-MUNRO

Tampa

An Affront To Islam

It was distressing that The Tampa Tribune published "A Faith That's Not Warm and Fuzzy" by Leonard Pitts (Other Views, Dec. 7). The column was an affront to Islam, thinly disguised as a critique of Sudan. If Pitts wished to opine on Sudan's treatment of the teacher who named a toy Muhammad, he should have stayed with that story. He could have researched and reported on why the incident caused such concern, thereby advancing knowledge and understanding amongst people of all religions. Instead, he insulted the religion of 50,000 Muslims in the Tampa Bay area and the other 6 million in other states.

SHERRI SUJAI

Clearwater

We Must Do Our Part

Regarding "Area Blessed With Charitable Support" (Our Opinion, Dec. 8):

The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay strives each day to advance the physical, intellectual and social capital of west central Florida. The Foundation directs its resources to buildings and structures and it invests in building the organizational capacity of nonprofit organizations throughout the metropolitan area. Subsequently, the Foundation leaves its legacy, in part, by how it helps other organizations succeed.

The continued success of the Foundation is critical to the future of our area. We must each do our part - not only during this "season of giving" but each and every day to ensure the Foundation derives benefit from the blessings each of us has accumulated in our lifetimes. We can leave our legacy, in part, by how we help the Foundation.

MICHAEL AUDINO

Land O' Lakes

The writer is the chief operating officer of the Charitable Giving Resource Center.

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