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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 8, 2008

Seeking Quieter Fourth

As a resident of Hillsborough County all of my life and having lived in the Brandon area since 1963, I am requesting the county commissioners take a position against the elaborate neighborhood fireworks.

What started off many years ago were firecrackers and sparklers. Now the neighborhood fireworks equal many professional displays.

I can sit on my lanai in Fish Hawk and hear explosions that sound like bombs and see starbursts that look like the Brandon Towne Center fireworks.

It is time for all of our elected officials to put aside the almighty dollar and think of the safety and tranquillity of their constituents.

Other Florida counties have taken the position of no fireworks.

I am hopeful that this matter will be addressed. If it is beyond the county commission's capabilities, maybe it is time for an elected county mayor.

JEAN L. VAZQUEZ

Lithia

Commissioners, Listen

I hope my county commissioners got some sleep Friday night, as I didn't.

Calls to the police were answered by weary voices that had too many calls to respond to already. I suggested that they swing by our commissioners' homes and wake them up to see firsthand what 91 percent of the voters were mad about.

My dogs were scared and my birds were in a tizzy - between 2 and 3 a.m. I thought I was living in Beirut. Saturday I was tired and my dogs finally slept. My birds were so upset they threw out the eggs from their nests and one broke his neck in the panic.

Shame on all the commissioners for bowing down to the fireworks lobby and trying to pass the buck on responsibility. Voters will hold them responsible next election, so they don't need to depend on another massive voter turnout of 15 percent to keep those jobs.

CRAIG R. McNEES

Tampa

Better Ways To Celebrate

Regarding "An American Tradition" (Letters, June 30):

While zealous and well-spoken in defense of her position, it is my opinion that the letter writer misses the mark badly in her suppositions.

She states, "Fireworks are an American tradition, an event of celebration, a way for patriotic Americans to say we love America, we love the freedom living in America allows and part of that freedom is the right to use fireworks in our celebrations." Does this imply that those who choose not to use fireworks are somehow not patriotic? For my part, I have chosen to say I love America by having served in the Armed Forces. Additionally, I am unable to find the "right" to use fireworks in either the Constitution of the United States or that of the state of Florida. In fact, Florida State Statute 791 would seem to criminalize such behavior.

On a more personal level, I also have memories of trying to calm panicked pets as fireworks were illegally used with impunity by neighbors who obtained fireworks through the simple fraud of signing a form stating they were for agricultural purposes.

DAVID COSTELLO

Dade City

A New Holiday Danger

Whatever happened to the good old days when the worst things we had to fear on the Fourth of July were traffic jams and wayward fireworks? Now, our greatest danger lurks in food poisoning by nasty E. coli and salmonella bugs in inadequately grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. But then, high-temperature grilling that kills these bugs forms cancer-causing compounds.

Luckily, enterprising food manufacturers and processors have met this challenge with a great variety of healthful, delicious veggie burgers and soy dogs. These new foods don't harbor nasty pathogens or cancer-causing compounds. They don't even carry cholesterol, saturated fats, drugs or pesticides. And, they are available in the frozen food section of every supermarket.

TONY BLACK

Tampa

A Case Of Incompetence

Regarding "Lawsuits Have Far-Reaching Effect" (Letter of the Day, July 2):

Medical incompetence has nothing to do with an election year. My guess is that the letter writer works in the medical field and is attempting to rationalize physician incompetence. True, death is a part of life; however not at the hands of Frank Burns. Any half-smart attorney could expose the lack of medical ability.

This needs to be stopped, by the AMA if necessary. I truly think she has too much time on her hands as she tries to make limp excuses to prove poorly skilled people are competent and needed.

Since the physicians missed the diagnosis in the first place, why does she declare them as right?

JOHN SHUEY

Tampa

Jury Did Its Job

The letter referred to a case I tried against Tampa General Hospital in which a jury of four women and two men found that a baby died because of preventable conduct on the part of one or more doctors.

The letter's author is "deeply saddened by such a tragedy," but asks that the public "consider the consequences of such lawsuits."

Indeed, it is the defendants who should consider the consequences of their actions. The idea that avoidable deaths, especially of children, should simply be tolerated because they "just happen" is intellectually lazy and morally unacceptable. When doctors - entrusted with our greatest treasure, the lives of our children - betray their patients and their training, they must be held accountable.

Holding careless doctors accountable for their wrongdoing actually saves money - and lives - by placing the cost of carelessness on the responsible party and not on taxpayers in general.

The public must indeed consider the effect of these lawsuits.

MIKE TRENTALANGE

Tampa

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