A license to bully

What a doctor sees when Biden hesitates | Column, March 12

I address this to anyone who is thinking about voting for former President Donald Trump. I hope that your children and grandchildren are perfect in every way. Because after watching a clip of Trump mocking President Joe Biden’s lifelong stutter (Trump also mocked a reporter’s disability back in 2016) he is giving permission to — and modeling behavior for — every would-be school bully to mock, tease, harass, criticize, pick on, laugh at and abuse your nonperfect child or grandchild. Think about that and the potential emotional scars. I speak as a person (now retired) who has spent almost 50 years working directly with “nonperfect” physically and mentally challenged individuals and about the same amount of time as a faculty member at USF teaching students in a master’s degree program how to do the same. Most of these students were eager to learn in order to develop careers in the helping community. Early in the semester I would write on the blackboard these words, usually attributed to President Theodore Roosevelt, for their contemplation, “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Joseph Ferrandino, Land O’ Lakes

I saw it in my mother-in-law

What a doctor sees when Biden hesitates | Column, March 12

The article by Dr. Daniel J. Stone indicated that he believes President Joe Biden is mentally fit to be president. He has based this on his experience in treating geriatrics in California and then applying his experience with those patients and friends to what he has observed in the president when he hesitates when speaking. He did not address the president falling down multiple times, how he often seems confused as to which way to walk off a stage or when he tries to shake hands with people who aren’t there. I cared for my mother-in-law through all seven stages of Alzheimer’s disease until the day she passed away, and I can tell you from my experience that the only way to determine how much an individual is being impaired by either dementia or Alzheimer’s disease is to have them get a PET scan and administer a cognitive test. Biden has refused to do either. Why? I think it’s because it would confirm that he is suffering from some form of dementia. If this is not the case, then why hasn’t he taken either of these tests and released the results? This would put an end to any and all speculation as to whether he is mentally fit to be president of the most powerful country in the world.

Mark Khan, Tampa

Who you gonna believe?

AI-generated Trump supporters | March 8

I recently read about the Trump campaign publishing AI-generated photos of large groups of Black Trump supporters at his rallies. It reminds me of the old adage, “Who you gonna believe, me or your lying AIs?”

Mark Brown, Brandon

Another date with destiny

Dates with history

In my lifetime, there have been three distinctive dates that changed history: Nov. 22, 1963. Sept. 11, 2001. Jan. 6, 2021. Now there will be a fourth: Nov. 5, 2024. Our democracy will be defined by this election. Each and every one of us is going to be responsible for voting on this date and upholding our freedoms. This date in all of U.S. history will define our true beliefs in honor and accountability. I’m counting on all of you who love America to know your vote counts. The question is, which way will history look on you?

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Dee Anna White, Largo

History is history

Making history vulnerable | March 11

I believe that erasing history has been a focal point of Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature. They have changed the way Black history can be taught in schools as well as removing AP Black history. Now new legislation would give developers more power to knock down historic buildings near Florida’s coast without interference from local governments. This bill threatens to wipe out some of Miami’s 2,600 iconic art deco architecture and hotels. Not only could the legislation impact potential developments on vulnerable coastal communities, it could also limit the power of local historic preservation boards. Proponents of the bill say the changes are crucial to ensuring building safety and resiliency against flooding near Florida’s coast. However, the bill will have a negative impact on coastal communities which could allow the maximum height and density permitted for new structures after an older building is torn down. It is even more alarming that records obtained by reporter Jason Garcia show that a nonprofit group called A Resilient Future Florida helped draft the legislation last year. Garcia discovered that a lobbying firm was hired and donated $40,000 to political committees supporting Republican lawmakers. Exactly who will benefit from this new legislation?

Jackie Kanner, St. Petersburg

My meal, my choice

DeSantis to sign ban on lab-grown meat | March 11

How can we say Florida is free when laws like banning lab-grown meat are passed? I am not sure I really want to eat such meat, but it should be up to me — not the government.

Jean Greenawalt, Palm Harbor

What voters wanted

Lawyers to get part of refund money | March 10

All of the money collected for transportation in Hillsborough County should be spent for what the residents voted on: That’s improving transportation needs of Hillsborough County. It should not go to lawyers, the governor or anyone else. If this lawsuit was brought on by an attorney pro bono, then it should end pro bono.

Mary Sheppard, Riverview

A property insurance fix

Lawmakers’ long to-do list | March 10

Florida’s property insurance crisis has become a nightmare for many homeowners, driving some of them out of the state. Home insurance premiums continue to increase, with limited competition in the market. Despite promises of reform, in my view, no significant change has been made. It’s time for Florida to take action and make several changes to its homeowner insurance program. The solution?

Florida could stop using Citizens Property Insurance Corp. as the insurer of last resort. Instead of having hurricane claims and losses insured by private homeowner insurance, Florida could move those claims to the state for processing and payment by allowing homeowners to buy supplemental hurricane insurance from a state program for hurricane claims. The state program would process claims, and the state would source approved contractors and repair programs to reduce fraud and consumer complaints. The program would function much like the national flood insurance program. This plan offers the ability to bring in competition to the Florida insurance marketplace while reducing the burden of high premiums and potential cancellations on Florida homeowners. The state could attract mainline insurance companies from around the country and set annual cap rates not to exceed the national insurance average.

Scott Schneider, Delray Beach