UCF booing was fearful response
In response to “UCF graduates boo ‘tone deaf’ speaker who praised AI as ‘next Industrial Revolution’” (May 14):
In the early ’90s, when I was teaching journalism at Oviedo High School, a colleague and I took a group of students to the student journalism convention at the University of South Carolina.
Our keynote speaker was a writer for Popular Science; his theme was “What does the future hold?” In his speech, he described the decline of shopping malls and the rise of online shopping. He described a world in which items would be delivered to your home, and malls would be shuttered.
At the end of the speech, students were invited to the microphone to comment or ask questions. The lines quickly formed on each side of the auditorium. The students were mad. To a person, they said they would never stop going to malls, that going to malls was fun, and shopping online would never take hold. The writer was surprised and dismayed by this outpouring and could do nothing but stand and listen as these teens declared their allegiance to the world of malls.
I guess we can fill in the blanks as to where we are today with online shopping and the demise of the mall.
Just as I understood the students’ disbelief in the ’90s when faced with the end of malls, I understand the fear and concern of today’s young people. My advice: Listen to the experts because sometimes the forecasts are accurate, whether you want them to be or not.
— Deborah Jepson, Oviedo
Ballroom 1; struggling Americans 0
I am saddened and fearful for my beloved country as our president says the silent part out loud, “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation.”
Recently I received an email from my elected representative in full support of the billion-dollar ballroom that Donald Trump has planned for the White House. There was no mention of empathy or actions to assist many Americans struggling with the cost of gas, groceries, healthcare and more.
The priority is clear. One must protect their political career as We The People remain on life support.
— Kathy Ojeda, Merritt Island
Trump IRS settlement is alarming
The reported settlement discussions involving Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury Department should alarm every American, regardless of political party.
We are witnessing the extraordinary spectacle of a sitting president pursuing a personal lawsuit against agencies controlled by his own administration. Even more troubling are reports that the Department of Justice may consider a taxpayer-funded payout and possible limits on future IRS audits involving Trump, his family, or associated businesses.
Think about what that means. The executive branch could potentially use public money to settle a lawsuit benefiting the very person who now heads that branch of government. At the same time, lawful tax oversight could be negotiated away for politically connected individuals.
Whether technically legal or not, the appearance of conflict of interest and self-dealing is overwhelming. The IRS is supposed to enforce tax law equally. Audits are not political bargaining chips reserved for ordinary citizens while the powerful receive exemptions.
This issue goes beyond Donald Trump. If Americans begin to believe that presidents can use the machinery of government for personal financial or legal protection, public trust in federal institutions will erode even further.
No elected official should ever be above independent oversight or equal application of the law. Let your elected officials know your thoughts.
— Albert Chastain, Orlando
Is a coastal city at ‘point of no return’?
I just want a livable future for myself and my generation.
A new study has found that the city of New Orleans has reached a “point of no return” on climate change. The researchers conclude that the city could be underwater by the end of this century, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that cities and towns on the Florida coast could suffer a similar fate.
Southern Louisiana is plagued by coastal erosion, rising sea levels, and stronger and stronger hurricanes. These issues have been exacerbated by the operations of oil and gas companies along the coastline, and efforts to hold them accountable for these impacts have been met with staunch opposition from state leadership and the industry. The study is in the April issue of the journal Nature Sustainability.
According to the researchers, even if we stopped global warming today, New Orleans is beyond saving and that relocation of residents should begin immediately. They recommend that federal, state and local leaders take a proactive approach to relocation and support infrastructure build-out in safer areas further north.
— Elsy Shallman, Loxahatchee
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