Monday Letters: Views on JEA, socialism, vaccines and more

The Catholic Church must allow

others to investigate abuse

If you get a pack of wolves to guard your hen house, should you be surprised when you have fewer chickens?

We have seen article after article pointing out that the number of people attending Catholic Church services is continuing to fall because of the clergy sexual abuse scandals.

Yet what is the Catholic Church's answer to this? It is to have its bishops convene yet another never-ending conference to discuss what should be done to resolve the issue of clergy sexual abuse -- and to regain the confidence of the flock.

The Catholic Church seems content to simply hold internal investigations into acts of sexual abuse, but any investigation that is not conducted by an outside entity will produce questionable results.

Here are the steps that the Catholic Church needs to take:

• Start calling these dishonorable priests what they are: they are pedophiles -- they are not priests with "a problem."

• Allow outside investigations of reported acts of sexual abuse.

• Make it mandatory that any act of sexual abuse is immediately reported to the local police.

Right now so many frustrated Catholics are wondering why sexual abuse was allowed to happen for so long without anything being done to stop it -- and why so many abusive clergy members have gone unpunished.

A. Rabassa, Jacksonville

Dump Trump next year to

prevent irreparable damage

Not long ago we witness the ultimate irony when President Donald Trump, our "bone spur deferment" leader, attacked decorated military veteran Robert Mueller against the backdrop of burial crosses in Normandy.

The fact that Trump compulsively states falsehoods while engaging in sexism, racism, nativism and xenophobia is commonly accepted by his ardent supporters. They will always counter these facts by talking about the booming economic numbers, but recent stats show that the economy is not that great for a significant portion of America's population.

The damage that Trump has already done to our country will take two generations to repair. That's why I beg the Trump supporters to help us turn this man out of office next year -- before the harm he does to America is impossible to overcome.

Please.

Paul Eggen, Jacksonville

We don't need a President

Sanders or President Warren

Since 1956 I have voted for both Republicans and Democratic presidential nominees, but two current Democratic presidential candidates -- Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren -- are openly suggesting that socialism is the way to go for America.

This is dangerous territory: socialism and communism usually result in wiping out a country's middle class. And when it comes to economic policy, socialist and communist countries never have a "Plan B" in place -- that is the reason why they ultimately fail and collapse.

America has thrived because of the flexibility of the free market system, and we will continue to do so as long as the likes of Sanders and Warren don't take over.

These candidates are far more left-leaning than past Democrats like former presidents Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson -- and that may lead to dangerous times.

Jack Knee, Nocatee

Why won't Democrats support

choice when it comes to vaccines?

These days it's hard to avoid the dichotomy between the Democratic Party's push for abortion rights and their equally hard push for mandated vaccines in states with legislatures that are heavily controlled by Democrats.

Maine and New York, for example, have recently removed all religious and philosophical vaccine exemptions -- and California may soon join that list.

While the Democrats proclaim "my body, my choice" when it comes to women's abortion rights, they decline to adopt that same philosophy regarding vaccine rights (particularly for children). This is in direct contrast to the Republicans, who are generally on the side of "my body, my choice" in regards to injecting vaccines in children.

Government health organizations on the state and federal levels have long adopted the mantra of "vaccinate everyone" regardless of potential safety issues for those vulnerable to vaccine injury. The media, too, reliably support vaccine mandates.

Would it be political suicide for the 20-plus presidential Democratic candidates to support "informed vaccine choice" alongside abortion rights? I believe the answer to that question is "yes."

Maurine Meleck, Ponte Vedra Beach

UNF professor's public

views raise questions

I applaud Doug Adkins' excellent Another View piece in response to University of North Florida sociology professor David Jaffee, who recently wrote a column criticizing Gov. Ron DeSantis' visit to Israel.

My main concern about Jaffee is this: since he is so publicly and negatively vocal about Israel, does he also express such biased views in the classroom? Is Jaffee lecturing to his students about how he feels about Israel? Is he grading essay papers based on his politics? Can you imagine being an Israeli student in Jaffee's classroom?

Jaffee's piece may have been intended to polarize readers and cause anger, but instead it left many of us wondering how a professor at a top-notch university could be so narrow-minded.

Marjie Rogozinski, Jacksonville

JEA should stop wasting money

lecturing us on cutting costs

OK, I have had enough of JEA's print ads and broadcast commercials offering "tips and tricks" on how to save money.

JEA already has a captive audience; all of its customers get bills in the mail from the utility each month. Why doesn't JEA just stick fliers listing its cost-saving tips and tricks in the monthly bills that it sends out?

On the one hand JEA is wasting money on this needless ad campaign; on the other hand JEA says that a significant rate increase is inevitable because of its gradually decreasing revenue.

Does JEA really think it can shove these threatened increases down our throats? Good luck with that! Mark my words: the pushback will be amazing.

A. Costa, Jacksonville

President Trump sure does

love his exclamation points!

I have recently noticed that President Donald Trump uses exclamation points quite a bit in his tweets. I am sure glad to see this. Except for comic books, people just don't exclaim that much anymore.

Scott Schleifer, Jacksonville

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