Sheriff\u00a0‘intent on exerting\u00a0total control’<\/h2>\n
I see that the Czar of Brevard is at it again, this time on thin legal and ethical ice. Not one candidate, not two, but three no less!<\/p>\n
Who will go after him? Attorney General\u00a0Moody? State Attorney\u00a0Archer? Let’s see … but don’t hold your breath.<\/p>\n
I’ve already voted for Kimberly Musselman. I donated to her campaign. I know her deep background in the broad area of criminal justice.<\/p>\n
His political philosophy of all county elected officials being on the same page is interesting, but it should be confined to table talk. This retired lawyer doesn’t want a lock-step county government. That may be consistency in his myopic view, but it also smacks of authoritarianism, his real political philosophy. Intelligent citizens favor differences of opinion.<\/p>\n\n
I’m sure that FLORIDA TODAY\u00a0is not shocked at not receiving a response from his office for comment. It would be truly patriotic if our Sheriff of Nottingham recognized the First Amendment as much as he does the Second. He can dish it out, but he can’t take it.<\/p>\n
Should we infer from FLORIDA TODAY’s report that Attorney Tropy will do his bidding on the county court bench? That court only has authority to sentence up to one year in the county lockup. That’s small potatoes in the criminal justice system.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
Thanks to FLORIDA TODAY for exposing this brash and brazen behavior of this inflated ego operating way outside his official duties and intent on exerting total control over our county government behind his badge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Francis J. Clifford, Suntree<\/em><\/p>\n I was pleased to see the endorsement of Misty Belford by the FLORIDA TODAY editorial board.<\/p>\n When a candidate refuses to participate in a forum or debate, it makes me wonder what he or she may be hiding.\u00a0To quote the endorsement, \u201cIf a candidate can\u2019t make time to participate in a forum, how responsive will they be once in office?\u201d<\/p>\n\n As a former teacher, I pay attention to what is happening in our local education system.\u00a0 When possible I also tune into the meetings of the Brevard County School Board.\u00a0Ms. Belford did indeed maintain a calm demeanor during some very \u201cheated\u201d meetings.\u00a0 Some who appeared before the board were loud and obnoxious, rather than addressing the board in a civilized manner.\u00a0Belford always spoke to them civilly and appropriately.<\/p>\n We need members of the school board to be reasonable, to listen, and especially, to be available to the public.<\/p>\n Linda Lopardo, Titusville<\/em><\/p>\n I want to thank FLORIDA TODAY’s staff for assisting me with my election choices.<\/p>\n As an independently minded voter, I always choose the best candidate regardless of their political persuasion or party registration. Your recent\u00a0 articles that include background information on the candidates running for various offices have been very helpful.<\/p>\n The other articles regarding our sheriff’s efforts to influence some candidates to reconsider their decision to run and\/or drop out of their race have been heartbreaking. Since I do not know how deep our sheriff’s influence runs, I decided to not vote\u00a0for any candidate this sheriff has endorsed. The other reason for this decision is that I want elected officials with different thoughts and opinions, which is very unlikely when our sheriff’s preferred choices are probably groupthink individuals who\u00a0think\u00a0and believe\u00a0like him.<\/p>\n George Papp, Titusville<\/em><\/p>\n “I am a big, big term limit guy.” Really?<\/p>\n The hypocrisy in Commissioner Curt Smith\u2019s statement is a trend running rampant in today\u2019s political climate.\u00a0His justification is ridiculous. Two terms in a row is enough.\u00a0Take a break and educate yourself like the rest of your constituents from the outside. Then run again with all the new knowledge and wisdom you have gained from the time you have taken off.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n As far as the cost of living increase for their salaries, my question to you, sir,\u00a0is \u201cHow many other public servants have that in their contracts?\u201d I agree with Nick Tomboulides that the majority of the American people want to restrict term limits not expand them.<\/p>\n Shari Deane, Melbourne<\/em><\/p>\n Thank you, Bob Reid, for your very informative recent column titled\u00a0“Why it is time to address gun control.”<\/p>\n It inspired me to write this letter to my representatives.<\/p>\n I am writing this letter to all my representatives regarding the mass murders we have had over the past years.\u00a0We have been burying men, women and sadly, children, because our representatives\u00a0refuse to ban automatic weapons. They are war weapons and do not belong in civilian hands so they can gun down innocent people.<\/p>\n Imagine going to a Fourth of July parade with your family and watching your family or friends being gunned down, or your son or daughter left crippled for life.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n This should not be a political issue but just a matter of what is right.\u00a0The right to bear doesn’t mean the right to have a war weapon.\u00a0 Do the right thing and ban these weapons.<\/p>\n Kathleen Durtschi, West Melbourne<\/em><\/p>\n I grew up in little Mankato, Kansas,\u00a0and attended Kansas State.\u00a0My dad was a cattle farmer; he taught me to value life.\u00a0I have lived on Merritt Island the past 30 years but I still consider myself a Kansan, because that is where I grew up.<\/p>\n After Tuesday\u2019s election, I must say, I am ashamed of Kansans.\u00a0I cannot understand why all those women want the right to kill babies before they are born.\u00a0As I watched the TV, I saw women carrying signs like, \u201cDon\u2019t mess with my body.\u201d\u00a0 The baby you are carrying is not\u00a0your body.\u00a0 If a baby was part of your body, he\/she would have the same DNA; the baby has a different DNA and often even has a different blood type.\u00a0\u00a0 According to recent research, a significant number of babies who were born just over five months survived after being cared for in a hospital.\u00a0How can women be so passionate about wanting to kill a baby, even up to the baby\u2019s birth?<\/p>\n\n I understand how \u201cinconvenient\u201d an unplanned pregnancy can be.\u00a0If that is the case, let a family adopt your baby\u00a0\u2014\u00a0don\u2019t kill your baby.\u00a0There are so many couples who are unable to get pregnant who would love to adopt the baby; they are flying all over the world to adopt a baby, at great expense.\u00a0<\/p>\n People today seem to be more concerned about saving baby seals than about human babies.\u00a0How can this be?\u00a0What does this say about our culture?<\/p>\n Cheryl Warren, Merritt Island<\/em><\/p>\nBelford endorsement is appreciated<\/h2>\n
Articles help voter make choices<\/h2>\n
In simple terms: Enough already<\/h2>\n
Do the right thing: Address gun control<\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\n‘I am ashamed of Kansas’<\/h2>\n