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Letters to the Editor — April 4, 2024
Be vigilant about watching for pets in hot cars
Dear Editor:
While most Floridians are excited to see temperatures in the 80s, warm weather means that we must be more vigilant about watching for dogs left in hot cars. Last Saturday, I heard yelping and whining in a store parking lot and followed the sound to discover a black dog left alone in an SUV. I found the owner, who said that his dog was fine because the windows were cracked and he had only been gone a few minutes—but his mistake could’ve been deadly for his dog.
On a 70-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to 99 degrees in just 20 minutes. Leaving the windows cracked or parking in the shade makes almost no difference. It takes only a few minutes for dogs to sustain brain damage or even die from heatstroke. Some dogs have turned off the car’s air conditioning or locked their guardians out. It just isn’t worth the risk.
If you see a dog left in a car, have the owner paged at the nearest stores, and call authorities if they don’t return. Keep watch over the dog for signs of heatstroke, including heavy panting, heavy salivation, difficulty breathing, lethargy, and vomiting. If authorities are slow to respond and the dog appears to be in danger, Florida has a “Good Samaritan” law that protects any citizen who breaks a car window to save an animal’s life.
Michelle Reynolds
Senior Writer, PETA Foundation
Child Care vs. Home
Kids must feel safe and loved in either of the places they are at all moments. Raised confident, young people will be a great addition to society.
The environment in childcare or school must be one of safety, a loving and disciplined one. They must be respected at all moments in a positive environment for them to feel confident and secure. In a positive environment, the day will be a successful one for learning and will create great memories for their future.
The environment in their homes must also be one of love, always disciplined and safe for them. The children will try to do what they see from their parents. They will try to catch their attention by copying their activities and behavior. If you scream, they will also do it, if you are aggressive, they will be an aggressive individual. We as parents need to modify our actions as soon as we decide to have family.
We as parents need to teach them love, respect and discipline. Not all children will always be the same, but we need to guide them with respect and safety so they can feel confident in their lives.
We as parents cannot decide or do all for them. We need to set an example of what we expect from them, and place limits based on their ages. It is important to talk to them and not try to push our will or punish them without explaining why. The home environment should be cohesive and integrating for everyone, and no preference should be shown among siblings.
A combination of a positive climate during childcare or school and a positive environment in the home will help to raise young people with confidence, respect and to be a strong individual for our society.
Lillian M. Vega
Kissimmee
Responding to being 'Stuck on Trump'
Dear Editor:
Joann Colonna responded to a letter to the editor that questions “Are Republicans stuck on Trump?” and supposed the writer didn’t criticize Trump’s policies because he agrees with them but just can’t admit it.
There’s a more logical reason for not criticizing or agreeing with Trump’s policies. The Washington Post’s fact checkers noted that during Trump’s tenure he uttered 30,503 misleading or false statements, both trivial and serious.
So, maybe the writer is criticizing. One can’t separate Trump’s policy statements from those thousands of lies. He apparently understands that you can’t make a proper decision based upon false and contradictory information.
James Weatherspoon
St. Cloud
