Walz once spoke of “weapons of war that I carried in war” when talking about banning assault rifles (rightly so). The problem is he was never in war. (Walz said he “misspoke.”)

Walz said he retired two months before his unit was deployed to Iraq. Soldiers in his unit said he retired when he got word that his unit was going to Iraq.

Walz said he retired as a Command Sergeant Major, the highest non-commissioned rank, where in actuality he left as a Master Sergeant. (Walz retired before completing all of the requirements of a command sergeant major.)

Why won’t Mr. Walz answer questions about his military career?

Rob Berg, Boynton Beach

(Editor’s Note: Factcheck.org has thoroughly researched details of Walz’s military service.)

An attack hits home

Sen. JD Vance, as the mouthpiece of somebody who never met a deferment he didn’t like (Donald Trump), and Trump strategist Chris LaCivita, a Purple Heart recipient who should know better, set out to defame a decorated, long-serving veteran, Gov. Tim Walz.

As a Marine Reserve veteran, this hit home on many levels. I enlisted in 1970 during Vietnam. We trained on every weapon of war, from using our hands to everything in the Marine arsenal, to be able to kill in combat to defend our country. I dropped from helicopters, did beach landings and had desert training.

In a reserve unit, it’s luck of the draw, the grace of God, and Uncle Sam who decides when and where you are deployed, either in direct conflict or in support. You must be prepared.

When active duty ended, I returned home to civilian life as a history teacher and football coach and served for the next six years as required. Gov. Walz served with distinction for 24 years. Paperwork in service is not always precise so timing and dates get muddled and often delayed. Vance should know that.

You’re never a “former” Marine, but one for life. Two words a Marine should never say about another soldier are “lie” and “abandon.” I have two works for Sen. Vance: hurtful and shameful.

Jim Infantino, Delray Beach

Full of hot air

The other day I read a letter to the editor from Steven Genack on the opinion page, speaking about how Trump is a better choice than Kamala Harris and how Trump’s policies are sound.

If Trump’s policies are so sound, why didn’t he directly answer questions during his debate with Biden on June 27? Any candidate who has sound policies knows it and shouts it from the rooftops. Trump does not. He knows he’s full of hot air and lies and unsound policies. I don’t trust anything he says or promises.

His legal difficulties and felony conviction point to his future behavior as president and his horrific failures as a past president. Nothing Trump says inspires trust, hope or goodwill. Everything he says is destructive and divisive and laced with lies and untruths.

Nina Leonard, St. Augustine

Like ‘The Caine Mutiny’

Am I the only one who sees a paranoid Humphrey Bogart on the witness stand in The Caine Mutiny, rolling the three ball bearings in his hand over and over, when I see the latest bizarre actions of Donald J. Trump?

I’m no psychiatrist, but this man seems to be losing it.

W. Rick Garr, Fort Lauderdale

You can submit a letter to the editor by sending it to letters@sun-sentinel.com or by filling out the form below. Letters should be no more than 150 words and must be signed (no pseudonyms or initials).You must include your email address, address with city and daytime phone for verification. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length. 

I have first-hand experience as a discharged patient from a highly rated rehab facility, where I saw the problems of too few nurses, especially on weekends. Nurses had to cover too many rooms, testing their patience and frustrating patients.

One solution: FIU partners with nurses-in-training from California. They come here to practice their skills and learn about different cultures, knowing there may be future openings in Florida. In their white jackets, they take patients’ vital signs yet add a personal touch as they go room to room with big smiles, seeing if the patients need anything that a nurse hasn’t time to do. They are a welcome sight.

Besides excellent hands-on training, I’m sure some of these youngsters will fill the ranks of the rehab staff as nurses. It’s impressive that Florida is a leader in this kind of education.

Barbara B. Green, Boynton Beach

There they go again

When paid Republican strategists have no policies to boast about, they personally attack their opponents. They did it to John Kerry in 2004. Now they’re doing it to Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.

They attacked Kerry even though he got three Purple Hearts in Vietnam aboard Navy swift boats that engaged the enemy.

Only one of those who served with Kerry on his swift boat said he wasn’t wounded, and he was not on any missions where Kerry was wounded.

Too late, their statements proved to be nearly all lies, as George W. Bush’s chief 2004 strategist recently acknowledged (Associated Press, Aug. 13).

The strategist who orchestrated those attacks, Trump adviser Chris LaCivita, is now attacking Gov. Walz over his military record. They are posting that he lied about being a Command Sergeant Major. (The Minnesota National Guard stated he did make this rank.)

Walz retired before he could complete training for Sergeant Major, so even though he was currently in the rank, he could not retire at the rank. They are masters of the disingenuous slur.

Sen. JD Vance said Walz left his Guard unit when he learned it was going to Iraq. Walz submitted his Guard retirement papers in May 2005. The unit’s first call-up notice came in July 2005; the regiment deployed in March 2006. He retired because he planned to run for Congress, which he did, and which he won.

What’s truly hypocritical is that they are trying to smear a man who served 24 years in the Guard and is running against Trump, who got a deferment for bone spurs during Vietnam. Bone spurs so bad he could not serve his country — but he could still play tennis, squash and golf.

Vote Blue to save our democracy from the lies of Trump and Project 2025.

Ray Belongie, Lt. Col. USMC (Ret.), Sunrise

Thinking of staying home

The upcoming election is a complete farce because of useless information we receive from the media and politicians.

We’re supposed to know where candidates stand on various issues. I will not vote if things don’t change. I will consider not voting as a message to the media, politicians and others involved that it is very honorable not to vote, rather than try to analyze stupid information thrown at us.

Mike Brewer, Boca Raton

Fix airline delays

Hey, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg: I’ve never seen so many airline flight delays and excessively long lines as in the past few years. It’s out of control.

If there’s anything you can do about it, I think the people of America would appreciate it. The lack of service is insulting to the American people.

Diane Miller, Plantation

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That message appears to quote from the Sun Sentinel and in fact looks like an endorsement from the Sun Sentinel. In reality, it’s not a direct quote, nor did the Sun Sentinel endorse Frankel. In fact, both the Sun Sentinel and the Palm Beach Post have endorsed Frankel’s opponent, Daniel Eisinger.

Putting aside the misleading nature of Frankel’s ad, the message makes clear that Frankel misunderstands the role of the office he seeks.

The public defender does not set bail; that is the role of the judge. His claims are especially troubling because public defenders, and all lawyers, have an ethical and constitutional duty to advocate for each client’s best interest. For pretrial clients who are presumed innocent, this means asking the judge to lower cash bail.

This kind of rhetoric erodes public trust in our adversarial system of justice as well as the trust clients must have in their lawyers. Calling for public defenders to not fully perform their duties destroys the constitutional right to an effective lawyer and a fair trial.

In counties where the public defender has taken a similar approach to Frankel’s message, it has resulted in disproportionately long sentences, complaints of ineffective assistance of counsel and even wrongful convictions.

Donnie Murrell, Jupiter

The writer is a founding member of, and is speaking on behalf of, the Palm Beach Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

How to track speeders

Paul Novack’s recent Sun Sentinel essay on the lack of FHP troopers identifies ways to juggle existing funds to increase FHP’s presence on our highways.

Here’s a thought: SunPass toll data has been used to identify drivers who (as public officials) may not live in communities where they are elected to govern.

SunPass tracks toll violators, and it can calculate the time taken to travel a certain distance and to calculate a driver’s average speed. Drivers breaking a certain speed should be sent tickets. Funding will roll in and some drivers may actually slow down.

Jay Pellis, Coral Springs

Cushioning Trump’s fall?

The QAnon conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec announced on his website that he was a guest at Mar-a-Lago for Donald Trump’s stumble-and-fumble press conference on Aug. 8.

Posobiec is perhaps best known for spreading the evil myth that Democrats in Washington ran a child sex abuse ring in the basement of a popular pizza restaurant in the nation’s capital. In Posobiec’s perverted presentation, children were eaten as well as raped.

In the same announcement, Posobiec plugged Mike Lindell’s “MyPillow” products, apparently to ease Lindell’s struggle with bankruptcy after Lindell failed to prove that the 2020 election was “rigged” against Trump. Posobiec directed followers to Lindell’s website, where they would get 65% off his pillow products.

Enter Trump’s vice presidential running mate, JD Vance, who is already taking heat for writing a foreword to a forthcoming book by a Trump ally, Kevin Roberts, who prepared much of the controversial Project 2025 manifesto.

Vance was anything but Q-Anonymous when he wrote a blurb for Posobiec’s book: “Unhumans: The Secret History of Communist Revolutions.” The “unhumans” targeted in this work included domestic civil rights activists. Maybe Trump, Vance and Posobiec need a few Lindell pillows to cushion the inevitable fall on Election Day.

Paul Doell, Hollywood

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I wonder how much money that has cost Floridians in addition to further shorting FHP staff members, who would normally be on our state’s roads.

Or perhaps chartering more planes and buses to transport the masses of “illegal immigrants” to various cities in the U.S. Or how about the costs associated with resurrecting, training and equipping (for some level of combat) the governor’s very own State Guard militia.

It seems to me that this is just the start that demonstrates where our governor’s emphasis is. It certainly appears that this governor has squandered millions on his own ego as opposed to properly staffing the FHP — not only for our safety, but for the troopers’ safety as well.

Paul De Young, Pembroke Pines

Marijuana misinformation

Bruce Grant’s recent Another Viewpoint essay, “Setting the record straight on marijuana,” purports to rectify false beliefs about the drug (in relation to the upcoming statewide vote on Amendment 3).

Yet his last paragraph includes this: “The same damages we suffer from alcohol abuse will come with marijuana abuse …”

This is laughable propaganda that Grant is spreading. Any cursory research reveals that such a statement is indefensible rubbish.

Marty Kane, M.D., Delray Beach

Joy versus mean

It was such a happy moment to see Kamala Harris and Tim Walz together on the campaign trail, for all the voters in the audience and for those of us watching on TV.

I am sick and tired of seeing Donald Trump’s mean face and all his racist comments regarding Harris. Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, are the epitome of women-haters.

Hey, Donald, what is the fear here? Must be V.P. Harris and her running mate, Walz.

It will be a great feat for all of the women in this country in November to get our freedom back — with or without our cats.

Angelina Cimmino, Delray Beach

In politics, words matter

We hear violent and aggressive terminology by politicians and TV commentators on almost a daily basis.

Terms such as attack, fight, combat, battle, torpedo and punch back are used with regularity without recognition of their violent association.

The language we use, especially by those in positions of power and influence, plays a role in shaping societal attitudes and behaviors. The use of violent and aggressive language in political discourse and media can contribute to a normalization of such behavior and potentially influence individuals to act out violently.

This matters because language has the power to shape perceptions, beliefs and actions.

It’s important for all of us to be mindful of the language we use and its potential impact on others.

By refraining from using aggressive and violent language, we contribute to creating a more peaceful and respectful society. It’s our collective responsibility to be aware of the words we choose and the messages we convey, as they can have far-reaching effects on the well-being of our communities.

Irwin Rosenzweig, Boynton Beach

The writer is a retired assistant professor at Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tenn.

Write to us

You can submit a letter to the editor by email to letters@sun-sentinel.com or by filling out the form below. Letters should be about 150 words in length and must be signed (no pseudonyms or initials). Please include your email address, city of residence and daytime phone number for verification. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length. 

Is it President of the United States (Barack Obama); Vice President (Kamala Harris); General (Colin Powell); Secretary of State (Condoleezza Rice); Nobel Prize winner (Toni Morrison); TV host (Oprah Winfrey); actor (Morgan Freeman); Senator (Cory Booker); member of Congress (Barbara Lee); Governor (Wes Moore); journalist (Lester Holt) or Olympics gymnastic champion Simone Biles?

Which is it?

Leonor Sanchez, Miami

(Editor’s Note: Trump clarified his remark, ABC News reported, to say that “a Black job is anybody that has a job. That’s what it is.”)

Pay-to-play politics

In a story reported by Jason Garcia of Seeking Rents, if you’re a Republican donor, you get an exclusive seat at the table for your share of taxpayer money in Florida.

As Gov. Ron DeSantis was vetoing funds earmarked for arts and culture, he was handing a check for $6 million to John Rood, a megadonor to the governor and a charter school cheerleader. Your tax money will build a gymnasium for the Jacksonville Classical Academy. Playhouses may go dark and events will be canceled due to the arts veto, but rest assured that affluent parents will get their gym with no strings attached.

Pay-to-play politics is alive and well in Florida. Just ask the Commission on Ethics. The commission ruled that a $28,000 “golf simulator” given to the governor by an influential supporter did not have to be disclosed as a gift because it was technically a donation to the state. Sure it was.

The donor, Mori Hosseini, gained a highway interchange benefiting his development, with $92 million in leftover Covid funds. The Commission on Ethics is a group whose main purpose is to congratulate each other.  A hand-picked group of well-connected people is not likely to rule against the governor.

Fiscally conservative Republicans, are you watching all of this?

PJ Whelan, Orlando

Depriving Florida kids

If, according to a recent report by the United Way, nearly half of all families in Florida are struggling to make ends meet, why would Gov. Ron DeSantis turn down federal money to provide these families with extra money for food?

Is he somehow teaching these children a lesson that going hungry builds character, or, maybe, intermittent fasting for a five-year-old is a good dietary practice? Has he tried these approaches with his own three children?

Thirteen states declined free food allowances for children. All 13 are run by Republican governors. Let’s remember this when we cast our ballots and consider, before children can pull themselves up from their bootstraps, they have to be nourished enough to walk in them.

Stacie M. Kiner, Hypoluxo

Schoolyard taunts

Is Donald Trump so cognitively impaired that he can’t figure out how to pronounce Kamala Harris’ name, or is he just so politically impotent that he has to resort to schoolyard taunts and name-calling?

Margery Resnick, Boca Raton

Vance on shaky ground?

I wonder how long it will be before the Orange Man’s advisers realize that his selection of JD Vance as his vice presidential running mate was as bad as Sen. John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin of Alaska to be his running mate?

Or is it possible they already have and they are trying to figure out how to move him out?

Alan B. Wackerling, Plantation

You can submit a letter to the editor by sending it by email to letters@sun-sentinel.com or by filling out the form below. Letters should be limited to 150 words and must be signed (no pseudonyms or initials). Please include your email address, address with city and daytime phone number for verification. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length. 

Harris was one of the most far-left members of the U.S. Senate, as liberal as Bernie Sanders.

She said in the past she was totally against fracking. She supported access to public health for illegal immigrants. She did nothing as Joe Biden’s point person on the border. A massive wave of illegal immigrants included criminals, at least one of whom is accused of murder.

The stock market dipped this week by 1,000 points and some economists foresee a recession.

Harris has refused to hold a news conference to answer questions.

I don’t like some of Donald Trump’s statements, but with his Abraham Accords, we had peace in the Middle East and prosperity at home. The people deserve a lot better than what Democrats have offered them.

David G. Ellenberg, Pembroke Pines

A champion of freedom

As an Army veteran who proudly served our nation, I’ve seen first-hand the immense strength that comes from unity and the challenges that arise from division. My journey is shaped by my experience in uniform and as a member of the LGBT community.

Our diverse nation finds strength in unity. In my military service, I learned that coming together with a shared purpose enables us to overcome any obstacle and achieve remarkable feats. Whether in peace or conflict, the bonds forged through mutual respect and common goals always prevail.

We now face unprecedented threats to our democracy and we need a leader who fights for our core values. That leader is Kamala Harris.

Like veterans, she is deeply committed to defending our freedoms. From voting rights to a woman’s right to choose, she has consistently held the line against Trump’s anti-freedom agenda. Her experience as a prosecutor uniquely equips her to hold Trump accountable for his criminality and corruption.

Harris’ respect for those who serve is genuine and unwavering. She has championed expanded VA benefits, housing assistance for veterans and a fix for “other than honorable” discharges that have unfairly denied benefits to veterans struggling with chemical exposures, traumatic brain injury and PTSD.

We must remember that our differences are not a weakness but a source of strength. By supporting Kamala Harris, we honor our service and protect our freedoms, ensuring a brighter future for all Americans.

Adriane Reesey, Tamarac  

Thinking of staying home

The upcoming election is a complete farce because of useless information we are receiving from the media and politicians.

We’re supposed to know where the candidates stand on various issues. I will not vote if things don’t change. I will consider not voting as a message to the media, politicians and all others involved that it is very honorable not to vote, rather than try to analyze stupid information thrown at us.

The information being thrown at us is useless, hurtful and often vague, so that it will make everyone happy. I do not favor debates because they often turn out to be the same garbage information that we have already been fed.

Mike Brewer, Boca Raton

Fix airline delays

Hey, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg: I’ve never seen so many airline flight delays and excessively long lines as in the past few years. It’s out of control. If there’s anything you can do about it, I think the people of America would appreciate it. The lack of service is insulting to the American people.

Diane Miller, Plantation

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Persistent issues with the Navy’s claim-filing software and the exclusion of groups such as the estates of infants born off the North Carolina base to contaminated Marines make it imperative for Congress to extend the deadline. Many claims are not uploaded efficiently, leaving veterans and families in limbo. One law firm reports that 2,200 of 9,000 clients have died waiting for resolution.

The portal blocks claims for infants born off-base due to an error code involving a contamination start date. The contamination at Camp Lejeune did not respect boundaries and neither should the claims process.

Marine veterans, some married to each other, faced double exposure, and the resultant health issues passed to their offspring whether born on-base or off. The latency period of toxic exposure effects, as seen with Agent Orange in Vietnam, spans generations. Damage does not stop with initial exposure; it reverberates through families and communities.

Congress must extend the deadline to address these issues and ensure justice for all affected. Extending the deadline is a moral imperative, plus passing H.R. 8545, the Camp Lejuene Justice Act of 2024.

Paula Twitty Bushman, BAS, MBA, Fort Lauderdale

The writer is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.

Trump and Jewish voters

Donald Trump asks how any Jewish voter could vote for Kamala Harris. What an absurd statement. Trump invited known antisemites to Mar-a-Lago, sent his enablers to the Capitol bearing swastikas, and downplayed the role of white supremacists at Charlottesville.

Any Jew who votes for Trump is a disgrace to the Jewish community.

Philip Berman, Boca Raton

(Editor’s Note: On Fox News Wednesday, Trump said: “Any Jewish person who votes for a Democrat should have their head examined.”)

Vance and childless adults

I wonder if JD Vance considered this when he said parents deserve more rights than childless adults: Many kids are in foster homes because of irresponsible, unfit parents.

Not every parent deserves to be one, it appears, and many mothers and fathers who were loving parents had children who were murdered in mass shootings, but Vance doesn’t seem to care about them. Where’s his gun safety policy to help parents remain parents?

Scott Benarde, West Palm Beach

Fear as a guiding principle

Fear commands respect. Ideas draw yawns. Guns earn esteem because they elicit fear.

In Florida, we value guns more than books. We permit the banning of books, while we liberalize gun laws. Fort Lauderdale police officers earn between $49,000 and $155,000 a year carrying guns, while the average teacher earns $52,000 a year packing books.

I do not suggest that police deserve less money. They do not. I’m comparing one public servant to another. Teachers don’t often face the threat of violence, but in Florida, they face the fear of having their union repressed and their books and ideas controlled, while school boards are politicized.

If fear is respected and thought is controlled, what kind of community are we creating when fear becomes the organizing principle?

And how can guns protect us from propaganda, disinformation and artificial intelligence, where ideas are weaponized, manipulating our choices, cultivated by our favorite electronic devices, as addictive as heroin?

Phil Beasley, Plantation

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With Walz as governor, Minnesota passed a child tax credit and has the best health care, gun background checks and red flag laws. He gave to charity every dime the NRA donated to his campaigns, has passed abortion rights laws at all stages of pregnancy, college tuition for low-income families, provides two meals a day to school kids, supports LGBTQ rights, was an adviser to Mankato West High School’s first gay-straight alliance supporting LGBTQ students and supports the Respect for Marriage Act.

What has DeSantis done? Exactly the opposite.

In Florida, he has given us a permitless-carry gun law, a six-week abortion ban and the “Don’t Say Gay” law. He encouraged banning of books and refused to partake in a federal program to provide school lunches.

I could go on and on. I’ll take the unbridled leftist over DeSantis any day.

Gail Schorr, Boca Raton

A taxpayer outrage

Florida’s reputation is taking a beating. The shiny black eye can’t be missed.

Rebuild Florida, a program with $480 million in its coffers, was launched to rescue uninsured Floridians living in storm-ravaged homes. For qualified applicants, homes would be rebuilt or replaced. This “rescue plan” is based on lies. Caseworker turnover, zero accountability and fraud allegations are its hallmarks. This should provoke taxpayer outrage.

I applied in 2019. With two at-risk dependents, a mold-afflicted mobile home and a collapsing roof, I found the process grueling. Upon approval, my land lease community refused to cooperate, citing the disreputable program. With no options, I depleted my 401(k) and bought a cheap rural lot with monthly HOA fees. It sits, vacant.

Mismanagement, negligence and broken promises plague this program. The collective cry from recipients is deteriorating physical, mental and financial health. I am its poster child.

Those who cross the finish line return to homes with shoddy workmanship that should never have passed inspection. Florida has failed to deliver.

Wendy Miller-Aguiar, Davie

Not going back? Why?

After suffering through Kamala Harris’ introduction of Tim Walz as her running mate, I look forward to the election.

Democrats say “We’re not going back.” Trump says “Make America Great Again.”

Think about this. Not going back to what? A great economy? Fewer illegals? Less crime?

If we go back, we would find polls showing we were going in the right direction instead of 65% saying wrong direction.

Now we have Vice President Harris, who helped her partner Joe Biden ruin the country, saying they don’t want to go back. Sure, let’s give them four more years.

Mark Goldstein, Boca Raton

Beyond chutzpah

Some of former President Donald Trump’s criticisms of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on some subjects are chutzpadik beyond belief.

Trump, who incited a violent mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol and then refused the Capitol Police’s request to call out the National Guard to protect the lives of the people under attack, including Vice President Pence, is criticizing Walz for his slow response in calling out the National Guard during the riots that ensued when George Floyd was killed.

Trump, a convicted felon who’s running for election, is now criticizing Walz for supporting the right of ex-felons to vote.

Has he no shame?

Gary Weinberger, Boynton Beach

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Walz is a proud dad, veteran, former football coach, accomplished member of Congress and a pragmatic governor who effectively forges broad consensus in passing common-sense laws.

Look at the picture of him surrounded by happy children after he signed a universal school meals bill that saw his appeal carry over to everyone, from progressives to mostly white, working-class, rural voters that Democrats must bring back into our coalition.

He brings a Midwestern charm and down-to-earth attitude that the most unhinged Republicans will struggle to paint as extreme, and he’s an extremely effective debater. I fully support the Harris-Walz ticket and urge all American patriots to work with us to defeat Donald Trump and save American democracy.

Charles Horowitz, Weston

The writer is a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

Only one choice: Trump

A vote for Trump is an existential vote.

Kamala Harris represents a fringe extreme of the liberal order. She would be the manifestation of an agenda that feels no natural bond to Israel, no contemplation of criminals crossing the border, and little interest in a robust economy. America still has a future if Trump, who stands for strong and sound policies, the knowledge of what must happen to Israel’s enemies and stopping criminals at the border, can restore the good potential of America.

Steven Genack, Clifton, N.J.

Ajayi for tax collector

I write to put in a positive word for Abbey Ajayi for Broward County Tax Collector.

As a member of the Broward Democratic Party, I’ve had several opportunities to hear all three candidates, and Abbey is the clear choice.

She has worked in the tax collector’s office for the past eight years and as a division manager for five years. She knows the office like the back of her hand and has a vision for smart strategies to manage the office’s expansion into car, truck and boat registration tags and titles. She has more than 30 years experience in banking and financial services.

The Sun Sentinel endorsed another candidate, Dwight Forrest. I feel that Abbey received an unfair shake. She was unfairly attacked by the third candidate, Perry Thurston, who threw dirt about her first name change (which she Americanized, as many immigrants do). Thurston referred to Abbey as “whatever her name is,” and she rightly called his comments “rude, uncalled for and sexist,” which they were.

Ms. Ajayi has campaigned tirelessly for more than a year and deserves more respect for her superior knowledge, experience and focus than she was given by Thurston or the Sun Sentinel. She has forward-thinking ideas addressing automation, accessibility and efficiency. Please vote for Abbey Ajayi. You will get an innovative, hard-working tax collector.

Diana Gagne, Fort Lauderdale

Lawyers and their billboards

Returning from a business trip to South Georgia, we counted 63 billboards promoting personal injury lawyers on Interstate 95 between the Florida border and Broward, many touting six- and seven-figure awards for their clients.

Has this become one of our leading industries? As recently as 1976, attorneys could not advertise on TV or billboards. Is it coincidental that car insurance rates have increased faster than inflation since then? Of course there are many factors, but ubiquitous lawsuits and settlements are costly to everybody.

Gary Garavaglia, Weston

You can submit a letter to the editor by sending it by email to letters@sun-sentinel.com or by filling out the form below. Letters should be limited to 150 words and must be signed (no pseudonyms nor initials).You must include your email address, address with city, and daytime phone number for verification. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length. 

It’s true whether it’s the Disney series called “Renegade Nell,” a character from the 1700s without any property rights, or nurses who served in the Vietnam War and never got the respect they deserved.

Here we are in 2024, and women’s rights are still being attacked. What’s wrong with this picture?

Why can’t we trust women? Is it our patriarchal culture or is it that women are “not ready”? Spare me. It’s past time to give women a leading role in governing our lives.

Men surely have made a mess of this world. Women just might be able to do better.

Imagine a place where women have the freedom to make their own health care decisions and where women are respected and given the same opportunities as men.

When you vote, vote for women’s rights.

Diane Johnson, Boca Raton

A contrasting viewpoint

Regarding letter to the editor on July 27 by Steven Weintraub, yes, there is inflation. It’s still a product of high consumer demand after the Covid pandemic. Inflation is not rampant and it has been declining this year.

There is no ban on drilling. The U.S. is currently producing more oil than any time in U.S. history.

As for President Joe Biden stepping aside, he was under pressure, but it was his decision, which he made for the greater good of his party and his country.

As for military members killed in combat in the Biden administration, yes, there were casualties. But 65 service members died in combat under Trump’s administration from 2017 to 2021. Also of note, more than a half million American civilians are dead because of his mismanagement of Covid.

Our strongest ally in the Middle East is Israel. It is not Benjamin Netanyahu, who, like Trump, seeks to remain in power to stay out of prison. He does not seek to end the war in Gaza, nor to bring home the hostages.

In his letter, Mr. Weintraub asks if the world has gone crazy. I admit that some of this world has gone crazy, but there are still people, politicians and parties who know how to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Lew Dawg Cloninger, Plantation

Too costly to dine out

Regarding all the area restaurants that have been closing lately, this situation can be summed up as follows: You pay $100 for a meal at a restaurant, and the food is average.

Dining out has become too expensive and the food is simply not worth it anymore.

Anthony Billera, Fort Lauderdale

Marlins fans deserve better

As a 74-year-old lifelong baseball fan, I was encouraged by the Miami Marlins’ 2023 season and participation in a National League wild-card playoff game.

But this season has been a disaster from both their dismal win-loss record and their shameful selloff of what talent was left on the team’s roster.

If I were a season-ticket holder, I would be wild. Such loyal baseball fans deserve to be compensated for the Marlins’ front-office ineptitude.

Bob Mennealy, Lake Worth Beach