Proudly fly your flag on Flag Day
On the 14th of June we celebrate Flag Day in America.
The American flag is one of the oldest national ensigns in the world. It was adopted on June 14, 1777. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1916, declared June 14 as Flag Day.
When Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959, the number of stars increased to 50. Dwight D. Eisenhower was president then.
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Did you know you can purchase a flag that has flown over the U.S. Capitol? How wonderful that is.
We are proud to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God.
Remember to fly your American flag on Flag Day.
Jean Maxwell Catsakis, SaraDeSoto Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, Nokomis
Kudos to governor for transgender ban
Gov. Ron DeSantis hit another home run! He signed the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which prohibits biological males who identify as transgender females from competing on female sports teams (“Gov. DeSantis signs transgender athlete ban on first day of Pride Month,” June 1).
His intent is to protect the integrity of women’s sports.
The reaction from the radical left is predictable — and hypocritical.
Title IX (1972) is the basis for nondiscrimination in amateur sports. To achieve equality, many colleges dropped some men’s varsity sports to create a balance with women’s teams. Women athletes today have far more opportunities than they did 50 years ago. But equality is not enough.
Now the NCAA wants biological males who identify as transgender females to compete in women’s events. The governor is more interested in protecting Florida’s female athletes.
So, where’s the protest from the ACLU? Where are the advocates for women’s rights? Where’s the outrage from the media that women are being victimized?
The left knows it’s wrong for boys to compete against girls (and for boys to use girls’ restrooms), but they fear upsetting the LGBT community. Most people, even many who hold traditional family values, accept modern views about sexual identity, but draw the line when it comes to sports – and bathrooms.
Art Miller, Bradenton
For the People, for our democracy
One citizen, one vote is the basic premise of our democracy. Dark money in politics casts a large shadow over the voice of the people in our country. The For the People Act, H.R. 1, addresses dark money’s influence in politics.
As a citizen, I want my elected officials to work for me, not special interests. Isn’t that what a democracy is supposed to be, representative of its citizenry?
As a high school government teacher, now retired, that’s what I told my students. Their vote matters: participating in the election process is the heartbeat of democracy.
In order for our country to get back on track, we need to limit the influence of billionaires’ money and emphasize the role of the everyday citizen. The For the People Act tackles this head-on by providing for transparency in public financing of elections.
Florida Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott must vote to make the For the People Act law. We need the rest of the U.S. Senate, too, to embrace clarity in political funding.
I can think of no good reason why each candidate’s campaign finances ought to be anything other than an open book.
Our democracy is counting on us. Make our democracy, once again, For the People!
Kimberly Jacobs, Bradenton
Beware of inspectors who fall down on job
I am a Sarasota native. I have owned my house for 23 years. Last year my husband and I ordered storm windows for our home.
My husband suddenly passed away before the windows were installed. I was at work when the windows were inspected.
I ordered three more windows and a second installer from the same company arrived a couple of months later. He informed me that all the previous windows were installed so poorly that they could fall out.
After an argument, the company came back and reinstalled all the windows; they were reinspected and passed.
Now, I find out that the roof installed two years ago at my rental property is not up to code and could cause serious leak issues. The roofing contractor said, “Hey, it passed inspection.”
With all the building going on in Sarasota, we count on inspectors to do their jobs. What the hell is going on?
A well-known plumbing company told me that since they know the inspectors, they try to drive by without inspecting and they have to call them back because they want a proper inspection.
If this has happened to me twice in the last two years, imagine what’s happening at all the new construction! Don’t trust inspectors.
Mamie Katsarelas, Sarasota
