Letters to the Editor, Nov. 14

Council members need to go

I cannot believe how unprofessional and childish Marco Island City Council members Bob Batte and Joe Brown acted during the latest city manager selection.

One could not be bothered to even review the material sufficiently to cast a realistic vote. The other abstained in an “I’ll just sit in the corner and pout” adolescent fit because his preferred candidate(s) didn’t make the final cut. I suppose their preference would be to start the search all over yet again and waste even more time and money.

I say those two have outlived their usefulness on the City Council. It’s time they fold their tents and go home, and good riddance to them. Mr. Batte, I was especially disappointed in you. I would have expected more from a former Marine.

Hopefully, we will not have to endure further disruptions and distractions from either of them. Thankfully, our other five council members took decisive actions and made what appears to be a good decision.

Bill Harris, Marco Island

Lock them up

In 1956, as part of a class field trip, I visited a mental health facility outside Detroit. As I recall, it was four floors of pure bedlam. It was worse than the movie, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” The noise, the smell, the disoriented patients -- even today it's easy to recall the scene.

In the later 1950s and '60s, America began closing these facilities. "Deinstitutionalization" it was called. Our government determined that mentally ill people should not be locked up in asylums. Two reasons: They were considered inhumane and too costly. So the asylums across the U.S. were closed down. The result: More mentally ill people on the street or reintroduced to society and, for many, incarceration in jails and prisons. Prisons for the mentally ill? Inhumane you say?

Well, how inhumane is it to kill innocent people at a concert, in their school, church, home? We wonder how we can better control guns. Perhaps we need to control the mentally ill. Incarceration in an asylum will keep them off the street. Yes, lock them up to protect the innocent.

Buck Evans, Naples

Trump right in criticizing protesters

I do not own an NFL shirt, hat or object.

If I did, I would burn it up as my right to protest the dumbest NFL leadership, owners, and players that you could find on this planet. Where do these bums come from?

A small minority of our population (less than 20 percent) make up 70 percent of NFL players. They are all paid millions of dollars, as are the owners and executives of the NFL.

The black players are protesting that they are not being treated fairly and for this "social injustice" they will disrespect our flag, our nation, our veterans, our national anthem and the morons who purchase NFL tickets and paraphernalia. TV networks and advertisers must agree with these morons’ actions of protest.

President Donald Trump is 100 percent correct in calling out these idiots.

God bless our nation, the USA.

Frank Englund, Naples

Stand tall

We will never take a knee.

A grateful Congress has extended a special privilege to you and all 20 million American veterans, the right to render your military hand salute at the flag and national anthem ceremony of every graduation/football/basketball/public event.

The NFL has been asked to include in its pregame flag ceremonies the statement, “Veterans are invited to render their military salute.” It has not responded to this request.

Beginning this Veterans Day weekend, stand tall and render your military salute as you did when you wore your nation’s uniform. Do it for all of those vets who are no longer with us; do it for all serving our nation today and for our future veterans. Do it to make it crystal clear where you stand regarding those taking a knee.

Your salute is an act of patriotism that will enrich our national flag traditions for generations to come.

Robert E. Griffith, Naples

Retired Navy Reserve commander