Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Why do we celebrate extreme indulgence?

Promoting debauchery at the taxpayer's expense? Not so many years ago, debauchery was one odious epithet. To be debauched was ruinous of your body, mind and spirit as well as reputation.

Today, taxpayer dollars underwrite the Monroe County Tourist Development Council and Fantasy Fest. This year's slick promotion is "Celebrating 30 Years of Debauchery."

Why would we wish to celebrate extreme indulgence? What about its sure consequences -- drunk drivers, abused spouses and children, addicts and pushers, pimps and prostitutes?

Have we sunk so low? Do we crave money so overwhelmingly that we knowingly tease the public with the promise of events that leave a bite mark and cater to the bizarre?

After the celebration, what is the crash? What about a drunk driver's extinction of an innocent life? Is MADD mad? What about the users who went too far? Will they be 1) in the ER of Lower Keys Medical Center, 2) jailed in the Monroe County Detention Center, or 3) at rest in the morgue? What's the consensus among Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon?

Even in tough economic times, we ought to exert great care in planting images into our and others' minds. Healthy images can inspire and help us live sanely. Diseased ones will demean and destroy us. Fanciful images of exotic and bizarre costumes can lead a mother (or father) to repudiate personal decency and plunge, privately or publicly, into the insanity of extreme indulgence.

Depravity may arrive gradually, but its consequences bear their rotten fruit every day.

B.G. Carter

Cudjoe Key

Citizen shouldn't allow malicious comments

We live in such a great community. Ever since I moved here a long time ago, I felt welcomed and accepted -- a fresh start in the islands of opportunity.

Now is really the time to put an end to the Conch-bashing. It has accomplished nothing but to offend a community that so vigorously embraces all well-intending newcomers who relocate to the Keys for a myriad of reasons. I know that it's only a handful of angry people who languish in their anonymity while dishing out stereotypical ridicule of fellow citizens. I just want to let [them] know that [their] strategy isn't working and that the community is more together than ever.

The Citizen newspaper provides a platform for those who seek to rip us all apart, and also encourages this venue by keeping it anonymous. In one respect at least, television news seems more accountable as they have some degree of credibility by not displaying comments without the name of the author. I urge your newspaper editors to use more and better discretion when printing hurtful, harmful, degrading, disparaging and menacing comments when they are submitted by ignorant, meddling cowards with malicious intent.

Jim Crane

Big Coppitt Key

Government sees no bottom to our pockets

I'm 75 years old and the federal government sends my Social Security each month. It was announced on TV news there was no inflation last year, therefore no cost of living raise this year.

I just wrote a check to [Monroe County Tax Collector] Danise D. Henriquez for $226.63 for a set of vehicle licenses that cost me $162.98 the same time last year. My '50s math says that is a 39-percent increase for year-older vehicles.

I want to tell you folks in elective office you cannot continue to take a larger part of the people's income because you don't want to cut services or planned projects or your own remuneration and perks. This idea government has that we the people have unlimited resources is bull malacka.

While I'm bitching, might as well mention the stupid mind-set that Sugarloaf and certain other islands that do not have sewer problems need an expensive sewer system. You thinking-challenged government people are self-serving and out of touch with reality.

Arthur J. Gandolfi

Sugarloaf Key