Thursday, November 19, 2009

Melting pot of plants should be embraced

Yesterday three trees shaded the [Key West] Cemetery sidewalk. Today, only one tree.

George Ball, New York Times, March 19, 2006, observed, "The horticultural world is having its own debate over immigration, with some environmentalists warning about the dangers of so-called exotic plants from other countries and continents 'invading' American gardens.

"These botanical xenophobes say that a pristine natural state exists in our yards and that to disturb it is both sinful and calamitous. In their view, exotic plants will swallow your garden and all your neighbors' gardens ... until the ecosystem collapses under their rampant suffocating growth.

"If anything suffocates us, though, it will be the environmentalists' narrow-mindedness. Like all utopian visions, their dream beckons us into a perfect and rational natural world where nothing ever changes -- a world that never existed and never will.

"The anti-exotics argue that gardens should be populated exclusively by native plants. The consequences of such a stand could be dire. Should we eat no onions or garlic, apples or lemons; feast our eyes on no magnificent tulips or roses -- all exotics of Eurasian origin? Should Asians not enjoy their distinctive peppers, tomatoes, beans, squash, sunflowers and corn -- all from the Americas? Indeed, the world's most popular root crop, potatoes, started life as a staple of the Andean people.

"Exotic indeed. Should we deprive ourselves of petunias, begonias, impatiens and hollyhocks -- not a one of them 'native'? Must we, on pain of being cast out of the garden as horticultural pariahs, deny the elephant his peanuts?"

James Brown, New York Times, Sept. 9, 2008, observes, "Not all invasive species are bad, just as not all are good. But science should not be the arbiter. Placing values on these things is the job of society as a whole."

This logic should be heeded. While the "exotic" or "invasive species" labels provide jobs for government employees, they would find their careers intellectually richer by involving citizenry of Key West in reaching value judgments. In Key West, we need citizen review prior to cutting down important shade trees. We can create a system ... if we have the will.

Nils Muench

Key West

Key West must limit

all street tours

The city should not allow itself to be pushed by the likes of Greg Wythe. Greg Wythe obviously does not have the best or even remotely positive intentions for the welfare of Key West.

His letter to the editor would almost appear to be by someone who had never been on the streets of Key West. However, we know he must have been because we've seen him at commission meetings woefully unprepared.

For those of us who live here, it is already a huge hassle just having [Historic Tours of America] HTA on the streets. One can only imagine the nightmarish world that would be created by allowing "tour" companies unfettered access to our streets. Everyone knows the frustration of trying to get somewhere and getting stuck behind a Conch Tour Train; what if that situation was doubled or tripled?

Most of Wythe's whines are from someone who lacks a basic understanding of the limited space available on the streets of Key West or even the basic concept that there is always limited space on an island. The city needs to reassert its right to control its streets.

The court finding in the Duck Tours [Seafari] case should have been appealed. Because the commission made the disastrous decision to pay off the Duck, there will always be ... men such as Mr. Wythe trying to intimidate the city into a payoff for themselves. The commission got bad legal advice. Remember, Wythe may not even be looking to run a tour company, he may just be looking for a payout.

A city has a right to say what can go on its streets. I am not in favor of HTA, I am in favor of much more limited abuse of our streets and that includes limiting the amount of tours allowed on them.

Evan Hobbs

Key West

Headline neglected to portray spirit of hope

Though no longer a citizen of the [Florida] Keys, I was moved to respond to your Sunday article about my sister, Sharyn Ramirez. While I enjoyed reading the article and the comments of those who know her, I was appalled by the sensational, inaccurate and totally misleading headline accompanying it. Did the author read his own article, or was someone else [ir]responsible for that insensitive and irrelevant headline?

All those interviewed focused rightly on Sharyn's positivity and caring, on her continuing service and love for her God, her family, her friends, her co-workers and associates and her community. Contrary to the headline, cancer hasn't overshadowed her life; rather her concern for others prevails even now in this new phase of her life in spite of her ongoing battle. The spirit of hope is the message you missed, right there in black and white.

Tina Knowles Webb

Dunedin