The abuses at the infamous Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna are the basis for Colson Whitehead’s novel, “The Nickel Boys.” He won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2020.
It is tough to make it to the last page. But to do so is to bear witness and to affirm that injustices inside those walls happened and were a mortal mistake.
State of Florida
Victor Jones’ execution was scheduled for Sept. 30. Repeated legal efforts to stop it were not successful.
Five years after publication of “The Nickel Boys,” Victor Jones, who as a boy was sent four times to a second state-run “reform” school, the Florida School for Boys at Okeechobee, was to be executed on death row for two murders he committed in 1990 in Miami-Dade.
A child gets one childhood. One.
The rest of his life is shaped by what happens in those years.
I believe the death penalty is immoral. But we don’t have to agree on that to agree that the state should not mistreat a child and then kill the adult he becomes.
If you think Whitehead’s novel is difficult to read, put yourself in Victor Jones’ adolescent shoes.
Thank you to the editorial board for calling attention to Victor Jones’ story.
Nancy S. Cohen, Lighthouse Point
Fearful for the future
Every aspect of our democracy is being compromised. Two late-night talk show hosts were booted for mocking the leader of our country.
Health care and science are corrupted. Education and research are doomed. Justice is no longer available to all.
As the president’s grip on our country gets tighter, it appears that the opposition is also getting weaker.
I fear for the America that my children and grandchildren will inherit.
Gail Olarsch, Boynton Beach
All restraints are off
How thin is Trump’s skin? What happened to free speech? America is moving closer to fascism and authoritarianism.
Trump doesn’t like criticism, so the thin-skinned dictator dictates that Jimmy Kimmel has to go, Stephen Colbert has to go. Major universities, do as I say or else.
Silence critics. Squash unfriendly media outlets and speech. Use threats as a cudgel.
And if truthful American history is unpleasant, just erase it.
All restraints on Trump are off, and everyone is caving as he takes control of all governmental powers — executive, judicial and legislative. It is so frightening this is happening in the U.S.A.
Susan Kaplan, Boca Raton
A bunch of cowards
Trump is so blatant about breaking every norm, rule and law, and nobody stands up to him, including the courts. He should be impeached once again with consequences for his crimes.
His tactics against imaginary enemies are unbelievable. At the very least is why we tolerate his non-adherence to the emoluments clause that has been in effect for centuries (and bans accepting any foreign gifts without congressional consent).
It is to protect the integrity of the American people. But Congress, the Department of Justice and the Supreme Court are a bunch of cowards. I’m embarrassed to be an American right now.
Lisa Sobel, Boynton Beach
The case for resistance
The sound of the march toward autocracy grows louder.
A mere 72 hours after Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the government will punish users of “hate speech,” the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission advanced an assault on core protections guaranteed by the First Amendment.
With threats of consequences if broadcast outlets violate their public interest obligations, the FCC effectively weaponized its regulatory power to suppress dissent. As the collapse of constitutionally protected rights accelerates at warp speed, the time may be ripe to heed Thomas Jefferson. For democratic principles to endure, sacrifices must be made in the struggle against tyranny.
Preservation of democracy is not a passive process. Resistance on a peaceful, massive scale may be the only way to ensure the republic’s survival, even if we have to experience short-term suffering.
Jim Paladino, Tampa
A simple question
Why is Donald Trump the only person entitled to free speech in the United States?
Sheila Cusick, Coral Springs
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