Letters: Take Trump seriously | Where was Frost? | Save minimum wage - Orlando Sentinel

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“Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?”

This iconic line, recognized and appreciated by most all of us over the age of 40, comes of course from the smash hit comedy movie, “Animal House.” Understanding the hilarity and nonsense of this comment can help understand why there is so much division in our country today.

When Donald Trump said at his State of the Union speech that he would like to award himself the Congressional Medal of Honor, Speaker Mike Johnson’s facial expression said it all. He chortled. He smiled. This was comical to him. Outrageous hyperbole. Now, think of the Democrats’ reaction to the comment. They seethed. Their anger was near-apoplectic.

What is happening? The answer lies in part because liberals don’t take Trump seriously, but they take what he says seriously. We conservatives, on the other, right hand, don’t always take what he says seriously, but we take him seriously.

Please think about this for a moment. Many of you will agree, and that will go a long way in mending the rift in this country. And not a moment too soon, lest we find ourselves in a “food fight!”

— John L. Evans, Winter Park

Rep. Frost should have shown up

While Rep. Maxwell Frost portrays his absence at the State of the Union as a proud and honorable action, there are those of us who regard that as shirking his responsibilities. Had he been there, he would have seen and heard a very compelling speech, but he would have been challenged to show his real identity as an Orlando representative. There is a large voting bloc of Republicans and retired military who would like him to at least show up, if not applaud action and portions that draw us together. Being conspicuous by his absence is not an honorable action, and will be remembered.

— Laurence Toews, Orlando

Minimum-wage bill hurts workers

Don’t weaken the mandated minimum wage Floridians voted to approve. A Tuesday guest commentary (“Minimum-wage exception bill is a lifeline for small businesses”) uses a psychological selling point — help for those “small Mom and Pop shops” — but that’s a feel-good political selling point hiding the fact that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

I have huge admiration for anyone taking the plunge to open their own business, but a Lending Tree analysis of government data found that 21.5% of them fail in the first year, and 40.8% fail within three years. In most cases, entrepreneurs underestimate ongoing costs before they’ll hit profitability. It’s a risk from the get-go, but Florida HB 221 would hurt lower-income Americans who help these business owners. The commentary says below-minimum-wage pay would apply to “work studies, internships, pre-apprenticeship programs or other similar work-based learning opportunities.” That’s a big umbrella to hide under.

Only two things can happen: Either an entrepreneurial owner becomes rich on the backs of employees who worked two jobs and still qualified for food stamps; or the owner stumbles, and employees wasted a year of their life supporting someone else’s failed dream. Is it fair to ask people to grow poorer helping a “Mom and Pop” business get richer? Or, for that matter, to help not-mentioned Walmart or Amazon CEOs earn an extra million dollars?

— Kerry Smith, Winter Springs

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