No Apologies
Miami is the real city of brotherly love: Regarding Luther Campbell's December 19 column, "Apologize Now," about Miami leaders snubbing Nelson Mandela: I'm white and from the Northeast. It's disgusting how openly racist people here in Miami are toward blacks. I don't know if it's a Latin American cultural thing, but you guys need to stop being racist toward actual citizens and start accepting all people like we do here in the civilized United States. Or you can just move back to whatever racist crevice of the world you are from. We wouldn't miss you at all. BELLA6375
Sometimes you must compromise: Nelson Mandela did what was best for him and his people, which meant at times siding with unsavory characters who are responsible for denying people their freedom. So not everyone will side with Mandela because he could do nothing for the Cuban people under Fidel Castro. Forgive, OK, but never forget. FRANKD4
Wandering whack job: Mandela had zero compassion for the Cuban-Americans' cause, which they felt was every bit as noble as his. So how could they support him? And why does this article portray Don Peebles, who developed a hotel on South Beach, as an opportunist ? When the tourism boycott was over, he simply became part of the tourist industry and held that property from 1993 to the tail end of the real estate fraud bubble in this miserably corrupt city. Yeah, 2005 was the height of the real estate flipping era, when properties doubled, tripled, and quadrupled in value. That was a major driver for the largest bailout in U.S. history. That said, what is this article really about? A bunch of players who used whatever means they could to get rich. They had their own causes and milked/worked them for what they were worth. Yes, people with power die eventually. What does anyone owe them when they are opportunistic and build fabulous wealth for themselves on a humanitarian cause? For instance, look at the Clintons and George W. Bush, ex-presidents who really did little in the aftermath of Haiti's earthquake. JGCAMP99
Got that right, um...: Mandela was a buddy of Castro and Arafat, real nice guys. I.M. MASQUERADER
To put it simply: We will never say we are sorry to that Communist terrorist. Never! J. PANZER RIVERO
Luv ya, Luke: Many of the Cuban politicians in Miami are overtly racist against blacks, which has contributed to the creation of walled-in ghettos and other discriminatory policies, ranging from policing to schooling. We need more people like Uncle Luke to raise awareness about these hypocrites, who are glad to divide us along racial lines. Luke, seriously, please run for mayor again (or council/commissioner). JDOMAR
First what?: Apologize? To whom? The African-American community is American first. This means they should respect the Constitution. Which means they should uphold the First Amendment. And I hope I don't have to explain what that means. CHRISTIAN FABIAN ROBOTTI
Backin' or Frontin'?
Loves sex: Allie Conti's December 19 story, "Frontin'," about a Florida City businessman running a whoremonger website from Sonny's Bar-B-Q, wasn't even newsworthy. How pointless that the guy is getting investigated. Are these the leftover "gold nuggets" from Googling sex tourism for her last article, which had no conclusion and was ultimately unsatisfying? Poor and sloppy writing for what is supposed to be a major, featured article. Can't wait to see what other eventful stuff about this topic the author has left in her Google search history. ALAIN D. MOZAS
Hates corruption: If I owned the Sonny's business and this guy were running my franchise, damn straight I'd want him fired. This is a textbook case of money laundering, and if anyone decided to spend any time looking into it, I'd spend the next three years being audited, spending $$$ on lawyers, and trying to persuade the feds that they shouldn't put a hold on my corporate accounts. Really. Whatever you think about New Times or the author of this piece, maybe you should just think for a minute before you post some critical comment that makes you look silly. This story actually has very little to do with whoremongering and a lot to do with obvious violations of 18 USC § 1956 — laundering of monetary instruments. YOU PEOPLE SCARE ME
