The top stories last week

Our panel of 100 influential leaders discusses the most important issues affecting you.

Marlon A. Hill, partner, Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel

The recent rash of shootings in Liberty City Miami are a frustrating recurrence that should be a concern to us all. The loss of any young person in our community to violence or to our corrections system is a negative note on the balance sheet of our society. We need the voices of people of goodwill and influence to share a compassionate sense of urgency on eliminating these incidences from all communities. Clearly, the honest truth is that the sense of order or value for life is broken in some urban communities. For those residents, like Miami Northwestern student Kimson Green, who are trying daily to live a meaningful existence, we must step up to create safe spaces for them. They are equally worthy of a life of peace.

Gary Resnick, mayor, Wilton Manors

The attack of the gay couple in Miami Beach once again reminds us that all is not OK regarding the treatment of LGBT persons, even in our oasis of Southeast Florida. There is still ignorance, hatred and bigotry toward gays. A resident resorted to name calling, referring to people as “queen” in a “fairy tale” to voice opposition in Wilton Manors, widely regarded as a model of inclusion. The best laws and policies may not stop people from attacking LGBT persons because of their sexual orientation. We still have a long way to go, even locally in Southeast Florida.

Kathleen Cannon, president, United Way of Broward County

“The Eagle Eye In Memoriam” was a special insert in the Sun Sentinel and is the school newspaper at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. It is the most powerful piece and gives thoughtful, personal and an authentic tribute to all 17 lives that were stolen from us on Valentine’s Day. It celebrates their lives and gives us a true picture of what we will miss because they are gone. There are still no words to express to their families, but thank you, Eagle Eye, for sharing your wisdom and words on each soul with us. Check out http://eagleeye.news

Howard Simon, executive director, ACLU of Florida

Congressional testimony by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg underscored the importance of safeguarding digital privacy. Reportedly 87 million people’s personal data was accessed through the Facebook “app gap,” a privacy hole in Facebook’s platform, and harvested for a propaganda operation by Cambridge Analytica and the Trump campaign. If Facebook put protections in place years ago, this information may never have been exploited. Now the company is facing government investigations, plummeting stock value, and users deleting Facebook. The company can take voluntary steps, but government agencies like the Federal Trade Commission must hold companies responsible, and we need Congress to strengthen privacy protections.

Scott J. Israel, sheriff, Broward County

The Broward Sheriff ’s Office arrested a Deerfield Beach man and removed dangerous weapons, including an AR-15, from his possession thanks to the recently enacted Risk Protection Order (RPO) law. The important new law is intended to give law enforcement officers the authority they need to remove weapons from violent or mentally ill individuals — and it is clearly proving its worth to law enforcement and the public. We are thankful to have this valuable tool at our disposal to help keep deadly weapons out of the hands of individuals who demonstrate an obvious threat to themselves or others.

Earl Maucker, commissioner, Lighthouse Point; former editor, Sun Sentinel

No doubt the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas needs a thorough examination regarding the lack of follow up that led to the massacre and the flawed police response when it happened. The Broward Sheriff and Broward School Board are doing internal investigations. The governor asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for an independent study. Meanwhile, Broward County commissioned a multi-agency task force to review all the reports produced. This week Broward County decided to spend $325,000 for yet another report by an outside agency to oversee the county’s investigation. It takes all this to get a valid assessment?

Michael Dennis, M.D., chairman, Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine

Serious about Syria? Let’s hope so. The latest comments from the White House about withdrawing our troops which certainly emboldened Assad is only one of many mistakes. The previous administration invited Putin in ostensibly to stop the use of weapons of mass destruction. Didn’t happen, but Russia is now a major player there. And Iran continues to influence the outcome despite the strangulation of its economy, which has been greatly relieved by those hostage ransom payments that helps fuel terrorists and the exemption of some nuclear project sites from spot inspections. The current potential horror is the threat of war.

Lauren Book, member, Florida Senate

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. Each year in America, more than 700,000 children are abused or neglected. This problem is very real and impacts nearly every single American in some way. Let us use this opportunity to be reminded that we can and we must do something about this injustice. We know from countless peer-reviewed studies that awareness and training can reduce the prevalence of child abuse and neglect. We know it works, now let’s use this month to recognize the role each of us play every day in standing up and fighting for our children.