Letters to the Editor — Good old days, one party rule, wind power, 9/11

Being a kid was easy then

The tragic story of young Julian Guzman being shot for playing “ding dong ditching” brought back memories of my 1950s childhood in south St. Louis, Mo. One of our favorite summer night activities was to run up on a porch, knock on the door and hide in the dark. After three or four times, our neighbors would often put a plate of cookies on the porch as a negotiating offer to get us to stop knocking. It always worked.

Another warm memory is of elderly Mr. Martin and his small neighborhood grocery store. We would often sneak to the rear of the store where empty pop bottles were stored outside and help ourselves to some of the bottles. We would then take the stolen booty to the front of the store and sell them to Mr. Martin for 2 cents each. That was serious money to us boys and provided us with bubble gum and candy to get us through the day.

Years later when I was home from college, I heard that Mr. Martin had passed away and decided to attend his funeral. While there, his son told me that Mr. Martin always issued standing orders to his employees to make sure there were plenty of empty bottles on the back porch for the neighborhood boys.

It was easier to be a kid 70 years ago.

Thomas Kelly, Lantana

Beware of one-party rule

Re: “GOP purity tests are self-destructive — Founder of Republican leadership PAC says a big tent for conservatism is needed instead,” by Alex Fairly, Sunday Opinion.

As a native Texan and lifelong conservative, I would contend that one-party rule in Texas (like the CCP in China) or anywhere in our country is not a good thing. We need the competition of ideas and more purple states.

I encourage our citizens to consider the book, Glorious Tension — Rediscovering Our Sacred Middle Ground in an Age of Extremism, by Paul W. Hobby. Here’s an excerpt:

“The notion that people can collectively iterate to the best answer is the core premise of representative democracy. Societies without civility, on the other hand, subsist on fear and power. … You can find those nations at the bottom of any list for rising individual income, foreign investment or immigration. If you doubt the value of civility, just look at societies that lack it.”

I encourage everyone to gift a copy to their elected representatives with these suggestions: 1. Read and digest it. 2. Sign/date the book, then pass it to a colleague across the aisle to read, digest and sign/date the book. 3. Ask that colleague to pay it forward to another colleague across the aisle and repeat the process.

Richard Howe, Plano

Conservative, moderate thinkers

Re: “Legislature’s disdain of local control hurts array of vital services,” by Glenn Rogers, and “When words outpace wisdom, Republicans have the most to lose,” by Ronell Smith, Sunday Opinion.

Kudos for these two op-eds on the GOP in Texas, both written by conservative, moderate thinkers. While extolling the benefits gained under this contentious leadership, both writers offered some very good points about how things could be improved.

However, as I read Rogers’ column and came to where he referred to the body of water at the Texas coast as the “Gulf of Mexico,” I had to restrain myself from laughing out loud. Maybe he had no intention to call it by its recent renaming and if so, the humor wasn’t lost on me. I wonder if The News’ editorial team saw this and did they just let it slide?

If so, even more kudos. You guys made my Sunday!

Richard Street, Carrollton

Support wind power

Re: “Oil? Wind? A humanist weighs in — Our country’s future depends on the energy we are going to produce,” by Christopher de Vinck, Saturday Opinion.

I agree that our country needs to prioritize wind energy development over oil production. Texas is a leading producer of both wind and oil production. But, as we struggle with the devastating climate impacts of the use of fossil fuels, we must transition as quickly as humanly possible to renewable energy solutions, like wind and solar.

From a humanist perspective, transitioning to wind power is just the right thing to do if we want our children and grandchildren to live in a world that provides safe, breathable air; safe water to drink; and abundant food resources.

By reducing harmful air pollution, wind helps prevent asthma attacks, heart disease and premature deaths. It also saves precious water resources during droughts, ensuring healthier lives for Texans today and future generations tomorrow.

Supporting wind power is supporting people.

Andrea Christgau, Keller

We must cut energy use

Less is more. De Vinck’s excellent column left out one major point — consumption. Giant data centers, monster trucks, McMansions, vanity vacations. Seriously. Enough already.

Yes, keep wind, oil and solar. But, can we at least think about using less?

Sharla Bonney, Mineola

Employers unpunished

Every day the news covers the nabbing and deportation of undocumented immigrants. I have yet to see one article covering the businesses that hire them being fined or sued. Why is that? Using undocumented immigrants is illegal in every state.

Michael Bulkeley, Richardson

Remembering 9/11 families

Today, I’m praying for the families and loved ones of all those we lost in Virginia, New York and Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001. We will never forget the heroism of the first responders, servicemembers and other individuals who risked their lives to save others on that day and defend our freedom in the decades after the attack. Today and every day, we owe them our unwavering support.

Paul Bacon, Hallandale, Fla.