Letters to the Editor – Gun Violence, Abortion, Ukraine, Russian Hockey Players, District 14

A stark reminder

The violence that transpired on the New York City subway on Tuesday is a stark reminder that more than 45,000 Americans have died from gunshot wounds in 2020. Until this country tackles the absurdity of the Second Amendment and the senseless stockpiling of guns, death by gunshot statisticians will be assured of job security for the foreseeable future. That is, of course, assuming this nation still has a future.

Bob Ory, Elgin, Ill.

Anticipate or not

Re: “Oklahoma Governor Signs Near-Full Ban – Challenges Await as It Becomes ‘Most Pro-Life State'”, Wednesday news article.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signs an anti-abortion bill, saying it makes Oklahoma the most “pro-life” state in the union. It will come into force in August. This should give the Oklahoma legislature time to determine how it will pay for additional prenatal, birth, and support costs for these additional citizens since, in many cases, affected families will not have the funds to cover. these costs themselves.

A new life has been protected. Now all that needs to be considered is freedom and the pursuit of happiness. These issues were also not covered by our Texas anti-abortion law.

Ray Johnston, Heath

The law is always wrong

Re: ‘AD to dismiss abortion charges against woman – She faces murder charge after arrest in Rio Grande Valley’, Monday’s report.

The story of a district attorney dismissing abortion charges against a woman is one that will repeat itself in excess until new Texas abortion restrictions are repealed. Women have had abortions for as long as they got pregnant, and this new law isn’t going to stop that. Instead, it will negatively affect women of color, especially low-income ones who don’t have access to out-of-state care.

Even if the charges against Lizelle Herrera are dropped, the damage is already done. How many women will have to go through this same smear campaign before this law is repealed? Just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s right. As if abortions weren’t hard enough for a woman, she now faces the law that prosecutes her for exercising autonomy over her own body.

Natalie Oropeza, Aubrey

It’s not your best time, guys

This letter is for my senators, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn.

I have lived in Texas for 50 years. In the many years that I have lived here, there have been many occasions when I have been frustrated and sometimes angry with our Texas politics. However, I have never been more embarrassed than I was last week when the men who represent Texas in our United States Senate walked out of the room when Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed as our Supreme Court Justice. country.

Besides being disrespectful to the newly confirmed justice and the confirmation process, it was shameful and the reaction one would expect from a child who did not pass. Certainly not from a US senator representing Texas.

Deborah Snider, Dallas/Lake Highlands

What will it take?

Does the Biden administration have any red lines regarding Ukraine? The Russians invaded without provocation, murdered thousands of civilians, kidnapped thousands of civilians, raped children and the elderly, and destroyed billions of dollars in infrastructure. It seems to this American that enough lines have been crossed for the United States to do more than sanctions.

Tim McCord, Wylie

To be awfully quiet

There are more than 40 Russian players playing for National Hockey League teams. To date, only a handful of them have spoken out against Vladimir Putin or Russian involvement in the war in Ukraine. Does that mean they side with Putin, or do they have families in Russia and are afraid to speak out?

I say that as long as Putin kills innocent women and children on a daily basis, the family excuse is no longer valid. We have Alexander Radulov and Denis Gurianov in Dallas. Before I turn on the TV or go to an All-Star game, I want to know where they’re at. If they’re pro-Putin, then I’m anti-Dallas Stars as long as they’re allowed to play.

I wrote to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman about this and asked him and the league to take a stand. Putin is a huge hockey fan and a close friend of Alexander Ovechkin. It is not enough for these players to simply say that no war is good. They have to take a stand and all hockey fans deserve to know what their position might be.

Allan Peterson, Dallas/Uptown

Leave District 14 Alone

As vested residents of Dallas City Council District 14 since 1974, my family has enjoyed the unique neighborhoods of Oak Lawn, Lowest Greenville, and Hollywood/Santa Monica. I was part of the Old East Dallas Renaissance Coalition to secure municipal services, code enforcement, preservation and zoning that ensured an exceptional quality of life for us urban pioneers.

I understand the need to adjust our council districts to balance them based on diversity and population growth, but there is absolutely no reason to radically split District 14. It already has great diversity within our district that stretches from East Dallas to Oak Lawn, through Uptown, the Arts District and Downtown.

We have a cultural identity of these established areas and strong neighborhood cohesion due to the common issues facing inner city neighborhoods.

District 14 is an urban neighborhood that offers a different environment from other parts of the city. We appreciate and identify with our diversity and are united in our desire to remain intact. Dividing District 14 and other districts in the city will wreak havoc on all of our communities and destroy stable neighborhoods, cultural assets, and our unified voice at City Hall.

Ed Zahra, Dallas

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