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Respect is slipping away
No one seems to care about the disabled or older folks these days. They forget about all they have done for us with their years of service, helping others and fighting for our rights. Once you reach the so-called Golden Years or can’t fend for yourself, you are expendable.A good example of this is Lake Worth’s willingness to cut transportation services for the disabled and the aged. Driving to doctors’ appointments is no longer a consideration, not when the budget can save a few miserable pennies for this local city.I realize times are hard, but why target the people who can least afford to lose that service when other things could be cut? The city of Lake Worth should be ashamed for how it is treating people who are in need and can’t help themselves.Respect is slipping away just like time itself. I hope that city fathers will reconsider and realize how much this small expenditure will affect the lives of those who need it the very most.— Robbie Britt, White Settlement Texas Night OutI am saddened to realize that my beautiful little city of Richland Hills, seemingly immune to so many of the trappings of the giant suburbs that surround us, has lost its ability to be compassionate. Our residents have become mean-spirited and unyielding to their neighbors. We have lost our ability to listen without shouting our opinions over the person speaking, to agree to disagree and to work through problems without mounting personal attacks. Just like the rest of America we have evolved to place personal accomplishment and the accumulation of personal wealth ahead of compassion for our fellow man. We expect the community to cater to us without having to get personally involved in our community or working with others to reach a common goal. In this wonderful oasis where neighbors used to come out of their homes to get to know one another and offer assistance in times of need, residents have become shut-ins and strangers. It is my wish that on Oct. 13, my fellow residents will muster the courage to emerge from their homes to celebrate Texas Night Out 2009 and renew the spirit of community that once made Richland Hills such a desirable place to live. If your block doesn’t have a block party scheduled, contact the Richland Hills Police Department to find one nearby.— Ralph Smith, Richland Hills Sad influence on education I taught public school for 28 years. In June, I retired mostly due to the TAKS test and its sad influence on education. The TAKS test causes teachers to spend most of their time teaching to the lowest 30 percent of students. The better students who the teacher knows will pass the test receive the least amount of attention. Because the focus is on how many will pass the test, the curriculum is based on the slower students. The same concepts will be taught repeatedly until the slowest students learn them. The top students may have to endure the same lessons for days or weeks after they’ve learned the concept.
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