The Tuesday news story “Traffic deaths taking a toll” was most revealing and sad.
I ask whether the Legislature or the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has a requirement that any holder of a retail alcoholic beverage license has an obligation to maintain public liability insurance against causing impaired driving resulting in injury or death? I believe the answer is emphatically no!
If that’s the case, what’s the incentive for retail alcoholic beverage sellers to be concerned about liability when they have no insurance and can insulate themselves against personal liability through corporate entities when injury or death occurs as a consequence of their actions?
The legal profession is loathe to act for potential plaintiffs when there’s little chance of economic recovery from such uninsured entities.
Why not mandate insurance requirements when liability is found against a license holder or establish a fund from alcoholic beverage sales taxes to pay for some liability in such uninsured cases?
— Marty Goldsmith, Fort Worth
How many families have been left without children because of drunk drivers? How many have become widows or widowers?
How many will spend the rest of their lives in wheelchairs or in a vegetative state because someone didn’t have the sense or responsibility to know when to stop.
I don’t believe the problem is with the police, but in our courts. Too many drunk drivers are given a slap on the wrist and let go to do it again. Why don’t the courts take away their licenses and make them walk to work or take a cab if necessary for six months?
If they’re found driving without a license, jail time for a year. There’s no excuse for a person being behind a wheel with a record of three or more DUIs, no matter how old he/she is or how much money they have.
Judges, do your job and prevent fatalities on our highways. Lets hope for a better 2014.
— Joe Martinez, Arlington
Homeless
Jeanette Keim, writer of a Dec. 27 letter, seems to think homeless people have quite a comfortable lifestyle.
I suggest she visit homeless shelters and interview some of the people, especially the families with children, and see just what a comfortable lifestyle they lead.
Better yet, spend a few freezing nights under a bridge with only a blanket or sleeping bag and all your possessions in a few plastic bags.
— Ray Cook, Fort Worth
Once-proud franchise
So we’ve come to the end of yet another disappointing and, should we dare say, expected mediocre season for our Deserters of December, our Dallas Cowboys.
We should be used to this by now, considering who is at the very top of this snowball: King Jerry, the man who considers himself a “genuine football guy,” the man who makes the final decisions on everything regarding Valley Ranch and the Cowboys.
King Jerry is to be congratulated for one thing, though.
He has truly transformed this sad-sack, talentless bunch into the Oakland Raiders of the Southwest.
This was once a very proud franchise, run by people with more football knowledge than King Jerry could ever imagine. They (Clint Murchison, Tex Schramm, Gil Brandt, Tom Landry) knew what it took to run an organization and a team that had 20 consecutive winning seasons, playoffs and championships.
Now we have only one: Jerry Jones.
So, as this snowball descends down the mountainside and into the abyss, we can blame one man for this: King Jerry!
— Brice Clark, Hurst
Rape in the military
Regarding the Dec. 19 letters, “Sexual assault in the armed forces”:
Wasn’t it the oft-presented premise that women would do as good or better job in some areas as men in the military, and would therefore be treated as equals?
But in addition to bodily strength, hasn’t rape always been mostly a crime of power of some men over most women, therefore a known and greatly significant eventuality in our military?
But whether or not a Navy ship might be termed or become a “floating brothel,” the potential for that opinion was directly created by the ignorance of the political correctness crowd, which always seems to put thoughts of goodness in front of common sense.
Still, one solution might be to “man” some ships with women only and keep them from docking at ports with other Navy ships.
Of course, there would still be militarily “inappropriate” behavior on women-only ships, right?
But I digress.
— Richard M. Holbrook,
Weatherford
Letters
Letters should be no longer than 200 words and must have a full name, home street address, city of residence and both a home and daytime telephone number for verification.
Letters endorsing candidates in the March 4 primary elections should be no longer than 150 words and must be received by 5 p.m. Feb. 23.
Email (preferred; please do not send as an attachment): letters@star-telegram.com; Fax: 817-390-7688
Regular mail: Letters to the Editor/Elections, Box 1870, Fort Worth, TX 76101
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