Parents’ rights, lawyer advertising, rebuild orchestra
Parents’ rights
I was very disappointed to see that state Sen. Konni Burton, R-Colleyville, has proposed legislation that would require schools to share with parents if a student might identify as LGBTQ.
On her website, Burton states, “Our schools are a place of learning; they are not replacements for the support and love of the family.”
That is true. Our schools also need to provide support systems for students, especially when that support is not coming from home.
It is the teacher’s job to provide a place of learning where students not only can learn about facts, figures, history, literature, math and science, but also about themselves.
It is not the teacher’s job to inform parents when they might suspect or know about a student’s sexuality or gender identity. It is not a legislator’s job to require this reporting, either.
Burton’s Senate Bill 242, is dangerous because it will lead to an increase in bullying at school, abuse or neglect from unaccepting parents and an upswing in enrollment in horrendous “conversion therapy” programs.
It will lead to students keeping their feelings bottled up and teachers being afraid to make important connections with their students.
Burton should refrain from introducing this dangerous bill.
Rabbi Jordan Ottenstein, Fort Worth
Lawyer advertising
I awoke to this disgusting article (“America’s got talons,” Friday, about Fort Worth attorney Bryan Wilson, aka the Texas Law Hawk), exhibiting the epitome of lack of respect for the profession of law from a member of that profession.
I wonder what has happened to the advertising standards of such an ethical profession and why their board allows it.
It is also occurring in the healthcare professions, and as a retired member of the latter profession, I am disappointed in the exhibition of professional advertising and the lack of reprisal by the state board of these professional organizations.
Carroll Carver, Arlington
Rebuild orchestra
Gerald Thiel's Sunday letter reminded me of rebuilding the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in 1957 after its disbanding during World War II. With a few former members, music teachers, university professors, students and amateurs, we breathed life back into the FWSO.
Unpaid musicians performed under the direction of then-TCU Professor John Lewis. With help from original FWSO founder and conductor, Brooks Morris, businessmen and benefactors, a new conductor, Robert Hull, was engaged and the orchestra scheduled performances. Our pay was spotty and arrived long after we had performed.
By 1962, the shaky performances were gradually replaced by sophisticated concerts. A series of interim conductors including Ralph Guenther, Rudolph Kruger and Ezra Rachlin preceded TCU graduate John Giordano, who led the FWSO out of its infancy and into a full Metroplex orchestra.
With deft touch by now-retired Ann Koonsman and a top conductor, the FWSO reached today's excellence.
Facing a lack of widespread patron and business intervention, current management needs some rethinking. Even with more robust funding, how many years will it take to rebuild our FWSO now?
George Studdard,
Fort Worth
This story was originally published November 22, 2016 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Parents’ rights, lawyer advertising, rebuild orchestra."