All lives matter; Easy driving on West Lancaster; Midland-to-FW money pipeline; School privatization not the answer; Don’t cave in to ‘voter integrity panel’

All lives matter: Let’s resolve racial tensions

I was appreciative yet alarmed when I read about leaders appointed by race and culture, stemming from the arrest of Jacqueline Craig by police Officer William Martin. There was an outcry in the African-American community, opening old wounds and issues with the Fort Worth police.

Racial tensions have been present for a long time, and the community feels little or nothing has been done by city leaders to address and resolve the concerns. Our city must be proactive to resolve the racial tensions before it evolves into a greater crisis.

As an African-American man, I’ve had a personal interest in reaching out to our city leaders. After visits with the mayor and police chief to help defuse the situation, T-shirts were printed at my expense with the quote “All Lives Matter.” I have also appeared before the council to promote peace, with little or no follow-up from city leaders.

Easy driving on West Lancaster Avenue

With regard to a reader’s recent rant about too many red lights slowing him up, I have the solution for his West Seventh Street problem: West Lancaster Avenue.

From my perch I can see Seventh always choked with traffic, while a few blocks away drivers sail along on Lancaster with no shops, no trains and few lights to impede them. West Seventh is ever more heavily built up with shops, apartments, banks and eating places. A racetrack it is not (note to police: except around 2 a.m. when the bars close).

Face it: Lancaster gets you to the same places with less stress. The city should promote it as an alternate route.

Midland-FW money pipeline?

What’s wrong with Tarrant County? Why are all of our representatives in the pockets of contributors from way out in Midland?

The Tinderholts, the Burtons, the Sticklands — they all received obscene donations from the likes of Tim Dunn and Empower Texans, and then look at what they do: They make themselves and their districts the laughingstocks of the Texas Legislature.

I think it’s time we in Tarrant County start electing some reasonable people who represent their districts, not their donors.

School privatization not the answer

Privatization of public schools is not the answer to real and perceived problems with public education.

To answer Michael J. Schneider and Ann Schrader’s question, “If a student doesn’t want to learn, why try to force him or her?” — let’s fast forward 10 or 15 years. Without intervention, many of those unmotivated and semi-illiterate former students will not be contributing members of society. They will be in trouble with the law.

There are many passionate public educators who work tirelessly to motivate and engage these young people. Our tax money can go for education now, or for jails and prisons later.

We simply cannot afford to give up or leave these students’ education to chance. Our whole society reaps the benefits from public education.

Don’t cave in to voter integrity panel

I am angered to learn that Texas state officials are capitulating to the unreasonable demands of the federal government on voter information being sent to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Voter Integrity.

That committee is an example of Washington’s bureaucratic waste. Shame on Texas public officials for not having the courage to reject those pointless demands. Conservatives should value privacy and individual and state rights. Texas’ sending of information to the committee dishonors those values.

This story was originally published August 4, 2017 at 4:18 PM with the headline "All lives matter; Easy driving on West Lancaster; Midland-to-FW money pipeline; School privatization not the answer; Don’t cave in to ‘voter integrity panel’."