Amon Carter Sr.: An aviation giant; Is the Hemphill Connector needed?; What’s at play in black girls’ suspension?; No-tweet zone may be needed; Scary stuff from Trump; Substance abuse: choice or disease?

Amon Carter Sr.: an aviation giant

Your recent Time Frame article about Amon Carter Sr. was interesting but didn’t mention his aviation achievements.

His aviation initiatives from the 1920s to the 1950s transformed this part of Texas from a farm and ranch culture and economy into one of the leading aviation and aerospace centers in the world. He formed the Fort Worth Aviation Club, bringing Meacham Airport, commercial airlines, and air mail operations here.

He brought Consolidated Aircraft Corporation here to build bombers for World War II. That prospered and grew into Lockheed Martin and the Naval Air Station Fort Worth of today.

In the 1950s he brought Bell Helicopter here from New York. This all resulted in 70,000-plus aircraft built here with an economic impact of $1 trillion in 2018 dollars. His initiatives resulted in DFW Airport, adding jobs and billions annually to our economy.

Carter was more than publishing, oil, and art; he gave Molly wings!

Is the Hemphill Connector needed?

Building the Hemphill Connector is about the biggest waste of money the city has come up with lately.

The near Southside has four existing direct connections to downtown, far more connections than any other direction. Secondly, I read where the Fort Worth Bike Sharing program is a nonprofit. What does it cost taxpayers to subsidize this program?

And don’t get me started on the widespread removal of vehicle lanes to make way for bike lanes. Couldn’t some of that money have been spent on improving the terrible condition of the collectors and thoroughfares in our city?

Our streets are in the worst condition I can ever remember, and you never see any street maintenance crews out doing repairs.

What’s at play in black girls’ suspension?

Come on now, that’s ridiculous. (“Cultural stereotypes play a role in black girls being suspended,” Jan. 4.)

You’re making this a racism issue, which isn’t a surprise. It couldn’t be that the behavior just isn’t acceptable in society? By pointing fingers at others, you’re essentially condoning the behavior (“cultural differences”) that got the girls suspended.

No-tweet zone might be needed

I look forward to the day when we have a president (of any party) who does not cavalierly issue a trash-talking tweet about using our country’s nuclear weaponry.

Scary stuff from Trump

Just heard something new, but first the old: The mainstream media is the “enemy of the American people,” proclaimed President Trump. Now, the new: Trump calls the DOJ part of the “deep state.” That’s scary stuff folks, but his authoritarian tendencies have been evident for a while. Please start paying attention!

Substance abuse: choice or disease?

Regardless of its label, “substance abuse disorder” or “substance abuse issue” — substance abuse is a choice, not a disease (despite attempts by “experts” to raise awareness to the contrary). Labeling it a “disease” is merely another attempt to eliminate the accountability of poor choices!

This story was originally published January 8, 2018 at 4:34 PM with the headline "Amon Carter Sr.: An aviation giant; Is the Hemphill Connector needed?; What’s at play in black girls’ suspension?; No-tweet zone may be needed; Scary stuff from Trump; Substance abuse: choice or disease?."