Thomas Whitaker's clemency and other letters
Whitaker term shouldn't be commuted
What is wrong with the governor of your state to commute the death sentence for Thomas "Bart" Whitaker? He was tried and convicted for the crime of murdering his mother and brother. A jury and court decided on his guilt and sentencing. They decided on the death penalty, and all of it was a waste of their time and taxpayer money!
If we are going to live by the law, then follow the path it takes us. It is not up to his family or his father or the governor to decide anything else. Please unlock the cell door for the other two young men he led into his web. Many players here are shameless! God bless his mother and brother.
Janet Vaughn,
Wichita, Kan.
Abbott praised for giving clemency
Thanks to Gov. Abbott for his thoughtful action when he extended clemency to Thomas "Bart" Whitaker. Abbott weighed the facts: the shooter didn't receive the death penalty; and Kent Whitaker, father and survivor stated he would feel victimized again if the state took the life of his only remaining child.
Abbott took the only decent action one could take. Now I would urge the people of Texas to take that same look at the death penalty and to look inside themselves as well. State-sanctioned killing does not stop people from killing. States that employ the death penalty have the highest rates of murder. It encourages violence in its citizens. Please understand I do not condone Whitaker’s action of planning his family’s murders. It is a unconscionable act. But I would ask you, doesn’t our state plan murders as well? It is an equally unconscionable act.
Lisa November, Fort Worth
Shootings don't stop gun deals
I was shocked to see an ad recently for an AR-556 semi-automatic rifle. The following day another store advertised a “hot deal” on a similar rifle for $699.99 alongside kids decked out in the latest baseball gear.
After the Florida shooting, it seemed to me that these stores should be embarrassed to be advertising and selling semi-automatic rifles. Is it only our young people who see the necessity of banning assault weapons? It’s time for the business community to do what is right for everyone’s safety, especially our children.
Hester Bender, Fort Worth
Controversy over foster children
The Star-Telegram reports that two lesbians have sued Catholic Charities (and others) because they were not allowed to foster a child. But why not go to some other foster organization instead? It is the same thing across the board. Why not get a custom wedding cake across the street?
What the LGBTQs want is not services, but to quash anyone from acting on their Christian view of marriage.
This is not what the Supreme Court required in the Obergefell vs. Hodges gay marriage case. Justice Kennedy instead said: “Marriage, in their view [those who hold a ‘traditional’ view of marriage], is by its nature a gender-differentiated union of man and woman. This view long has been held — and continues to be held — in good faith by reasonable and sincere people here and throughout the world.”
Thomas F. Harkins Jr.,
Fort Worth
Is DACA issue out of proportion?
Once again, your paper makes a mountain out of a molehill. (TCU students rally for DACA, Feb. 15.)
A group of 25 students merits a color picture and one-third page of print? The picture shows only six people. Similar to your paper’s vilifying five City Council members for not wasting tax dollars fighting the sanctuary city law — remember the 300 or so “calls and emails” for a city of 800,000! Chancellor Victor Boschini has a large university to manage, and he did respond on Sept. 6 to address the DACA issue — TCU would follow the law, as should everyone. As for the UT-Arlington professor, maybe she could define “a culturally competent attitude.” What does that even mean?
Charles Curry, Fort Worth
This story was originally published March 1, 2018 at 2:57 PM with the headline "Thomas Whitaker's clemency and other letters."