Letters | Fort Worth Star-Telegram

A thoughtful judge

The lead editorial Thursday regarding Judge Jean Boyd’s sentence for a 16-year-old involved in a deadly drunken driving accident represented not only the knowledge of journalism, but also an informed knowledge of the juvenile justice system. (See: “16-year-old’s sentence is hard for all”)

Judge Boyd makes some of the best judgments under the most difficult circumstances. I can assure you Judge Boyd researches and evaluates each case individually and deeply prior to making a judgment. She depends on a vast array of professional input, a deep and abiding faith in the law and its consequences, as well as the likely effect on the offender.

Her experience on the bench and as a prosecutor has benefited countless juvenile offenders, their families and the Tarrant County community.

— Jerry M. and Sherree F. Wood,

Azle

Lack of jobs

Underemployed does not mean underpaid; it means that your skill level is too high for the job. It also means that the skill matches the job, but the worker is part-time.

Too often we conflate these definitions with wages and benefits, and this is the trap set for us by state Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon in her Nov. 28 commentary, “It’s time to stand up for underemployed workers.”

She wants us to believe that employer polices — low wages and short work weeks — are creating underemployment. Unfortunately, she’s misguided. Lack of jobs is the issue.

Mandating wages and work weeks is a political expedient that ignores the issue. The real solution is an expanding economy, job creation and workers with skills matching market demand.

This seems beyond the capability of our national leaders and therefore avoided by McClendon and her compatriots in Washington.

With all due respect to McClendon, the American work ethic is not “if you are willing to work, you can succeed.”

The promise of America has always been to provide the opportunity to succeed, never to guarantee success.

McClendon needs to focus on creating the opportunity, not on quick, popular patches that may garner votes but do nothing to solve the problem.

— Don Rodrigues,

Mansfield

Science and religion

I agree with Jim Hahn’s Thursday letter, “Keep science and religion separate.”

Science studies the way the heavens go. Religion, the way to go to heaven.

That’s the way it should be.

— Jimmie Dillard,

Granbury

Letters

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