Fort Worth schools caved to hatred for a well-qualified Muslim woman | Opinion
Missed opportunity
I am a 1974 graduate of Western Hills High School who is deeply disappointed that Shayma Alzubi was principal and then reassigned. (June 10, 7A, “FWISD investigating teacher for social media posts”) The Fort Worth school district’s new administration caved to pressure, political and otherwise, in one of its most important early decisions.
It was a missed opportunity to have a credentialed Muslim woman bring her smarts, compassion and love to the school. Stop giving in to haters, division, lies and politicians. Stand up for education, love of teaching and diversity of all types.
- Cindy McComas, Fort Worth
Dark shadow
Winners of elections represent all the constituents in a given area. On June 9, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare and Commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez showed that they choose a limited constituency. Their votes to reject a resolution honoring the HELP Center for LGBTQ+ Health denied representation to their LGBTQ+ constituents. (June 9, star-telegram.com, “Tarrant commissioners call proposed honor for LGBTQ+ Health a ‘political stunt’”)
Tarrant County has thrived with a rainbow of people. But the vote on the resolution cast a shadow over the county.
- Marilyn Kepner, Fort Worth
Sorsby’s example
I condemn a judge’s decision allowing Brendan Sorsby to play quarterback for the Texas Tech Red Raiders this season. (June 10, 1B, “Sorsby’s win is a season-defining loss for Texas Tech”)
Although most of us have sympathy for individuals battling addiction, allowing a player who admitted to wagering on his own team to take the field undermines the integrity of college sports. This ruling threatens to cause irreversible damage to Texas Tech University and sports programs nationwide.
The university’s association with this lawsuit risks making Texas Tech a pariah in collegiate athletics. The integrity of competition is the foundation of athletics. By circumventing NCAA gambling regulations in court, Texas Tech sends the message that the institution values wins over fair play.
Instead of accountability and recovery, Sorbsy is now under the spotlight of controversy, and Tech’s reputation is damaged. We cannot allow the pursuit of championships to erode our moral compass.
- Wayne Hodgin, Haskell
Pence’s relevance
Ryan Rusak writes that former Vice President Mike Pence’s candidate endorsement is irrelevant in the Texas Senate race, as are Pence’s political career and future. (June 7, 6C, “Texas Senate Rundown: Are we really talking about Talarico’s girlfriend?”)
We’d all do well to remember what Pence did to honor his oath of office to defend and uphold the U.S. Constitution by disregarding Donald Trump’s demand that he refuse to recognize the 2020 Electoral College results. It’s a direct contrast to everything we now see coming out of the Trump administration. This honorable action made Pence persona non grata and, indeed, ended his future in the party of Trump.
That makes Pence a true national hero.
- Owen Daniel, Fort Worth
Freedom twice
Flag Day and Juneteenth arrive just five days apart, yet they share a common thread woven through the American story: freedom.
On June 14, Americans honor the Stars and Stripes, the flag that has flown over battlefields, schools, courthouses and communities for nearly 250 years. It is a symbol of the ideals that define our nation: liberty, equality and self-government.
Five days later, Texans — and now all Americans — commemorate Juneteenth, a holiday born in Galveston on June 19, 1865, when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger announced that enslaved people in Texas were free. Juneteenth reminds us that while America’s promise of freedom has not always reached everyone at the same time, the nation has continually worked to bring its actions closer to its ideals.
We can honor both holidays by remembering that freedom is not merely an inheritance. It is a responsibility that each generation must preserve, strengthen and extend to others.
- John Di Genio, Cibolo