Act on Constitution; not my opinion; not more guns; Lincoln and Trump

Act on Constitution

The Star-Telegram would have you believe that fear excuses inaction, that change in Washington is “not needed.” They are wrong. (“Constitution was built to last, so we should let it,” Thursday)

The federal government must fulfill important but limited responsibilities as written in the Constitution.

But for decades, the federal government has grown too big, too costly and too intrusive. The federal courts continue to overreach. And Americans can no longer count on Congress — Congress is part of the problem.

That’s why I’ve called on the Texas Legislature to join nine other states and authorize a convention of states, the intended avenue of citizens’ redress offered by the Constitution’s framers.

The Founders envisioned an Article V convention of states as the primary avenue for necessary amendments.

The convention can and must be limited to specific amendments like term limits, a balanced budget and restoring the 10th Amendment to prevent any president from dictating laws.

Any proposed amendment must then be approved by three-fourths of the states.

To get 38 states to agree to anything will be difficult. It should be. We should not take lightly the seriousness of this task — or the threats posed by inaction.

Not my opinion

In a letter to the editor published Sunday, Mike Morgan of Colleyville expressed his opinions about some labor issues at American Airlines.

Those were not the opinions of Dr. Mike Morgan of Morgan Family Dentistry in Colleyville. Our practice supports the hardworking men and women of American Airlines.

Not more guns

Northlake College on lockdown due to a murder-suicide. In east Dallas, one neighbor shoots and kills another. Murder-suicide of a boss and employee in a Dallas office building. Paramedic shot and critically wounded, gunman shoots himself. Balch Springs straight-A 15-year-old shot by police.

Meanwhile, our Texas Legislature is proposing “unlicensed carry.”

This is pushed, unsurprisingly, by Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, and sponsored, also unsurprisingly, by the group Texas Carry. The proposed bill would strip away even the extremely modest controls we have over firearms.

If more guns made us safer, as the NRA would have you believe, we’d be the safest nation on the planet. Instead, our rate of death by firearm per capita is 10 times higher than other developed countries (American Journal of Medicine, February 2016).

Lincoln and Trump

I have been reading a best-selling book on Abraham Lincoln and watching our president Donald Trump.

One president so thoughtful and careful with words, taking months to write and re-write single sentences before publishing. A person so humble, so modest, so self-effacing.

Our leader must exhibit the best of America to the world. I’m hoping future elections do better.

This story was originally published May 4, 2017 at 5:25 PM with the headline "Act on Constitution; not my opinion; not more guns; Lincoln and Trump."