Stereotypes wrong about black fathers, and other letters

Stereotypes wrong about fathers

Assertions are that fathers, specifically African-Americans, are absent. Various statistics validate this.

Yet the reality is that separation and divorce, which parallels educational attainment and poverty, play a significant role.

Statistics from the Center for Disease Control reveal that African-American fathers spend more time in their children’s lives than fathers from any other ethnic group, defying stereotypes.

Also, African-American fathers are more likely to live in separate households. Yet 67 percent of African-American fathers who don’t reside with their children see them more, compared to 59 percent of Caucasian fathers and 32 percent of Hispanic fathers.

A steady father figure in the picture goes a long way toward giving a child a chance to succeed.

We had an African-American president who had an absentee father.

What higher position does one need to achieve for people to stop feeling sorry for themselves and realize it’s not a deterrent to be fatherless?

—James Branch Jr.,

Fort Worth

'Curse of Ham' was always wrong

It was not a complete surprise that it took the Southern Baptist Convention until 1995 to apologize for the "slavery and segregation thing," or that they had to debate last year to come out against white supremacy and the political alt-right. (Bud Kennedy, "A Georgia church was too racist for Southern Baptists," Wednesday)

However, I was somewhat surprised that the SBC just passed a resolution disavowing the biblical “Curse of Ham” as a premise for teaching racism, racial supremacy or discrimination against anyone with darker skin.

I have heard most of my life that the most segregated hour in this America is the worship hour of 11 o'clock Sunday morning.

If religious institutions and their leadership cannot sit down in a civil manner and address the ills of this country, then what group can?

We cannot seem to get away from living in the past and in a time, in some people’s eyes, when America was "great."

—Willie R. Hargis,

Forest Hill

'Lee High School' change not enough

In 1957, the Tyler school district board of trustees approved naming our public high school after Confederate States Army Gen. Robert E. Lee.

The preponderance of the evidence indicates the name was chosen with malicious and discriminatory intent in defiance of Brown v. Board of Education striking down school segregation.

The original symbolism persists to the present day and will continue as long as the name Robert E. Lee (or simply Lee) remains.

—Michael Tolbert, Tyler

Separating children: It's awful

Is this really who we are now? ("Tent cities planned for migrant children," June 13)

Ripping children from their parents and putting them in cages?

We have some very dark moments in our history where we have dehumanized people, and it seems we have learned nothing from that past.

—Jennifer Graham,

Arlington

Separating children: It's cruel

I can no longer remain silent.

In my 74 years on this earth, the only other time I know of when children were ripped from their parents' arms — even nursing babies from their mothers' breasts — was during the Holocaust.

Have we as a nation sunk so low as to think that this behavior is acceptable?

—Doris Gluck,

Fort Worth

Separating children: It's legal

What part of "illegal" do you not understand? (Editorial, "Separating immigrant children from their parents is inhumane," June 5)

If parents don't want their family to be separated, then don't cross the border illegally.

It's as simple as that, folks.

—Brad Graves, Arlington

Politicizing children: Dems do it, too

The Editorial Board stated: "Using children for political gain is despicable."

Yet in the same edition, the summer March For Our Lives bus tour is targeting congressional districts in several states where politicians who support the NRA.

This vote-harvesting tour is backed by the NAACP, Headcount, Mi Familia Vota & Rock The Vote.

To exploit America's youth (along with purposely enticed racial discord) for political gain is also despicable.

—Vicki Tidwell, Burleson

Taxes: They'll rip us off again

If you are living in your house, it does not generate additional income if the value increases 10 percent.

Residential property tax increases are theft by local government., because there is no additional homeowner revenue to pay the increased tax.

In fairness, the authorities should reduce the tax rate proportional to the increased assessment.

This would level out the tax burden.

Watch! They wil try to rip us off one again by not “raising the tax rate.”

—Don Quatrini,

Mansfield

Taxes: Seniors deserve a discount

School taxes on homes are exorbitant and should be lowered for seniors.

Seniors should be given a break so they can continue to live in the house they have paid taxes on for years.

—Pat Adkins,

Fort Worth

This story was originally published June 14, 2018 at 11:14 PM with the headline "Stereotypes wrong about black fathers, and other letters."