Don’t assume every police officer is tainted on race issues

Don’t upset the police department

Fort Worth has been through difficult days recently that tested Ed Kraus’ responsiveness as interim chief of police. By most accounts, he has lived up to expectations.

Many people of color felt unsafe in their own city long before he was chief. And the assumption that anyone currently in the department is tainted on race issues is without merit. Someone already in the department is bound to be better informed about the city’s temperature.

It takes six to nine months to find an outside candidate, and an outsider would need a year or more to acclimate to the city and its people. The wiser choice is to stick with a known quantity.

- Daniel J. Haase, Fort Worth

Things aren’t looking so easy

In Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal, a headline read, “Dow falls 280 points on tariff fear.”

To calm whatever anxieties and uncertainties that might cause, merely recall our always-truthful leader’s words about a year and a half ago that “trade wars are good, and easy to win.”

- David Snider, Arlington

Obama didn’t do enough

Part of Democrats’ justification for impeachment is that President Donald Trump delayed (temporarily) vital military aid to Ukraine and that the delay damaged our own national security.

If it was so vital, why didn’t Democratic President Barack Obama provide aid that included more lethal weapons such as Javelin missiles when he was in office?

As a combat veteran, I can testify that C rations are not effective against Russian armor.

- James R. Anderson, North Richland Hills

Good men can set the tone

The lead story of the lawsuit against Fort Worth and its fire department is stunning in its allegations of what Stratfor’s Mike Parks calls “toxic entitlement.” (Nov. 29, 1A, “Lawsuit: Fort Worth firefighter says she was raped, harassed”)

Every adult female reading these words understands exactly what they mean: Men feeling entitled to a woman’s body.

In addition to the woman in this story, all the fine men who serve as first responders are also victims.

So here is the challenge for all male first responders in Tarrant County: Stand up to the deafening silence supporting toxic entitlement in our culture and lead as only brave men can by calling out and holding all men accountable.

Together, we can do this.

- Bill Lanford, Haltom City

Trump can clear the air easily

I have a simple question: If President Donald Trump were not guilty of any wrongdoing, why would he refuse to allow any of his staff to be questioned by Congress?

If I were in his position and was innocent, I would hasten to send my staff to Congress to fully explain and correct any possible misunderstandings about my actions.

- Bobby Darr, Fort Worth

Time to ding players, too

During the last Cowboys game, the broadcaster talked about reports and columns saying Jason Garrett should be fired as coach. When are you going to call out the players for their terrible performances?

I watched quarterback Dak Prescott throw back-to-back passes that weren’t even close to the receivers. Garrett isn`t throwing or catching the passes.

How about you rip the big-money boys?

- Todd Erhardt, Stacy, Minnesota