Leonard Pitts Jr. demands that it has to be his way or the highway. Drop him
Pitch Pitts’ poisonous pen
Why does the Star-Telegram publish the rants of Leonard Pitts Jr.? He sees people only by their skin color, interpreting complex actions solely to race. This is a dangerous, infantile way to judge human behavior.
In his Nov. 11 column, “Moral reckoning is needed after this election,” (17A) it seemed to me he suggested there could be another Civil War if white people won’t get with the program — his program.
Words matter. If we are to find a way to move forward together as a nation, it doesn’t help to poison the atmosphere like Pitts does.
- Michael Korenman, Fort Worth
Presidents must be reined in
For the last 3 1/2 years, we have been subjected to a president who repeatedly lied to us, broke all the common norms of politics and continued to surprise us in how low he would choose to go. Now, he is refusing to concede his defeat.
I hope we take this opportunity to change the president’s ability to disrupt the transition of power. We should not assume a person in this powerful position will act appropriately and do the right thing. President Donald Trump has proved we cannot.
- Deb Fallman, Arlington
Words that have been missing
Decency, empathy and compassion have returned to our nation, with the election of Joe Biden as our 46th president.
- JW Sullivan, Arlington
These new rules are what I want
Here is what we need from these newly elected folks in charge:
1. Require banks to lower their charge for bouncing a check to $7.
2. Put a stop to all robo-calls.
3. Outlaw vote-solicitation calls during campaigns.
4. Outlaw polling calls during campaigns.
5. Outlaw charity calls asking for contributions.
6. Prohibit credit cards from charging more than 9% interest.
7. Reduce property taxes by 30%.
8. Outlaw sales taxes for building stadiums.
That’s all I want.
- Mark Comstock, Arlington
Some help for students in need
I’m concerned about students’ mental health. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people between ages 10 and 24. Texas schools should look into providing students with mental health days similar to excused absences. Utah and Oregon have implemented this initiative.
Taking a mental health day helps destigmatize mental illness and empowers students to seek help. If a student uses an absence such as this, he or she would be expected to use that day to talk to family members or a therapist and to work on coping skills and stress reduction. It could be the difference between life and death for some.
- Megan Lewis, Lewisville
Better than axing Electoral College
Eliminating the Electoral College is a bad idea. It is almost impossible because it would require a constitutional amendment. But more important, if we switch to a pure popular vote, large liberal states such as California and New York would completely decide the presidency.
If you really want to make each voter’s choice more equitable, the Texas Legislature should enact the “district method” for presidential voting. It would split electoral votes among two or more candidates based on how many votes they received in congressional districts.
The current winner-takes-all electoral format eliminates competition if a state is predominantly red or blue. It was nice having the candidates interested in our state, and that could happen every four years with the district method.
- Patrick Jenkins, Arlington
There are better ways to vote
Many countries use a two-round voting system to select their heads of state. If any candidate wins more than 50% of the vote, he or she is elected. If not, the top two candidates have a runoff. The one who gets more votes wins.
In our system, a presidential candidate can win the popular vote but lose the election. We need to change to a two-round system to make every vote count.
Also, to make voting easier and safer, we should change Election Day from Tuesday to Saturday, with ample early voting. All states should permit voters to use mail ballots for any reason.
- Deana Glenn, Fort Worth