The left just won’t let conservatives speak their mind, and it damages democracy

Conservatives not allowed to speak

The left has declared war on freedom of conscience, thought and opinion. If you do not agree with the left’s viewpoint, you must be punished. If Rep. Roger Williams has a different view on  election integrity, he must be punished. If Sens. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley raise election-related concerns, they must be punished. 

This hostile view of opposing opinions hurts our democratic system. As Americans, we may not always agree, but we should be able to respect and defend each other’s rights to freedom of opinion and freedom of speech.

- Larry Bothe, Fort Worth

Same standards for everyone

President Donald Trump’s actions are as bad as those of many people whom  the law punishes daily. His actions helped incite a riot that led to the deaths of five people and undermined our democracy.

Countless people get jailed for life or many years for homicide or drunken driving. Are Trump’s actions worse than a drunken driver who kills no one? Are they worse than a negligent driver who kills someone by texting and driving?

- Samuel Settle, Grapevine

News media not to blame here

A Jan. 14 letter to the editor complained about different news coverage of riots this past summer and the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. (9A) The insurgency was an attack on the most sacred center of our democracy. It has no comparison to the summer riots.

The Washington, D.C., riot was not a result of factual news reporting. It was not a result of the pandemic and isolation. It was a result of lies told to the American people from the Oval Office for four years. It was a result of certain media outlets broadcasting stories with no factual basis. It was a result of a president calling the press “the enemy of the people.”

We have a serious problem in our country, but it’s not the press.

- Catherine Wells, Fort Worth

Census could help with vaccine

I know it’s a fantasy, but imagine if rather than working to undermine the 2020 census, the current administration had encouraged cross-departmental collaboration.

I was one of the nearly half-million folks across the country who were vetted and trained to do door-to-door visits in every neighborhood and every residential environment. I would have gladly stayed on to help with vaccine registration.

- Caryl Sherman-Gonzalez, Fort Worth

Conservatives can’t get fair shake

The level of liberal bias in the media never ceases to amaze me. While they rightly condemn the storming of the Capitol by loyalists to President Donald Trump, they looked the other way and called the gatherings after George Floyd’s death “protests” rather than riots, even when the crowds burned buildings, vandalized and looted.

I have long been annoyed  that the Star-Telegram is so liberally biased that it even extends to its comics, where you print the liberal “Doonesbury” and not the conservative cartoon “Mallard Fillmore.” At least The Dallas Morning News prints both.

- Mike Jones, Fort Worth

High praise for Tarrant County

Concerned by stories of long lines and sitting in cold rain, my wife and I arrived at the Tarrant County Resource Connection for our first COVID-19 immunization. We were impressed by the friendly, helpful greeters who quickly moved us to the entrance. At each station, we were met with courtesy and clear direction. Our paperwork was processed, and we were vaccinated. The elapsed time from arrival to departure: 35 minutes.

Kudos, Tarrant County Public Health, for the excellent planning and operation.

- Bobby Efferson, Fort Worth

This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "The left just won’t let conservatives speak their mind, and it damages democracy."