Crash on I-35W was inevitable because of narrow lanes, concrete barriers
That isn’t why my face is red
I nearly fell out of my chair laughing when I read that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called Mark Cuban’s decision to stop the playing of the national anthem at Dallas Mavericks games a “slap in the face to every American and an embarrassment to Texas.” (Feb. 11, 1B, “NBA passes on Cuban’s desire to discuss anthem issues”)
Cuban would have to work overtime for a decade to embarrass us as much as Patrick has since he took office. Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton pretty much have the monopoly on embarrassing Texas.
- Larry Story, Fort Worth
Mark Cuban must be afraid
I don’t know who or what Mark Cuban is afraid of. I’m guessing it’s some of the millionaire prima donnas on his excuse for a pro basketball team. This free, capitalistic country has made him a zillionaire, and he responds by refusing to play the anthem before games. Cuban is a fool.
- Roger Campbell, Burleson
They’d get in line quick
So 1 in 3 people say they will not or are considering not getting a coronavirus vaccine. (Feb. 11, 7A, “Poll: A third of US adults skeptical of COVID-19 shots”) If the government ties the shot to the stimulus program — get a shot, get a check — that number would probably change to 1 in 1000.
- Dick Burk, Fort Worth
How we got to this point
Although Donald Trump bears major responsibility for the Jan. 6 insurrection, another group has at least if not more: the Republicans in Congress.
Throughout Trump’s presidency, nearly all of them allowed his blatant lies, misrepresentations and assaults against the Constitution without comment or disagreement. Little wonder he thought he could force a change in election results. Most even refused to admit for weeks that he lost the election.
The GOP is no longer the party of Barry Goldwater or Ronald Reagan.
- Richard Messenger, Fort Worth
A recipe for highway disaster
The inevitable happened Thursday in Fort Worth, unfortunately. And the Texas Department of Transportation shares in the blame for the horrific pileup of vehicles on the Interstate 35W express lanes. By allowing toll express lanes throughout Tarrant County, the department created death traps, as motorists drive at excessively high rates of speed in narrow lanes bounded on each side by concrete barriers that restrict escape from disastrous situations.
Poor planning and execution over the years, particularly in Tarrant County, has resulted in continued bottlenecks on our highways and tragically will result in countless traffic deaths for years to come.
Texas’ slogan of “Drive Friendly” should be changed to “Drive at Your Own Risk.”
- Tom C. Burke, Fort Worth
His voice will be missed
I will miss reading the weekly Drive column by Ed Wallace. (Feb. 12, 2C, “Driving off into the sunset”) I don’t understand the decision to remove this column. Ed provides insight about the car industry and world economics that I do not find anywhere else.
- David Jones, Arlington
Do the work and you’ll see
For those who believe the elections were fixed: Sign up to be a poll worker. You can go through all the training, take the test and work up to 14 hours a day. Learn all the rules and safety checks and take the oath. You can experience all the citizens who vote with varying personalities. Then, maybe you’ll see that the 2020 election was fair.
- Gabrielle Gordon, unincorporated Tarrant County
This story was originally published February 16, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Crash on I-35W was inevitable because of narrow lanes, concrete barriers."