Mac Engel has it all wrong on Pete Rose. He deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame
Look at Pete Rose, baseball player
I hope Mac Engel does not have a vote in whether Pete Rose makes the Hall of Fame. (April 15, 1B, “Now 80, Pete Rose remains defiant as he’ll pick baseball games for bettors”) What real baseball fans do not understand is how Rose’s coaching days and personal life should cost him induction.
His playing days are not his coaching days, and until writers such as Engel become actual working stiffs without fear of losing access to clubhouses and players, Rose the player will probably never make it.
Yes, Pete is arrogant, cocky and defiant, but that is what made him a great ballplayer and what the fans loved.
- Guy Manasse, Fort Worth
Men, it’s time that we fix this
Sexual predators are a stain on humanity. (April 18, 1A, “Doctor accused of groping was let off easy, women say”) It will not improve until we men make each other accountable to each other. And that’s not going to change until enough of us men have had enough of defending each other and decide to stand up like men and say the idea of male entitlement to touch a woman’s body without permission is a myth.
Ask any man who feels emasculated because someone he loves has been violated and, by law, he’s forced to stand aside and let the system work. The law is ridiculously lenient. Are there any men worthy of the name in this session of the Legislature? Step up.
- Bill Lanford, Haltom City
Put the focus on academics
The recent news of Aledo students managing a “slave trade” game is disgusting. (April 17, 1A, “Parents of Aledo students who were targets of ‘slave trade’ on social media demand change”) As an alumnus of Aledo High School, I hope for better, but I am not surprised by my alma mater.
To properly show Aledo that racism is never tolerated, school sports should be banned from postseason play for the next year.
Although racism begins at home, the school and individual students are just as much to blame. As a football powerhouse and competitor in many sports, Aledo has focused on athletics for years. Perhaps some of those funds could shift to the classroom, starting with American history courses.
- Hunter Bezner, Aledo
Gun bill would not make us safer
With the passing of House Bill 1927, which would allow gun-carrying without a permit, the Texas House went backward last week. Instead of making us safer after mass shootings, this bill puts Texans in more danger.
HB 1927 would dismantle our licensing system, plus let people carry firearms in K-12 schools, bars, polling places and everywhere else that guns are prohibited under state law, until they are asked to leave.
The need to keep our loved ones safe in public settings or places of work, schools and worship is not a political matter. It’s a human right that should be considered bipartisan and implemented across Texas.
Call your state senator today and ask him or her to vote no on this dangerous bill.
- Seehum Isa, Fort Worth
Not trying to make government work
What have our legislators been busy working on? Our crumbling infrastructure? Unemployment or homelessness? Grocery deserts or affordable transportation? Helping schools get what they need to teach every child?
No. They’ve focused on tightening voting rights and making sure there’s no need for training, a license or a permit to carry a gun in Texas.
Texans have far more important needs, but politicians’ interest is in being reelected. So, they address their priorities, not ours.
- Patsy Morgan, Granbury
This story was originally published April 20, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Mac Engel has it all wrong on Pete Rose. He deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame."