Opinion articles provide independent perspectives on key community issues, separate from our newsroom reporting.

Letters to the Editor

You put coats and shoes on kids to protect them. But you draw the line at a mask?

How can putting masks on our children during a pandemic be controversial?
How can putting masks on our children during a pandemic be controversial? Associated Press file photo

There are simply two ways about it

Reaction to the revived pandemic illustrates the difference between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats view it as a medical and scientific issue. Republicans see it as an economic and political problem. If you had COVID-19, which would you prefer ?

- Bill Youngblood, North Richland Hills

Blame Joe Biden for all of this

They told us to elect Joe Biden and everything would get back to normal. Afghanistan is in chaos, providing a caliphate for terrorists again. Our southern border in crisis. We’ve lost control of COVID-19 and of course, there are good ol’ high taxes.

I guess everything is right back to normal, but give it a few more months like this and you won’t be able to find anyone who’ll admit to being a Democrat.

- Gene Tignor, Emory

Pitts made a similar point, too

While I am far from a fan of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, I noted that your Aug. 21 editorial denouncing his Fox News interview discussing vaccination rates by race (6A, “Patrick’s remarks on Fox News were wrong, racist”) was published the same week as a column by Leonard Pitts Jr. making a similar point about Black and Hispanic vaccination rates. (Aug. 18, 15A, “Skepticism can make you blind to medical needs”) That used to be called a double standard.

- Jeff Murray, Fort Worth

Why not protect our kids here?

We are pleased to live in what we thought were very well educated, intelligent communities. However, since mask-wearing in schools has become such an issue, I now believe otherwise.

If it is 20 degrees outside, you make your children wear a coat. If your children are playing outside on hot gravel, you make them wear shoes. If you want them to be healthy, you make them eat their vegetables. Why on Earth would someone not want their child to wear a mask to school when a disease such as COVID-19 is rampant?

I am so disappointed in people who would rather argue about their rights than protect their children.

- Cinda Holder, Southlake

Put a brighter face on COVID-19

The headline on a recent story about daily COVID cases read, “Tarrant reports 4 more COVID deaths, including woman in 20s.” (Aug. 25, 15A) Scary, right? The same story said that the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the county’s hospital bed occupancy rate, adult intensive care unit bed occupancy levels and the testing positivity rate had all decreased.

The headline is deceptive and pessimistic. Why not try a more positive headline instead of your usual doom and gloom?

- Sherri Graf, Cleburne

Mask opposition is bewildering

I am old enough to remember when our country united against a terrible virus that causes the dread disease polio, by taking a vaccine.

We have a pandemic that has taken the lives of more than 635,000 of us, and a large portion of Americans, for various reasons, has not been vaccinated. The Pfizer vaccine has now received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Moderna’s is on track for approval soon.

The delta variant is sweeping the nation, and it is affecting the lives of our children, many too young to receive the vaccine. Schools are closing because of infections.

I do not understand parents who refuse to support mask mandates in school. Are you truly willing to sacrifice their health and safety over it?

- J.W. Sullivan, Arlington

Need to see what principal wrote

Your article on Colleyville Heritage High School students protesting to support the principal reported that about 30 students and 12 parents participated. (Aug. 25, 3A, “Colleyville Heritage students protest to support principal”) There are about 2,000 students at the school, so about 1.5% of students showed up to protest.

The principal is said to have encouraged critical race theory through a letter to students, so print the letter. The principal admitted to speaking publicly about George Floyd, but that’s very vague.

Lets see the public statements.

Teachers, cops and city employees can be terminated for public political statements. Are principals immune from this?

- Randy Weeks, Roanoke



This story was originally published August 29, 2021 at 11:29 AM with the headline "You put coats and shoes on kids to protect them. But you draw the line at a mask?."

Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER