I love baseball, but its billionaires and millionaires are ruining the game we knew
Baseball has lost perspective
I grew up loving baseball, playing in sandlots, watching the local semi-pro team and listening to radio broadcasts of major league games. Now, at 86, I’m saddened when I see billionaires and millionaires in Major League Baseball, the Rangers included, seeking even greater take-home pay. Even rookies who perform well can afford mansions to rest in during the off-season.
The game is great despite continued tampering that diminishes the excitement, such as defensive shifts. And, yes, owners and players deserve exceptional paychecks that reflect their investment and unique ability. But I hope that owners and players can focus on the fans. We deserve baseball for the joy it can bring, and owners and players should embrace that unique joy as an integral part of their compensation.
- Duane Victor Keilstrup, Arlington
They aren’t working for Texas
Our governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general seem to enjoy harassing and bullying transgender children, claiming child abuse. The real child abuse is Texas having a million uninsured children and having the highest percentage of uninsured children of any state.
Our trio chooses to send Texas tax dollars to care for New York children while depriving Texas children of federal assistance through Medicaid, thereby depriving our children of access to adequate health care.
They seem more interested in promoting political culture wars than in formulating beneficial policy. All three should be kicked out of office and replaced by public servants who care about more than their own political futures.
- Robert E. Bunata, Fort Worth
High gas prices hurt us all
The Democrats must believe the American people are really dumb. This paper documented the rise in gas prices in 2021, between Jan. 4 and Dec. 27: 88 cents per gallon in the Midwest, more in other areas. President Joe Biden is begging Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela to sell us more oil. Suspending the gas tax would cripple his infrastructure plan, and further depleting the strategic reserve would have little effect. The poor and middle America would feel the most pain.
- Vincent Sprinkle, Granbury
Don’t let man destroy Earth
The threat of nuclear war between Russia and the United States brings into sharp focus two existential threats that can make Earth uninhabitable: nuclear warfare and climate change.
Now is the right time for leaders to rid the world of weapons that pose a mortal danger to all life on the planet and to implement policies to offset the ravages of global climate change.
While both threats appear daunting, humankind can ill afford hand-wringing or inaction.
Life emerged miraculously on Earth. We can trust this miracle to continue as long as human beings commit to not destroy our beautiful home planet with our own hands.
- Hadi Jawad, Irving
Got a temporary conscience?
How refreshing to see numerous companies finally pulling their products out of Russia. Is this a long overdue awareness of persecution of a country’s citizenship or just the fear of backlash of public opinion?
When the atrocities of war in Ukraine subside, I wonder just how long it will take before a Russian can again enjoy a McDonald’s hamburger and Coke while visiting friends on Facebook or Instagram. As long as insatiable greed exists in business, integrity will take a back seat to profit.
- Tom Fenimore, Hurst