Oath Keepers were convicted swiftly. Now justice should come for their ringleader
Next in the sights of justice
A Nov. 30 star-telegram.com story, “Oath Keepers’ Rhodes guilty of Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy,” describes how Stewart Rhodes was accused of preparing “an armed rebellion” to deprive the American people of their clear choice for president.
With just three days’ deliberation, a jury of ordinary Americans proved they can differentiate between “legitimate political discourse” — in the words of the GOP — and a planned insurrection.
The quick conviction of Rhodes and co-defendant Kelly Meggs should give pause to those who oh-so-casually speak of taking up arms against our government.
It also shows a jury understands that leaders bear a special guilt. Now, on to the indictment and conviction of the ringleader.
- Charles Stonick, Granbury
Tarrant County seniors need this
Congratulations, Tim O’Hare, on your election as Tarrant County judge. Now, we are eager to see you follow through on your campaign promises to work to reduce our property taxes.
What I expect from you on Day One is to approve a freeze on the hospital tax for Tarrant County residents older than 65. It’s the only local tax that doesn’t have this provision.
This may not be a big fix, but it is certainly one that can be easily accomplished.
- Don Warner, Arlington
Big 12 is all about the big money
The Kansas State-TCU football game should have been called the Money Bowl rather than the Big 12 Conference championship game. TCU had already won the Big 12. It had no losses in the conference, while Kansas State had two. TCU was already the rightful Big 12 champ.
And I attended K-State.
- Jim Sanderson, Fort Worth
Rail workers’ fair compensation
I work for the BNSF Railway and I am a proud union member of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen. We primarily build, maintain and inspect the railroads’ signal systems that ensure the safe movement of trains and protect the public at highway-rail grade crossings.
Our work is critical to the United States’ supply chains. We do not receive any paid sick days; when we’re ill, we are required to use the few vacation days we have, which are meant for leisure, to address health, family or personal issues.
We have been making a reasonable request for the BNSF Railway to recognize our essential work and provide paid sick leave for us to take care of ourselves or our families. It has been four decades without improvement.
- Tim Marty, Rhome
Where are our leaders now?
As 2022 ends and another election gives way to another campaign, Americans appear to be utterly divided as to the future of our lives. We were in the same situation in 1787, when at the writing of our Constitution, James Madison took note of how much the North and South disagreed.
Today, there is huge opposition not by location but in philosophy of government. The enumerated powers of Congress and the president are routinely ignored, as are the obligations of the federal government versus the states. They trample on one another with regular disregard.
The bureaucracy creates regulations without regard to congressional intentions, while Congress passes vague laws. The president governs with a pen and a phone because compromise is a dirty word that may have to be defended in an election.
We are devoid of visionary leadership, without which the ship of state is foundering.
- Rick Weintraub, Mansfield
The border is a real problem
It continues to amaze me as a taxpayer that Vice President Kamala Harris can visit the Philippines without a peep from members of her own party, but Democrats call a fact-finding mission to the Texas border by Republican representatives a stunt.
We need help in our own backyard. And don’t send Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas anymore. He doesn’t get it.
- Lee S. Anderson, Fort Worth
After Uvalde, do more on guns
It’s important that we change Texas’ gun laws. Uvalde must be the turning point for us. Despite some efforts to address school shootings, such as bulletproof backpack inserts or giving teachers specialized training, they aren’t enough.
We must be stricter about how guns are dispersed. We need better background and mental health checks, as well as a better age-enforcement process. We can’t keep letting kids die because of mistakes in our system.
- Solomon Barber, Denton