RFK Jr. attacking fluoride in our water has finally killed my belief in righteousness | Opinion

Will conspiracy theories win out?

Thank you to the Star-Telegram Editorial Board for a nuanced and thought-provoking piece on fluoride in the water supply. (Dec. 1, 4C, “Trump, Kennedy Jr. need to keep their hands off fluoride”) Conspiracy theorists and nutty people such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who persist in their theories amaze me.

I used to think that society and my government would weed out the truly unfit for higher office and that the righteous would prevail. No longer is that my belief. Only time will tell whether Kennedy is placed in a position to act on his conscience.

- Linda Bartles, Fort Worth

Just more lies from Joe Biden

Once again, corrupt President Joe Biden lies to the voting public, this time about the pardon of his son who was convicted on several counts of federal crimes. (Dec. 4, 6A, “How Biden changed his mind on pardoning his son Hunter”) I guess the old saying goes: Once a liar always a liar.

- Ken Angyal, Arlington

Sam Houston like Abraham Lincoln

Richard J. Gonzales writes that Arlington should have the courage to rename Houston, Lamar and Bowie high schools because their namesakes held enslaved people. (Dec. 1, 5C, “Arlington should take slave owners’ names off schools”)

I agree that generals who waged war against the United States should not be honored as heroes. But Sam Houston was not such a man.

He voted repeatedly to disallow slavery from extending into the new western states, worked to forbid the importation of enslaved people to Texas and refused to swear allegiance to the Confederacy. (He was subsequently removed from the Governor’s Mansion.) He was almost assassinated for his position against secession.

Houston’s position on slavery was indistinguishable from Abraham Lincoln’s. Yes, he enslaved people (and reportedly treated them as human beings) but so did many Union leaders, including Ulysses Grant.

Isn’t it time we started applying common sense to these efforts to cancel historical figures?

- Paul King, Crowley

Through the lens of time

The brave Texans mentioned in Richard J. Gonzales’ column were imperfect, like we all are. They followed the cultural norms of that time and can’t be judged by present-day standards of morality. The fact that they were owners of enslaved people or supported slavery was only a small part of who they were, and their immense contributions should not be overlooked.

- Mark Burks, Allen

Spam calls must be stopped

What can we do to stop the numerous, annoying spam calls that hound us from early morning to evening? We can refuse to answer them, of course, but that doesn’t eliminate the nuisance. There ought to be a law against such abuse of a helpful tool.

I’m thankful that we received no spam calls on Thanksgiving, but the respite was short-lived. They have returned in full force since.

- D. Carolyn Allen, Fort Worth

Keep your eyes on the road

It seems as if everyone uses their phones while driving and that accidents are increasing. Insurance rates are rising and people are dying. And yet, I see no serious effort by law enforcement to combat this.

The Legislature should increase penalties. What if two violations cost you your driver’s license? That would catch people’s attention.

Law enforcement can start by simply enforcing existing laws, perhaps with new technology and strategies. If we don’t start soon, we all better buckle our seat belts for a wild ride.

- Shane Camozzi, Fort Worth