Alabama firm told Texas politicians to close Fort Worth schools. Parents, take note | Opinion

Education matters

I am one of the parents feeling an “array of emotions” from the presentation about closing my son’s school. (Feb. 27, star-telegram.com, “Fort Worth ISD’s third community meeting on school closures sparks array of emotions”) I am disappointed that FWISD paid $2.7 million in taxpayer money to an Alabama company to tell us we need to close schools because of a lack of funds.

I am frustrated that Austin politicians want to divert more money away from public education with their voucher program for private schools.

But I am energized as a voter to know that Fort Worth families care about education. We deserve better from our leaders.

- Glenn Hutchinson, Fort Worth

DEI’s benefits

Diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, allowed me to succeed. I earned an MBA with a CPA license, became a college instructor and a manager of a communication plant supporting domestic and international sites, and am a published author.

I remember the struggles I had when the government did not support DEI because I was defined by my disability (low vision). DEI afforded me a level playing field where merit and ability were seen as attributes and my disability was not seen as a liability.

By receding from DEI, we are overlooking talent that would benefit our businesses and government operations and make our society more productive. Diversity, equity and inclusion policies allow people like me to let their work speak louder than their disabilities. Without it, we will all suffer.

- Edgar Henderson, Fort Worth

Back Ukraine

To those who support President Donald Trump, we must not let ourselves forget that all men are fallible. And when a leader, regardless of whatever good he may do on other fronts, goes astray, he must be called out on it.

Trump erred in his treatment of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy is not a dictator, and Russia started and is responsible for the the war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy has repeatedly thanked America for its support and was hardly “rude” to Trump or to Vice President JD Vance. America has spent a lot of money, but it is the Ukrainians who are fighting and dying.

Whatever may be the best outcome of this war, there is just no excuse for how Trump and Vance treated Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, and I am embarrassed.

- Thomas F. Harkins Jr., Fort Worth

Go vegan

Hens aren’t egg machines — they’re mothers. When they aren’t confined to filthy cages on factory farms, hens lovingly tend to their eggs and “talk” to their chicks, who chirp back while still in the shell. But in the egg industry, hens endure two years of hell before being sent off for slaughter. And countless male chicks are suffocated or thrown into high-speed grinders, often while still alive.

A recent study found that going vegan saves Americans $650 a year in grocery costs compared with a diet with meat and dairy. More important, it spares animals from suffering and helps combat climate catastrophe.

Instead of spending $9 for a dozen eggs, why not upgrade to a vegan option such as tofu or other plant-based products? Your wallet — and animals — will thank you.

- Darbi Finney, Lubbock

Medicaid needs

Anyone considering perpetuating tax cuts at the expense of cutting Medicaid is reprehensible. Doing so would force a vulnerable and underrepresented constituency to seek medical attention at hospital emergency departments, thereby skyrocketing costs for others who are able to pay.

How can anyone be so cold and callous to those less fortunate? Just look at who’s running the show, and that will tell you all you need to know.

- Brent Neuenfeldt, Fort Worth