Texas AG indicted; Viet vets remembered; UTA legal aid

Texas AG indicted

Attorney General Ken Paxton should have his day n court, but the validation the Tuesday editorial gave to false spin was troubling. (“Paxton wants to explain, so hear him out”).

In quoting the Republican Party of Texas’ statement, you wrote, “That’s all true.” The problem is that none of it is true.

The Republicans falsely claim that the indictments resulted from a “sloppy” process. It’s outrageous to suggest the Texas Rangers were involved in a political witch hunt or sloppy investigation.

Collin County district attorney Greg Willis recused himself over personal and business relationships with Paxton, and a Republican judge was appointed. Two special prosecutors from Houston were named, and the Rangers nvestigated.

The process was far from partisan, and calling the process “sloppy” is insulting.

To the Republican Party of Texas, the “court of public opinion is presided over by liberal interest groups.” Not only is that false, it’s not even good spin. It’s not he court of public opinion at issue.

Paxton’s criminal indictments resulted from a Rangers’ investigation, a Republican judge, two special prosecutors and indictments from a grand jury in his hometown. Now that is all true.

— Lisa Turner, Grand Prairie

While I believe that everyone is innocent until given a fair trial and proven guilty, the booking of Attorney General Ken Paxton itself sends a loud message of reassurance to all Texans that nobody is above the law. Paxton’s alleged violations have reached felonious proportions.

Whether he is innocent or guilty, the fact that he must face up to this case personally will undoubtedly slow down the people’s business.

If Paxton believes there is even a shred of a chance that he is guilty, he should immediately resign.

— James A. Marples, Longview

Viet vets remembered

I enjoyed reading the Sunday story “Vets’ service not forgotten,” about a “welcome home” parade for Vietnam War veterans in White Settlement. I had to fight back some tears.

I remember many days ago sitting on my sea bag at Da Nang Air Base, a 19-year-old newly promoted Marine sergeant starting my year-long tour across the pond.

I remember looking at my watch and saying, “I've been here 30 minutes and I’m still alive.” I remember a year later returning in uniform and going through the airports at Los Angeles and Dallas, the looks and the comments.

We just did our job as best we could!

— Gary L. Galloway, Weatherford

UTA legal aid

In July, the University of Texas at Arlington closed its legal aid office, citing, ironically, legal liability issues.

This is false. Most Texas universities offer student legal aid and have for decades. If universities were being sued for offering bad legal advice, why weren’t these programs shut down years ago?

This is to save money now, not to possibly prevent losing money in a hypothetical, some-day-in-the-future lawsuit. Oh, and, of course, legal aid for students doesn’t count toward tier-one-research status, so it is expendable.

Once again for students, costs keep rising, benefits keep dropping. UTA has now stopped helping fund the Alumni Association and dropped legal aid for students.

If only they could figure out a way to collect tuition while avoiding having to hire teachers and hold those darned classes for those pesky students, then they’d really be in the black.

— Eugene Chandler, Arlington

This story was originally published August 6, 2015 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Texas AG indicted; Viet vets remembered; UTA legal aid."