The county jail is no place for Texans with severe mental illness | Opinion
Wrong place
Does anyone think it reasonable or safe to put people with severe mental illness in our county jails? (Aug. 22, star-telegram.com, “Jails are the de facto mental health care in Texas. Sheriffs don’t want the job”) Sheriff’s office personnel have little to no expertise in caring for these people. We should not be surprised when death results, and the fault lies with all of us Texans.
The state has a woefully inadequate number of psychiatric hospital beds, so severely ill patients languish in jails for months to years. America has severe shortages of mental health professionals. Until voters demand investment in mental health, the blame for these deaths falls on us all. By default, we sentence some of these people to horrible deaths.
- Robert N. Stevenson, Fort Worth
Welcome mat
I was born and raised in Fort Worth, but now I look at the city as a visitor might, especially downtown. I want to compliment participants in the Downtown Ambassador Program for consistently providing friendly, courteous assistance to those in need and ensuring that the downtown area is clean, with minimal litter and good landscaping.
If I were a visitor, I would be impressed.
- John Vann, Aledo
Voters’ rights
Hooray for Bud Kennedy calling out Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare, who is a Donald Trump wannabe. (Aug. 24, 1C, “Fort Worth election sites cut to sway county vote”) Autocrats in the White House and the Texas Governor’s Mansion are quite enough without one in Tarrant County who, with his MAGA acolytes, has tried to limit voting rights two years in a row.
- Paul Hartman, Fort Worth
Sun power
The recent star-telegram.com story describing the hottest months since 1895 illustrates that Texas has seen record heat since 2011. This ongoing heat puts a huge burden on our electric grid, especially with the expansion of high-energy users such as AI data centers.
Solar power is one of our best solutions. While the sun is out and demand for energy spikes, solar panels produce the most electricity — exactly when Texans need it most. Solar is quickly becoming the cheapest source of reliable energy. It’s already prevented blackouts and lowered energy costs for Texans.
Most important, solar reduces reliance on fossil fuels that release heat-trapping greenhouse gases, which make these heat waves worse. Texas needs to invest more in solar to provide cheaper, more reliable energy to support our growing residential and commercial needs.
- Andrea Christgau, Keller
Trump’s delusions
Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard personnel to California, as well as his proposals to send them to Chicago and other U.S. cities, represents a significant misuse of presidential authority. Let’s not forget that in his first week back in office, he pardoned more than 1,500 individuals involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, including those who assaulted police officers and threatened lawmakers.
Trump exhibits delusional behavior, believing in his own omnipotence and grandeur. He has an obsessive desire for power and control, showing a blatant disregard for rules, norms and consequences in his pursuit of dominance. He poses a clear danger to national security, governance and our communities.
- Leslie J. Smith, Grapevine