Keep rivalry fun; Planned Parenthood; better bus service; Trump vs. Sanders; city pride

Keep rivalry fun

As an out-of-town vendor in the Stock Show for six years, I have fallen in love with this paper and following TCU football.

TCU’s rivalry with my Baylor Bears has remained a friendly, fun rivalry.

But the newspaper focuses on negative assumptions about coach Art Briles and Baylor football instead of more recent, substantiated information.

It’s a wonderful day for our little schools when we are driving the nation.

Let’s continue to do so with stability and support and have fun.

— John Haskett, Waco

Planned Parenthood

Gov. Greg Abbott wants to ban abortion clinics from donating the organs of aborted fetuses for research.

Back in the early 1950s, fetal kidney tissue was used to grow polio viruses that were used by Dr. Jonas Salk to develop his polio vaccine, which saved millions of lives and made the iron lung obsolete.

In the late 1950s, desperate parents, including mine, were putting the names of their children on waiting lists hoping to get them the life-saving polio vaccine.

As I recall, there was absolutely zero concern over the use of fetal tissue to produce the vaccine.

If fetal tissue served no purpose for today’s medical research, then there would be no demand for it.

If a politician like Abbott had tried to shut down the effort to eradicate polio back in the 1950s, he would have been run out of town.

— Larry Mason, Azle

I so agree with Elsie Koppa’s Monday letter.

There were few things that worked to prevent pregnancy in the 1950s, and I also needed some assistance with prevention of pregnancy as we had four children.

I know Planned Parenthood saved my life!

They are awesome and have helped so many women.

I also still support Planned Parenthood and am hopeful the Texas Legislature will save that organization.

It is the only organization that I know of that supports women!

— Lois Campbell, Hurst

Reader Elsie Koppa believes in access to abortion and states “it is the law.”

Human laws that fail to comply to the laws of God are not good.

God teaches: “Thou shalt not kill.”

My adopted cousin has three beautiful children.

— Deborah Fleischmann,

Fort Worth

Better bus service

Please encourage the Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD to incorporate better policy for transporting students.

We live two miles from campus, and the district policy states you must be further than 2.1 miles to be eligible for bus transportation.

Neighboring Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and Keller ISD both have pay-as-you ride policies.

Last year a student was kidnapped near my home while walking home.

Was she also inside the limit?

Would her parents, knowing this would happen, have paid $75-$100 per semester for her to ride the bus?

I bet they would.

I know I would for my daughter.

— Michael Campbell, Bedford

Trump vs. Sanders

Richard Greene’s Aug. 30 column, “Campaign waters are roiling around Trump and Clinton” said Donald Trump is popular among Republicans because he is “unafraid to boldly proclaim positions on issues without equivocation or fear of either the media or opponents.”

But the same description is even more true of Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side.

Besides, the positions that Sanders takes on economic issues are much closer to what a majority of voters favor — even a majority of voters who consider themselves Republicans, as Harold Meyerson pointed out in another recent column.

Sanders’ proposals include raising the minimum wage; requiring employers to give employees paid sick leave and paid parental leave; and raising taxes on the very wealthy to preserve Social Security and to lower college student debt.

As far as I know, Trump has not expressed support for any such proposals.

So why do the media often treat Trump as a refreshing change and give him far more coverage?

Could it be because Sanders and not Trump challenges class privilege?

— Daniel S. Levine, Arlington

City pride

I am extremely proud to live in a city where the shooting by an Arlington police officer was so calmly and thoroughly investigated.

I’m thankful for the peaceful manner in which Police Chief Will Johnson discussed the situation.

My heart is heavy for all involved, but I believe the character of Arlington is on display and that we will come through in a peaceful manner.

— Joan Vetter, Arlington

This story was originally published September 4, 2015 at 7:19 PM with the headline "Keep rivalry fun; Planned Parenthood; better bus service; Trump vs. Sanders; city pride."