Better mass transit; rule of law

Better mass transit

It’s time to change our views on our transit system.

To Fort Worth’s credit, there is a clear attempt to involve all of us in the T’s new master plan.

The problem is, the entire plan sells us short. We cover too small an area, we don’t cover major public areas, and we have long waits between buses, plus service stops early and may or may not cover weekends at all.

I don’t own a car. I’m determined to get around our city on foot or by taking a bus. I use Uber as my backup when I need to go a distance or have a reason I can’t get around on my own. It’s working pretty well.

I think our residents would use our T system if we just have better coverage, both in frequency and areas covered, and an easy way to access it, such as a smartphone app that works well.

Build it, and they will come.

Rule of law

Clista Hancock’s Sept. 23 letter differentiating Latinos and Republicans by whether they believe in the rule of law was singularly mean-spirited.

Of course most Latinos, Irish, Italians, Russians, Native Americans, Muslims and other people of not-her-own heritage do believe in the rule of law.

Considering the worldwide immigration problem we are facing, we must, as Pope Francis cautions, be charitable.

A large majority of the people flooding into Europe from the Middle East are in fact people of the middle classes who have made the awful decision to liquidate their assets (at no doubt great financial cost) and leave their ancestral homes to flee horrible situations.

How can we imagine, if we dare, what it would take for us to have to make such a choice? It’s the same with those crossing our borders. They aren’t doing it for fun.

Let us remember that old Christian phrase: There but for the grace of God go we.

This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Better mass transit; rule of law."