Cruz’s birth; birth control; I.M. Terrell; tax statements

Cruz’s birth

In 2016, more than 200 years after the birth of the United States, a person who is not born in the U.S. or in U.S. service cannot become president.

Only a born-in-America person can be president.

Sen. Ted Cruz, who was born in Canada to an American mother and a non-American father. is not eligible to become president.

Imagine if Barack Obama, born to an American mother and a non-American father, had been born in Canada. There would not have been a President Obama.

Why is Cruz accepted? Is it because he’s a white man? Is it because he’s a Republican?

Birth control

The decision by a grand jury in Houston vindicating Planned Parenthood and instead indicting the people who fraudulently tried to defame it is reassuring to those of us who still retain hope for nonpartisan justice.

This will not, unfortunately, stop the opponents of reproductive rights from braying for Planned Parenthood’s destruction as they have for the 100 years of its existence.

Those of us who believe in the right of women to participate in spheres of life in addition to that of motherhood will continue to support their work of providing health and contraceptive care to all who need it.

I.M. Terrell

I’m delighted that a new high school will be located at the old I.M. Terrell High School. (See Jan. 31 story “Work to begin on renovation of I.M. Terrell building.”)

However, Terrell was not the only black high school until the 1970s — only until 1954. Then, the all-black junior highs — Como, Dunbar and Kirkpatrick — began adding senior grades.

Como, Kirkpatrick and Terrell were closed as high schools in the early 1970s. Dunbar continues.

Also, the quote from Trustee T.A. Sims is misleading. Black students throughout Tarrant County attended I.M. Terrell, not because it was a “model” high school but because it was the only high school.

Tax Statements

Something needs to be done about the Tarrant County tax statements.

Since July, I have received 6 different statements showing different values and property locations.

The latest statement show our property valued $10,000 higher than agreed with the Tarrant Appraisal District.

Also, my father received a new valuation without his exemptions applied.

Jeffery D. Law of TAD and the tax assessor-collector, Ron Wright, should be accountable for errors.

Meanwhile, is there any chance of my overpayment being refunded? I doubt it.

This story was originally published February 9, 2016 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Cruz’s birth; birth control; I.M. Terrell; tax statements."