This is on voters
Re: “AG wants courts to rule seats as vacant — Paxton says Texas Dems have abandoned office by leaving to break quorum,” Wednesday news story.
We created this mess. A lot of people are unhappy about the direction our country is going. We don’t like the bills being introduced, the laws being enacted, domestic and foreign policy, court decisions and spineless legislators.
The genesis of our unhappiness largely comes down to partisan gerrymandering and big money. But we act like someone else foisted our current situation upon us. We put legislators into office who decide on voter district lines that pretty much determine who will be elected, campaign finance laws and judicial appointees’ court decisions.
Opinion
We need to be informed voters. Let’s spend more time researching candidates and issues. Understand the bias of your information sources. One resource is allsides.com.
Stop bellyaching. We are so lucky to live in a representative democracy but it comes with a price. We need to be active responsible citizens. In a representative democracy, the government is not something apart from us. We are the government. If we don’t vote responsibly, we are giving our power away to someone else. Nonvoters are just as responsible as uninformed voters for the mess we are in. Be an informed voter. Do your homework.
Joan M. Ridley, Old East Dallas
Dig out of partisan mud
The United States political system has collapsed and been replaced by a one-man circus. This is happening in front of our very eyes. An ill-informed electorate, the election of a compromised president, aided and abetted by the silent Republican majority in Congress and enabled by the conservative Supreme Court majority that ruled on Citizens United and gave absolute immunity for a sitting president, are the cause of this collapse.
Big business and billionaires that paid to elect the Supreme Court majority have won. Read the book The Scheme by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse to understand the situation the country finds itself in.
It’s time for the citizens of this country to dig themselves out of the partisan mud they have sunk into and work to correct this. It’s time to realize who is the real enemy of the ordinary citizen.
Persis Shroff, Flower Mound
One-party remap unfair
Re: “Why Texas GOP is right to redistrict — New map is fairer and more inclusive of Hispanic voters,” by Nate Crain, Friday Opinion.
Just the title of this column is wrong. To be fair and just, both parties need to be equal participants and it should pass with unquestioned bipartisan support. That is what would make redistricting right.
Denise Friend, Coppell
Give school phone ban time
Sometimes, the role of good government — and good policy — is to protect people from themselves. The new schoolwide cellphone ban is exactly that. I won’t pretend it will be easy. For many students and parents, constant digital connection has become a way of life. But maybe a little distance is exactly what we need.
As a teacher, I see how cellphones disrupt attention, communication and learning every single day. This policy, though abrupt, offers an opportunity: a chance for students to reclaim focus, patience and in-person problem-solving skills. It might even benefit parents, too. I challenge any adult to spend eight hours away from their phone. If it’s hard for us, imagine what it’s doing to young minds still in formation.
Yes, there will be growing pains. Some students will see us as enforcers, even villains. I’ve jokingly suggested we get badges that say “Phone Police.” But we’re not trying to punish — we’re trying to teach. Just like speed limits once seemed extreme, but ultimately made roads safer, this policy is about creating a healthier learning environment.
To parents and students: Please be patient. This won’t be perfect, and it won’t be easy. But trust that the teachers standing in front of your children each day are doing so with care, purpose and professionalism.
Despite what some headlines suggest, most of us aren’t extremists of any kind. We’re educators. We entered this field to help shape thoughtful, capable and compassionate adults.
Banning phones during school hours won’t change that mission. In fact, it might just help us do it better.
Dakota Moncrief, The Colony
Theatrics in sports
I am really hoping that Micah Parsons will be able to stay with the Dallas Cowboys. He’s tried, I think, but his last statement makes me wonder.
Loyalty in sports feels like it’s become a relic. It’s all business now — contracts, leverage, negotiations. The problem is the Cowboys, and other teams and sports, now pay a high price for some players.
Fans want heart. Commitment. A sense that players care as much about the community and team identity as we do. The teams need to cap the pay limit for each person in all sports.
Then when players retire, they can get a regular job, like a teacher or a police officer, or a librarian, or a business person. Try on the shoes of everyday people who work hard each day and don’t get paid nearly enough.
I just have to shake my head and sigh at the theatrics that are going on in sports, with people trading teams for more money since their current team didn’t give them what they wanted. Team owners, staff and players alike are at fault.
The imbalance highlights how we prioritize entertainment over education, safety, and service. I feel what a lot of fans feel — disappointment and disillusionment.
Heather Batson, Lucas