Stop executions and save
Re: “State fights proceeding — Inmate’s attorney wants hearing scheduled as soon as possible,” Wednesday Metro & Business story.
As Texans, we like to think we are tough on crime because we lead the nation in executions. I used to believe that in certain cases that was just punishment.
I changed my mind when I was given a chance to debate the issue in high school. We weren’t told which side we’d be asked to defend until the debate started. It was an excellent teaching method, and you had to fully research both sides. I learned that capital cases tried by jury are not perfect, but the decision to execute is final. And putting someone on death row inevitably leads to 20-plus years of very costly appeals paid for by taxpayers.
There is no evidence that executions serve as a deterrent. While the Robert Roberson III case has more holes than Swiss cheese, I ask why are we still putting people to death in state-sanctioned executions?
Opinion
You want to be tough on crime? Spend those millions expended on death row appeals on hiring and training more police. If convicted, send the person to prison for life. No parole. A lifetime in maximum security isolation. That won’t stop terrible crimes from happening, but it will prevent the execution of a potentially innocent person and save the state some money, too.
Jim Chassen, Dallas
People chose Mamdani
Re: “Decent Night for American Middle — Democrats find a moderate path to wins in Virginia and New Jersey, but NYC and California disappoint,“ Nov. 6 editorial.
Let’s be clear — this is a democracy, and more than half of New Yorkers voted for Zohran Mamdani. He ran a historic campaign, reaching 3 million voters with the help of 104,000 volunteers — a truly people-powered effort that inspired the highest turnout in a New York mayoral race. This is how democracy works: Money didn’t win, people did. Our fragile democracy needed a win for its people, and the voters delivered.
The people have spoken, and they chose what they believe is best for their city. To dismiss that by saying his policies are “the wrong ones for New York” undermines the very foundation of democracy. The will of the voters should not be minimized or characterized as a feast for the right.
Mamdani’s victory is more than a win — it reflects the heartbeat of a diverse, ambitious and forward-looking New York. It shows that equity, inclusion and justice matter, and it offers a glimpse of what the electorate wants in 2026.
Both sides would be wise to pay attention, because this is the power of a democracy when people step up, lead and vote for the future they believe in.
Chanda Parbhoo, Dallas
GOP blocked immigration migrant reform
Re: “Remember folks,” by Gene Tignor, Monday Letters.
Tignor claims in his letter that “this information came from the mind of an independent thinker.”
Specifically regarding the statement that in 2008, President Barack Obama promised that if elected president, he and Congress would pass immigration reform. It is true that they didn’t.
However, an independent thinker would get all the facts, including the fact that the Republicans controlled both the House and the Senate and that they quite often blocked any bill proposed by the Democrats and often declined to negotiate any compromise.
Hmm … well, that’s one way to handle the bills so they can blame the other side in the future.
Jenny Downing, Dallas
Revelation can’t erase cost
Re: “Save legacy, Mr. Trump,” by Larry Mendolia, Nov. 7 Letters.
Mendolia’s letter urging President Donald Trump to “save your legacy” expresses concerns worth hearing. But he’s focused on the wrong legacy.
Just months ago, Mendolia defended these same policies, asking critics to “wait to see the results.” His shift from defender to concerned citizen is telling, but it comes late.
The legacy that matters isn’t Trump’s political standing or the 2026 midterms. It’s what we’re leaving younger generations: weakened democratic institutions, normalized authoritarian rhetoric and a political culture where “you look like a dictator” has become an acceptable critique rather than a disqualifying alarm.
Mendolia’s awakening suggests even committed supporters recognize something’s gone wrong. That recognition matters, but recognizing the problem after enabling it doesn’t erase the cost.
Alfonso Cevola, Dallas/Lake Highlands
Remember woman in DNA find
Re: “James Watson: Co-discoverer of DNA double helix,” Saturday Metro obituary.
Your glowing obituary for James Watson, the “co-discoverer of the DNA double helix” was full of praise for the man. While that’s all well and good, I am constantly infuriated that no one ever acknowledges the immense contributions made to that discovery by Rosalind Franklin.
Franklin was the one who did all of the preliminary work to discover the structure of DNA. From nature.com, “Unknown to Franklin, Watson and Crick saw some of [Franklin’s] unpublished data, including ‘photo 51,’ shown to Watson by Wilkins…Using Franklin’s photograph and their own data, Watson and Crick created their famous DNA model. Franklin’s contribution was not acknowledged, but after her death Crick said that her contribution had been critical.”
While much of the world of science may still be a good, old boys network, I had hoped that the media would acknowledge that in many cases, especially in the discovery of the DNA structure, women often did much of the work while the men took credit for their inspiration and efforts. Certainly Watson and Crick took the credit for Franklin’s discovery.
Olan Knight, Murphy
Save Dallas City Hall
I have a degree in architecture from a Big Ten university. I don’t live in Dallas, but listen up Dallasites, do not tear down your Dallas City Hall. That building is a work of art and, face it folks, you do not have that many good-looking buildings in Dallas.
Jim Stodola, Denton