Hemp policy is ‘scorched earth’ approach
The government shutdown has ended. Yea? In the process, the Senate, in conspiracy with the House, has voted to destroy the hemp industry nationally. Meaning? About 53,000 Texans will soon be out of work.
An estimated $10 billion in commerce will cease to flow through Texas cash registers. Rather than regulate the industry, which has begged for reasonable regulation all along akin to alcohol and tobacco, the demigods in Washington think they are scoring “We know what’s better for you than you do” points by throwing out not only the baby, but her twin sister, their rubber ducky and the entire bathtub with the bathwater.
These scorched earth policies of Arctic Ice, hemp, immigration, tariffs, Department of War, destroying the East Wing of the White House, rule of law and more — it’s just the beginning folks. And we are all taking a bath.
Ross Vick, Dallas/Oak Cliff
Growth of clean energy
Re: “New ‘Landman’ season gives oil, gas lobby a chance to promote itself,” online story.
Opinion
Life before harnessing energy from the combustion of fossil fuels was cold, dark and short. We owe many of the benefits of our wonderful modern way of life to harnessing that energy. However, the fact is that the accumulation of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels poses a grave threat to our global economies and well-being.
Fortunately, global deployment of clean energy technologies (wind, solar, batteries, geothermal, nuclear) and electrification of transportation (EVs) is growing rapidly.
Annual global investment in clean energy technology and deployments is now twice that of hydrocarbon energy. Countries don’t like to be held hostages by petrostates, and now clean energy technologies can help them prevent that in the future. While the use of hydrocarbons for fuel will continue for many years, it’s also a resource much of the world is losing interest in.
Accelerating the transition to electrification and clean energy has become a strategic imperative for economic competitiveness, national security and public well-being. The nations that lead in this transition will shape the 21st-century global order.
Richard Howe, Plano
Cherry-picking the Second Amendment
Looking to repeal the bipartisan Safer Communities Act passed in the wake of the Uvalde tragedy, U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Houston), in his bid for a place in the midterm Senate election, is courting the extremists.
He stated, “Our right to keep and bear arms is crystal clear.” Unfortunately, he left out much of the Second Amendment selectively. To wit: “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
I rather doubt his intended audience can be described as “a well-regulated militia.”
Craig Marckwardt, Dallas/Mountain Creek
Kind gesture from the Mavs
Re: “Ouster was obvious move, but Mavs’ nightmare far from over,” by Kevin Sherrington, Nov. 12 SportsDay column.
The firing of Nico Harrison is what lawyers might call a “necessary but insufficient” condition for rebuilding trust with Mavericks fans. Eventually, we will also need an apology and a return to winning.
But the Mavs are heading in the right direction. I recently wrote to the team to share the impact the Luka Doncic trade has on my three nephews — robbing them of a favorite player and one of our most cherished family traditions.
Props to Mavs President Ethan Casson, who reached out to thank me for my message and to offer the boys tickets to a home game.
It’s not quite an apology, and it doesn’t restore what has been lost. But it was a very kind gesture and hopefully a first step in bringing back joy to a family of Mavs fans.
Jeremy Haile, San Francisco
No logic to deportations
This week, a member of my church who was following all the proper steps for citizenship was deported. Why? Because Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans was removed for huge numbers of people based on policy, not on anything they did.
Basically, the administration doesn’t agree with harboring them just because their country is politically unstable and facing food insecurity. Venezuela is, according to our State Department, so dangerous that no Americans should travel there, but apparently it’s perfectly fine for its own citizens to stay there.
But we can give protected status to white Afrikaners. Who can explain these discrepancies to us?
Anna Reiner, Corinth
A quote for our times
I’m reading a book by Doris Kearns Goodwin. In it, she quotes her husband, Dick Goodwin, in a speech to the Americans for Democratic Action: “The greatest strength of American democracy: It is not our privilege but our duty as patriots, to write, to speak, to organize, to oppose any President and any party and any policy at any time which we believe threatens the grandeur of this nation and the well-being of its people. This is such a time.”
This was written in 1966! We must do this at this time — 2025!
Beth Weems Pirtle, Dallas
What about Scott Burns?
I appreciated your reflections on the “stories behind the stories” honoring current and former staffers in Sunday special section, The Dallas Morning News — 140 Years. I was disappointed, however, to see that Scott Burns was left off.
His contributions to the Business section were important to those of us who valued information regarding finances, the stock market and personal stories that were often mixed with good humor.
I, for one, applaud him, and I am certain that others feel the same way. I miss his informational column. Thank you, Mr. Burns!
Mary Lou Coughlin, Plano