Moral high ground essential
I love this country, and there are many events in our history that bolster this feeling. President Dwight Eisenhower’s handling of the Suez Crisis where he rebuked allies, stopping their invasion for trying to take the Suez Canal by force is one.
The Soviets had just crushed dissent in Hungary, shocking the world. He realized our approach is just as important as what we do. The moral high ground was essential in order to lead in the world.
Unfortunately, we are in this position today, but now we are possibly willing to give away our leadership and principles. It’s hard to see why it is worth giving away our moral authority for Greenland, authority built up since World War II.
Why can’t Greenland be equally as secure by collective NATO action? As we watched in horror as Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, the current course toward Greenland does not rebuke his actions.
Opinion
We should take our leadership in the world more seriously and adhere to the principles that have always made America great. If we embark on annexing Greenland, we will diminish our place in the world, degrade our alliances and give our children a less secure future.
Erik Simonsen, McKinney
What’s that, insurrection?
I hope there are many folks who, like me, are shaking their heads at the absurdity of the most infamous insurrectionist in our nation’s history threatening to invoke the Insurrectionist Act. Only in America.
Fred R. Neary, Far North Dallas
Parking still matters
Why does it seem that every time there’s a business story about someone leaving downtown Dallas (or not moving there), lack of parking is cited; while every time there’s a story about urban design and planning, parking is treated like the very devil itself?
Look at downtown Fort Worth, and how important its longtime free parking program (evenings and weekends) was to the development of its vibrancy. Look at what businesses and tenants actually say. Think about why you don’t go downtown to shop or eat.
Crime is part of it, yes, but so is inconvenience for actual people who live in Dallas and its suburbs.
We are never going to be the city that new urbanists dream of living in (New York, mostly). But we can be either a failed copycat New York, or a successful version of Dallas.
To do the latter, it’s time that all our agencies accepted that most North Texans use cars for transportation, and if Dallas doesn’t accommodate that, the suburbs certainly will.
Stephen McKeown, Northwest Dallas
$100 million for Abbott
Re: “Greg Abbott’s campaign reports more than $100M in the bank,” online story.
With $100 million in campaign contributions, it’s obvious who supports Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign. Big business, billionaires and right-wing special interest groups will be richly rewarded if he’s re-elected.
If you’re an average middle-class Texan, forget about it.
Bernard Diemer, Saginaw
Greenland military questions
Invading Greenland with U.S. troops would be unconstitutional if not authorized by Congress and a crime under international law even if it was. I wonder if our military leaders will refuse to follow such an illegal order?
Under the military code they must, as we were reminded by Mark Kelly. I certainly hope they will do their duty and refuse.
Fred Moss, Dallas
Same-day voter registration
I am writing to you as a resident of Texas to express my concerns regarding same-day voter registration. After reviewing recent developments and analyzing available data, I believe this issue warrants urgent attention.
There are so many people who are disenfranchised when they believe that they are registered to vote, but get to the polls and are not. Same-day voter registration would solve that problem. This would not let ineligible voters vote, as whoever is registering must prove that they are eligible.
The current rule seems designed to disenfranchise voters. Those in power don’t actually listen to the will of the people. They want to control who votes so that they remain in power. I feel like this is more than enough reason to institute same-day voter registration.
Victoria Lynn Verney, Longview
Pick a movie line
For almost a year, I have been waking up feeling like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. It’s not the same day, the calendar does move forward, but the news is the same every morning.
The executive branches of the U.S. government and the state of Texas have made a new policy. Or they have filed a new lawsuit. Or they are being sued. Or the courts have overturned or confirmed these new policies or rulings. I can’t possibly keep track of what is in force and what is not.
It’s like Tom Cruise in The Color of Money. He tells an opponent: “It’s like a nightmare. It keeps getting worse and worse.”
I keep waiting for a day when millions of people open their windows and yell like Peter Finch in Network, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore.”
Jay Mattingly, Midlothian
Cowboys and continuity
The New York Giants are about to hire John Harbaugh as their next head coach. Harbaugh, of course, is a highly regarded, experienced, Super Bowl-winning coach. This is what most teams who are trying to improve do. They hire experienced coaches with successful track records.
But not the Dallas Cowboys. They often rotate candidates with no head coaching experience into the top job. They lean on “continuity.” This sounds good, at first.
But when you are the laughingstock of the league, and among the worst teams in the NFL over the past 30 years, why on God’s still green earth would you value “continuity?”
What are you trying to continue? It makes no sense! But I’ll stop now.
Will Pryor, Downtown Dallas