Dolly Parton arrives for the red carpet during the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards May 11, 2023, at The Star in Frisco.
Shafkat Anowar/Staff Photographer
She had heart
Heart. If I were to describe Dolly Parton in one word, it would be heart. At a time when news from the current administration is about threats, vengeance and vileness on a daily basis, it is wonderful to pause and remember someone who, besides her talent, will be remembered for demonstrating love and kindness during her 80 years on this earth.
There are many characteristics to look for when deciding who to vote for, although qualification doesn’t seem to be the criteria very often these days. I would suggest that heart be a major determining factor.
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How refreshing it would be to have our elected officials, especially the top office holder, do their job from a place of caring.
Linda Johnston Arage, Waxahachie
Kindness overflowing
Since the passing of Dolly Parton, every day I feel that her human kindness deserves sainthood!
Peter St. Charles, Carrollton
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Not much faith in Dallas
Re: “How do you bring Dallas’ dead back to life? By spending $15M to redo Pioneer Cemetery,” by Robert Wilonsky, Wednesday Opinion.
This morning, after reading Wilonsky’s piece on the Pioneer Cemetery redo project, I hopped into my car and drove to my barber for my appointment. Driving through the intersection of Lemmon Avenue and Inwood Road, the poor road conditions practically rattled the lug nuts off of my wheels. Third world countries wouldn’t put up with such poor road conditions. The dust from the never-ending project there coated my exterior.
A homeless man with no shirt and a ragtag bandage on his ankle weaved aimlessly through the car traffic. When I arrived at my appointment, I found the door locked. My barber jumped up to unlock it, and said, “I keep it locked to keep the homeless from wandering in asking for money.”
Our iconic City Hall is about to be abandoned, and we are furloughing city workers.
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I have complete certainty that the city of Dallas will find a way to completely fail at this project as well. Such a shame, the city that I was so proud of as a youth has turned into this disaster. We need new, strong leadership now!
Thomas Manley, Dallas/Bluffview
No money for City Hall?
If I read Wilonsky’s column correctly, the convention center budget includes $15 million for “restoring” the historically inaccurate Trammell Crow cow park.
But they can’t find any money to repair City Hall.
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Robert L. Meckfessel, Dallas/East Kessler Park
Mysterious attacks
Re: “A High Seas Mystery — Are boat attacks off the Galapagos U.S. black ops?” Wednesday editorial.
My dad shared some recent news with me with the warning, “It’ll make you cringe.”
My youngest cousin decided to join the special forces and will soon be going into training. I understood in that moment how my grandmother, a generation earlier, must have felt when she first learned her grandson was going to be a Navy Seal. After a lifetime of service as a psychiatric nurse for VA hospitals, she had a sense of what that would mean for him. She never stopped trying to dissuade him from his involvement.
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For this and many more reasons, I am immensely grateful for this timely editorial. I understand the harm involves the deceased and injured, loss of public trust, damage to international relations, the “injustice anywhere” that threatens justice everywhere, as well as physical and psychological trauma to those who carry out the attacks.
Neither Sen. Ted Cruz nor Sen. John Cornyn endorsed any of the war powers resolutions that have been marching through Congress this year. Imagine being the person to commission murders. I would love to see this change, for everyone involved.
Human Rights Cities
As the Dallas City Council prepares next year’s budget, we have an opportunity to invest in something that empowers residents and neighborhoods: human rights education.
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Around the world, cities are embracing the idea of becoming “Human Rights Cities,” a concept supported by the United Nations. These cities recognize that local governments play a crucial role in protecting dignity, reducing discrimination and ensuring equal access to housing, safety and opportunity.
Human Rights Cities know that meaningful progress begins with education — helping residents, public officials and private sector leaders understand the rights and responsibilities we all share and hold.
Imagine a Dallas with human rights education in libraries, the Dallas Police Department, city government and all entities with public facing staff.
Human rights education improves civic trust, reduces conflict and helps communities navigate challenges with fairness and respect. It equips people to participate more confidently in public life and strengthens the relationship between residents and their government. In a rapidly growing city like Dallas, this matters.
We urge the City Council to fund human rights education.
Carol Donovan and Jennifer McNabb, Dallas (Lakewood and Oak Cliff)
Naming policies
Re: “Don’t Rename the USS Doris Miller,” Thursday editorial.
First, Doris Miller’s Navy Cross may need to be upgraded to a Medal of Honor. He certainly went above and beyond his duty.
Second, Navy Cross/Medal of Honor recipients get destroyers named after them. Carriers are typically named after presidents and statesmen. Doris Miller deserves to have a destroyer named after him.
Third, while it has become policy to name ships after living people, it is a bad policy in my opinion.
Fourth, no ship should be named after a currently serving member of the government or military. That includes congressmen and cabinet members as well as the president.
Finally, the Navy needs to figure out some naming conventions again and stick to them.