Students pose for photos on the campus of the University of Texas at Arlington on April 19. The campus lost a polling place for the November election.
Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Be a UTA Maverick
Re: “Polling cuts warrant skepticism — Tarrant County hasn’t earned voters’ trust,” Monday editorial.
Students, staff and those who live near the University of Texas at Arlington: It’s clear that Tarrant County Commissioners Court members Tim O’Hare, Matt Krause, and Manny Ramirez want to make it difficult for you to vote by eliminating your polling location.
Article continues below this ad
They did not eliminate the polling location for Texas Christian University students, as the Editorial Board pointed out, which is a clear indicator they want to cancel your vote by making voting difficult.
As a 2010 UTA graduate and a U.S. Air Force veteran, I suggest embracing the spirit of being a Maverick and finding a way to vote in the upcoming election. You have the same voting rights as those attending TCU, and if politicians are going to make it hard on you to vote, I encourage you to step up and spoil their ill-plotted scheme with your peaceful, powerful vote.
Devin Johnson, Bridgeport
Meaningful story
Re: “From Reagan to Trump — After protesting at 1984 GOP convention, Dallas activist returns for midterm gathering,”
Article continues below this ad
To María Ramos Pacheco, I wanted to personally thank you for your bold coverage.
Your story highlighting Mavis Belisle and her decades of advocacy is exactly the kind of local journalism our communities need. Stories like hers preserve our history, provide important context for what is happening today and make sure the voices of people who have spent their lives fighting for their communities are not forgotten.
I also know that telling these stories can sometimes come with backlash, especially when the subject matter intersects with politics and deeply held beliefs. Please know there are people in our community who appreciate journalists who are willing to ask difficult questions, provide historical context and tell stories that may make some people uncomfortable.
Thank you for standing with the community by making sure these voices and experiences are documented. I hope The Dallas Morning News continues investing in this kind of meaningful local coverage.
Please keep doing the work. It matters, and people are paying attention.
Article continues below this ad
Patrice Jones, Fort Worth
Character also matters
Re: “Policy matters most,” by Brad Plank, Aug. 25 letters.
Plank writes, “Character matters…but personalities come and go. Policy is what we hand down to our children,” and my skin crawls with dread.
Character affects how policies are made. A president can have policies you like, but still be vindictive, corrupt and reckless.
Article continues below this ad
Plus, you can’t separate the policy from the person. Two leaders might promise the same policy, but implement it very differently because one respects institutional limits and the other doesn’t.
Then, there are the crises that a president didn’t anticipate during the campaign — a war, financial meltdown or natural disaster. Then we’ll rely less on their policies and more on their judgment, honesty and willingness to listen.
And a leader who intimidates judges, disregards laws, punishes political opponents or undermines elections can create problems that last long after a particular policy has disappeared. Good policies require honest execution.
We don’t have to choose between policy and character. We can look at a candidate and ask, “How good are their policies, and can I trust them to implement them morally?”
Andy Shaw, Dallas/Lake Highlands
Article continues below this ad
Give her a chance
Re: “Say no to Givens,” by Nancy Scholberg, Saturday Letters.
Remember Craig Watkins? The Dallas establishment campaigned against him. They said he wasn’t up to the job. They echoed whispers about his legal acumen. Then, he created the Dallas County DA’s first Conviction Integrity Unit. He freed 35 wrongfully convicted individuals and brought Texas so much positive national attention. He was The Dallas Morning News’ 2008 Texan of the Year. The establishment was way wrong about him as district attorney.
Flash forward eight years. Dallas’establishment adored Susan Hawk in 2014. Her track record supported the buzz. Yet, her tenure as district attorney was a disaster, snowballing into her premature resignation. Perhaps that’s unfair to say, but my point is the establishment was way wrong about her as district attorney.
Flash forward another eight years. The establishment campaigns against Judge Amber Givens. They say she’s mean to lawyers. Do they say similarly dispositioned white male judges are “tough but fair”? Regardless, the establishment says the sky will fall if Givens becomes district attorney.
Article continues below this ad
This letter writer and others in the Dallas establishment should remember their past, both when they cry wolf and when they congratulate themselves. Then they should give Judge Givens the chance she fairly and squarely earned.
Richard Elsea, Mesquite
Data center questions
I have been reading all the stories about data centers, but there are more basics that would help. Could you run an explanatory article please? What do data centers do that we haven’t already been getting? Why so many?
It seems like they couldn’t possibly all be needed in the long run. We aren’t doing that much more computing than we were doing a few years ago, are we?
Also, where are all the data center profits going? There must be a lot of profit based on your estimate of taxes generated. Is what they are paying a fair amount or have they received carve-outs for taxes, power, water, land, etc.?
There absolutely need to be regulations that we all agree on regarding where to put them. Despite what politicians are saying, I believe that they are air-polluters, noise-polluters, water-polluters and greedy for power and water as far as I can discover.
Carol Stephenson, Mesquite