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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.<\/p>\n
Smiley N. Pool\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Be a UTA Maverick\u00a0<\/p>\n
Re: \u201cPolling cuts warrant skepticism\u00a0\u2014 Tarrant County hasn\u2019t earned voters’ trust,\u201d Monday editorial.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Students, staff and those who live near the University of Texas at Arlington: It\u2019s clear that Tarrant County Commissioners Court members Tim O\u2019Hare, Matt Krause, and Manny Ramirez want to make it difficult for you to vote by eliminating your polling location. \u00a0<\/p>\n
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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. \u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Devin Johnson, Bridgeport\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meaningful story\u00a0<\/p>\n
Re: \u201cFrom Reagan to Trump\u00a0\u2014 After protesting at 1984 GOP convention, Dallas activist returns for midterm gathering,\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
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To Mar\u00eda Ramos Pacheco, I wanted to personally thank you for your bold coverage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Please keep doing the work. It matters, and people are paying attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Patrice Jones, Fort Worth\u00a0<\/p>\n
Character also matters\u00a0<\/p>\n
Re: \u201cPolicy matters most,\u201d by Brad Plank, Aug. 25 letters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Plank writes, \u201cCharacter matters\u2026but personalities come and go. Policy is what we hand down to our children,\u201d and my skin crawls with dread. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Character affects how policies are made. A president can have policies you like, but still be vindictive, corrupt and reckless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Plus, you can\u2019t 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\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, there are the crises that a president didn\u2019t anticipate during the campaign\u00a0\u2014 a war, financial meltdown or natural disaster. Then we\u2019ll rely less on their policies and more on their judgment, honesty and willingness to listen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We don\u2019t have to choose between policy and character. We can look at a candidate and ask, \u201cHow good are their policies, and can I trust them to implement them morally?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Andy Shaw, Dallas\/Lake Highlands\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Give her a chance\u00a0<\/p>\n
Re: \u201cSay no to Givens,\u201d by Nancy Scholberg, Saturday Letters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Remember Craig Watkins? The Dallas establishment campaigned against him. They said he wasn\u2019t up to the job. They echoed whispers about his legal acumen. Then, he created the Dallas County DA\u2019s first Conviction Integrity Unit. He freed 35 wrongfully convicted individuals and brought Texas so much positive national attention. He was The Dallas Morning News’\u00a02008 Texan of the Year. The establishment was way wrong about him as district attorney. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Flash forward eight years. Dallas\u2019establishment adored Susan Hawk in 2014. \u00a0Her track record supported the buzz. Yet, her tenure as district attorney was a disaster, snowballing into her premature resignation. Perhaps that\u2019s unfair to say, but my point is the establishment was way wrong about her as district attorney. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Flash forward another eight years. The establishment campaigns against Judge Amber Givens. They say she\u2019s mean to lawyers. Do they say similarly dispositioned white male judges are \u201ctough but fair\u201d? Regardless, the establishment says the sky will fall if Givens becomes district attorney. \u00a0<\/p>\n
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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. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Richard Elsea, Mesquite\u00a0<\/p>\n
Data center questions\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u2019t already been getting? Why so many? \u00a0<\/p>\n
It seems like they couldn\u2019t possibly all be needed in the long run. We aren\u2019t doing that much more computing than we were doing a few years ago, are we?\u00a0<\/p>\n