First-place failures
Re: “Texans going hungry — New report shows state among most food-insecure, even surpassing California,” Thursday news story and “Background checks for gun sales work,” by Philip Courtney Hogan, Thursday Opinion.
Again we have the honor of being first in several categories. Do we want to be first in the nation with most people going to bed hungry every night? And, do we want to lead our nation in gun deaths? I certainly am not proud of these statistics.
In 2021, Texans purchased more than 1.6 million guns and Texans with guns killed 4,616 people in the same year. Texas leads the nation in gun deaths. Gun deaths have risen nearly 44% since Gov. Greg Abbott took office. Please read this column and ask: Are these statistics something I can be proud of as a Texan?
Helen Newell Thompson, Plano
Open carry exception
I’m confused! We live in an open carry state but not at the National Rifle Association convention in Dallas where our governor and former president were? Explanation?
Linda Vrzak, Corsicana
The single-mother truth
Re: “Going Solo — The meteoric rise in single motherhood is uniquely American, and we’re afraid to talk about the repercussions,” by Abby McCloskey, May 12 Opinion.
So glad that The Dallas Morning News is looking for subscriber input on journalistic integrity and objectivity by hiring a public editor.
I’m very happy to see this column that finally portrays the single-mother truth: This is a poor choice which all but guarantees poor outcomes for children, schools and society. The News has spent years portraying single mothers as victims: See the April 28 editorial stating that America’s problem is not work ethic, but the fact that we pay insufficient salary to (generally under-educated and low-skill) single mothers who per the column represent 70% of the evicted population.
Now let’s report clearly how taxpayers have been forced to support and encourage this lifestyle, so that the U.S. now has by far the highest number of single-parent families in the world. It has always taken more than one low income to support a family, and now actually takes two higher incomes. Low-income women having multiple children with absent or unemployed men does not give good results, and the answer is not more funding of the lifestyle choice.
We really do have to assign blame and expect people to assume the responsibilities and accept the consequences of their actions. Such expectations do not reflect prejudice against any race, sex or income level. They reflect the simple, time-honored reality that all people need to be emotionally and financially prepared before choosing to start a family. It may not seem progressive and it may seem to lack empathy, but it is and always has been real life.
Gayle Hebert, Plano
Nothing for Preston Road
Re: “Hope Rises Around Old Valley View Mall — Look past the rubble at positive International District development,” Saturday editorial.
As I try to look beyond the rubble on much of those 450 acres, I am pleased with all that is on the drawing board for development west of Montfort toward the toll road. I am appalled, disappointed and downright angry that after all this time, there is absolutely nothing planned for development on the Preston Road side. Why?
Sharyn Bledsoe, Dallas
Another flyers-only vote
Re: “Limit airport gates to flyers,” by Hans F. Voorn, Sunday Letters.
Just when I find a topic about which to express my opinion on this page, Voorn makes my case in his letter to the editor. His arguments are thoughtful, informed and make sense. Listen to him!
Thank you, Mr. Voorn.
Anastasia P. Campbell, Little Elm
Are we ready for disaster?
It is not very often that weather, an accident or even a possible deliberate act can down large transmission towers with electric power lines as shown in pictures from Houston. It brought to mind when eight tornadoes hit Huntsville, Ala., in 1974 and, I believe, six or seven of the eight electric transmission feeds were downed.
The city and the Tennessee Valley Authority had large wooden poles stocked on the ground in all of the areas for such an emergency. Trucks with augers were able to drill holes and put up temporary poles quickly to start getting more electric feeds into the city.
A major substation had been hit with flying cars and put out of action and large transformers damaged, but a spare or two were available. It was amazing how quickly power for residential areas was restored.
It took many weeks to get the permanent towers replaced, but by staggering power outages and using multiple switches to bypass outages, the permanent repairs were made with little to no disruption. It seems the electrical engineers had planned ahead to minimize disruptions.
Does the Dallas area have that kind of disaster planning for electrical power? Did or does Houston? If the answer is no, why not?
As we found out in the “Big Freeze,” our modern life is so dependent on electricity it seems as though proper disaster planning would be a requirement.
Robert Munroe, Dallas
Who’s in charge of power?
Re: “ERCOT says heat will strain grid,” Sunday news story.
What? Rolling blackouts in May because generators are doing maintenance and temperatures are 90 outside? This is Texas and the last of May. We’re going into summer. It is normal to sometimes have temperatures in the low 90s in late May. Is nobody at the helm of our electric power system in this state?
Ernie Stokely, Far North Dallas
We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com