Jimi’s ‘Star-Spangled Banner’
Re: “10 American songs to blast at your 4th of July party,” Wednesday news story.
I read your list of songs for the Fourth of July. While they were good ones, I would have included Jimi Hendrix’s version of the “Star-Spangled Banner.” It’s a great reminder of a special time in our history and also a very artistic take on the song itself.
Margaret Barnes, Dallas
Greenwood’s ‘God Bless the USA’
How can you leave out Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA”? Instead we got “Party in the USA.” Really?
Ron Pastor, Frisco
Being part of the discourse
Re: “Be like Ben Franklin: witty and clever,” by Scott Walters, Thursday Opinion.
I was thinking about writing a letter about how The Dallas Morning News feels more like a community or small-town newspaper than one in a major city. Then I read Walters’ column.
I have to make just one small correction: I do think those who write to the paper are very clever and witty already. I often remark to friends after reading the Letters to the Editor how bright and amusing those authors are in their words and ideas. I also think it’s important to contribute by letter, and I look forward to learning something new each day from others in my neighborhood.
When I first started writing letters to the DMN, I had a friend look at me in amazement, saying “I don’t think I’ve ever thought anyone would care what I thought or wrote.” I disagree; it’s not caring what others think or seeing your name in print, it’s being part of a community, sharing and learning new ideas — even the clever and witty ones.
Perri Brackett, Lewisville
Style vs. substance
As did many of my like-minded friends and associates, I watched with bated breath for the chance to see America’s presidential debate. Two lesser candidates from both of the viable parties were vying for a chance to move the discussion forward. Anticipation was high and expectations were low.
Full disclosure: I was only disappointed by how accurate this turned out to be. I respect the elder representative and abhor his predecessor. That said, I concluded that both parties have been seduced by their own respective ideology and locked in a battle for power at all costs. This is a recipe for failure as history can attest.
Age is a cruel master, and President Joe Biden has shown the effects. Toxic self-aggrandizement is the hallmark of former President Donald Trump. We are locked in a battle of style vs. substance, with both sides willing to sell their collective souls. There appears to be no good outcome.
Perhaps one candidate will relinquish his need for acclamation and perhaps give the nation a chance for survival. The story of Solomon deciding on the maternal parentage of the baby may offer some guidance.
Larry Portman, Garland
Looking for morals, principles
Re: “Contrasts in the debate,” by Anton Skell, Thursday Letters.
Skell says his choice for president is Trump, who he thinks shows strength and a keen business sense. Strength is not shown in bombastic name-calling and lies, and six bankruptcies don’t show much of a business sense.
My choice for a leader would not cheat on three wives, run a fake university, have a charity closed down due to malfeasance or mock a disabled person. Neither would my choice be for a convicted felon nor a person held liable for sexual assault, and especially not someone who even mentioned suspending the Constitution.
I’m a naturalized citizen, and voting is very important to me. What I want in a leader is ethics, principles, morals and civility.
Tina Williams, Waxahachie
Limit office-holders’ terms, ages
I hope that this kangaroo court of an election cycle has every millennial and Gen Zer on the same page: We critically need term limits and potentially age restrictions for representation.
Imagine how much more diligent our Congress would be if those individuals had only two six-year terms before they were never allowed back in the building again.
I would like to take it a step further and restrict the age of our representatives as well. If you are over the age where you can collect Social Security benefits, you need to be retired, not running the largest superpower on the planet.
Will Dominguez, Richardson
Scholastic accountability
Re: “Solving the school voucher issue,” by Ann Hedges, Wednesday Letters.
Hedges’ suggestion seems like an interesting approach to public school funding, worthy of further discussion. An Arizona school system used that approach and allowed the free transfer of students from one school to another, with scary results.
The hope was that schools with great educational performance would win the lottery, but unfortunately, the limited support infrastructure promoted local gangs of kids that terrorized students with differences. Even though deaths occurred, there was no accountability for these actions.
I agree that we need more funding to support our public schools and more accountability for scholastic performance. Sometimes that will mean that our children need to be disciplined at school, and since we are the ones who sent them to school, we need to support those discipline efforts.
Following the rules is a requirement of living. Breaking the rules (and failing to learn) have negative consequences.
Our children also need to know that we want their educational performance to be as good as they are capable of demonstrating, all the time.
Ray Johnston, Heath
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