The Lamar High School shooting was a tragedy. Here’s where the real blame lies | Opinion
Lamar High shooter’s parents
If the young man from Lamar High School used a gun from his house to kill the classmate, his parents should be charged with failure to secure the gun. (March 23, 1A, “Family, classmates gather to mourn Arlington teen”)
- Harold L. Smith, Arlington
Our students need adults’ help
One thing all parents can agree on is that we want our children to be safe in school. But today, our children do not need to seek out violence. It finds them in the places where they are supposed to feel and be physically safe, including schools.
Shootings at schools are horrifically traumatic for students and adults alike. But the enormousness of the challenge cannot be an excuse for adults to shy away from their responsibility to support children who have endured such terror. Rather, it must be the catalyst for adults to bring their best selves forward and employ every tool and resource at their disposal to support children working through the horrific event.
- Michelle Oliva, Mansfield
Steady hands in Tarrant County
Tarrant County is fortunate to have good people in leadership at the Tarrant Appraisal District. Chief Appraiser Jeff Law is as knowledgeable and conscientious as we can ask for. We are also fortunate to have an outstanding board of volunteers giving their time to govern the distinct.
It seems a vocal minority has a vendetta against Law and the board. (March 18, 1A, “Tarrant Appraisal board votes to recall former chair”) We have lost a dedicated board member in Kathryn Wilemon, who served the county’s residents with a level head and even temper. People of the caliber of Wilemon and other board members are hard to find, especially when their volunteerism takes up so much of their precious time.
In our world today, the vocal minority seems to be controlling the majority. Let’s not let that happen at the Tarrant Appraisal District.
- Kenneth E. Jones, Fort Worth
I don’t trust CNN, MSNBC
A March 19 letter writer (4C) bemoaned Fox News’ Tucker Carlson’s access to the footage of the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The writer suggested that only the violence be shown and footage showing otherwise should be hidden away. The writer seems to propose that Carlson’s honest, full-reporting of the facts is not appropriate and that cherry-picking disclosures is better.
This reflects the reporting common today in most news organizations, but particularly at CNN and MSNBC. They seldom lie, but they very selectively choose the footage or facts to report and ignore contrasting footage or facts that present a story that does not reflect their narrative. We saw this in stories on the origin of COVID-19, the six-year railing against Donald Trump and the deafening silence on reporting the Biden family connections to Chinese money.
- J. Mark Bronson, Fort Worth
Ditch the clock switch
Leave our clocks at standard time and quit changing them altogether. Changing time does nothing but cause hardship for businesses and children.
- Gary Tugwell, Teague
Fort Worth ISD leaders’ task
The Fort Worth school board may soon be required to decide about dramatically downsizing of the district. The choices will have a generational impact on families and the larger community. Trustees, are you confident that you are sufficiently well-informed to make these important determinations?
I know the board has the authority and responsibility to obtain the best information available to inform its actions.
Therefore, I ask:
Has the board sought expertise to conduct a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis? Is the projected enrollment the result of an analysis by an organization with urban census tract demographic expertise?
And a billion-dollar bond issue is being implemented. Has the board engaged expertise to advise how to proceed with this potential indebtedness?
- William H. Koehler, Fort Worth
The writer is a past president of the Fort Worth ISD Board of Education
Another gem from Mac Engel
Nothing in my memory has needed to be said as urgently as Mac Engel’s column in the March 10 Star-Telegram about a TCU basketball player’s allegations of racism against coach Jamie Dixon. Nor do I believe any other journalist — dead or alive — could have said it as well. (1B, “Stop comparing NFL to slavery, and anything to lynchings”)
About the time I’m absolutely convinced the Star-Telegram has become overpriced, you hatch one of these beauties.
- Jerry Houston, Fort Worth
