Letters to the editor: The U.S. should not support the extreme response in Gaza

Waging war on people not involved

in Israeli attack is extreme response

While I support the right of Israel to exist as a sovereign nation and am appalled by the horrific attack on Israeli citizens by Hamas terrorists, I believe that waging war against Gaza is an extreme response which mostly targets people who were not involved in the attack, and we should not support such actions.

Israel and Gaza need to bring the perpetrators to justice together, and all states in the region need to work to stop terrorism and address the issues that have led to the creation of extremist organizations. Surely this would be preferable to what is happening now and preferable to what may follow if this is allowed to continue.

Sondra Kamper, Round Rock

Daylight saving time is unnatural.

It's past time to end it for good.

Re: Oct. 29 article: 'Could Daylight saving time be sunsetting?'

It’s time to end daylight saving time for good. I shouldn’t be walking my dog in the dark at 7 a.m., passing little kids walking to elementary school and middle school kids waiting for the bus as cars go whizzing by us. And it shouldn't be light at 9 p.m. in the summer when these kids and many adults are going to bed. Daylight saving time is unnatural. It’s out of sync with our body clocks. It’s a boon to shopping malls but not the rest of us. There is a reason why standard time is standard.

Rona Distenfeld, Austin

If enacted, HB4 would allow police

to target people with brown skin

Rep. David Spiller, R-Jacksboro, must be paranoid. HB4, which he sponsored, authorizes any peace officer to arrest and detain anyone "thought" to be in the country illegally. People with brown skin who even look at a peace officer suspiciously would be subject to detention.

This bill reflects the limited and selfish attitude of most Republican politicians. Perhaps there is truth in the belief that Anglos are concerned about becoming the minority in America. What better way than to cast those with skin color different than white as "illegal" based solely on the officer's "belief." If the bill moves to the Senate, it would be because Republican representatives have no backbone to buck the party line. Even more egregious is that if the bill reaches the governor's desk, our good Catholic, God-fearing governor will sign it.

Gilberto Mendoza, Austin

Vouchers wouldn't violate the Constitution.

They would give parents a choice of schools.

The First Amendment does not say that there is to be a separation of church and state, but rather, that the government shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. That is not what is happening with vouchers. Vouchers would not send all kids to parochial schools (there are many non-religious private schools in Texas). Instead, vouchers would give parents choice as to where their child attends school; public, private or parochial, for the best education that they can provide. Period.

Gordon Smith, Austin

Concerns that voucher money will be

spent on trips, trampolines and TVs

I read with unease about assurances in the Texas Senate’s voucher bill that it includes safeguards against abuses like those in Florida, where homeschoolers have used voucher money for trips to Disneyworld and flat-screen TVs, and in Arizona for things like trampolines and chicken coops.

The Senate’s plan to avoid abuse by having the comptroller’s office audit participants’ accounts does not assuage my doubts. All I can imagine is a behemoth parallel bureaucracy sucking dollars from our underfunded public schools.

Why not invest that money into a robust public school system where teachers are paid well, where all students are served, where choices are provided within the system, where class sizes are small, and where extracurricular activities such as sports are enjoyed, and arts are appreciated?

House legislators, please continue to resist Governor Abbott’s bullying tactics before taking even a first step toward a voucher program.

Betsy Singleton, San Marcos

Dedicate our tax money to building

strong public schools for everyone

I believe it is wrong to consider public funding for private schools. Our public school system is, and always should be, the foundation of a strong, well-educated population. Our schools suffer enough from lack of funding and to take away more to finance private schools that are not available to everyone is wrong. Put our money where it belongs, building a strong public school system that is available to everyone.

Tom Hauer, Marble Falls

Like the ones before it, the latest mass

slaughter could have been prevented

Another slaughter of innocent victims because some of our elected officials refuse to stop lining their pockets with NRA money!  What will it take for those of you who continue to support, rather than ban, assault weapons in the general population?

The mass shooting in Maine was totally preventable. This man was severely mentally ill, yet he was able to purchase an assault weapon, no background check required.  To each and every one of you politicians who refuse to take actions necessary to ensure these weapons are only available to law enforcement and the military, your day will come, and you will be voted out of office. Linda Moore, Austin

How to submit a letter to the editor

Send letters of no more than 150 words by noon Thursday by using our online form at https://bit.ly/3Crmkcf or send an email to letters@statesman.com.

We welcome your letters on all topics. Include your name and city of residence; we do not publish anonymous letters.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Letters to the editor: We shouldn't support extreme response in Gaza