We can’t stop mass shootings? We do a pretty good job preventing hijacked airplanes | Opinion
Air travel gives a model for safety
To prevent violence on hijacked aircraft, we did not merely establish a type of red-flag system to keep unstable or dangerous people from boarding while allowing the vast majority of law-abiding people to take knives, guns and liquids aboard an aircraft. We banned everyone from carrying these items. The possible consequences of an aircraft used as a bomb overcame the restriction on personal liberty.
The question is, does an occasional 15 to 20 dead Americans justify the same approach to the personal liberty to purchase an AR-15?
- Paul Park, Fort Worth
Climate change affects Texas now
Former City Council member Brian Byrd’s Nov. 4 opinion piece “Forcing EV sales hurts business, won’t fix climate” (6A) comes after the Earth’s hottest summer since global records began. Byrd opposes regulations to reduce greenhouse gasses yet is silent as Texas officials lobby the federal government to pay a large share of the cost to protect Galveston from sea level rise and hurricane storm surge amplified by climate change.
Byrd implies that business leaders shifted energy production from coal to natural gas to lessen carbon output. But the switch also meant larger profits. And he publicly opposes environmental regulations but is silent about regulations opposing renewable energy.
- Buddy McIntyre, Fort Worth
Dallas Cowboys show us love
The Dallas Cowboys are more than just a football team. They have more haters than most, but their own fans show more spirit than other teams’. The players do things for the community, such as visiting children’s hospitals and donating time and money for the underprivileged. And let’s not forget the Cowboys’ training camp for children.
It’s more than just football to the fans, and while there are disappointments, they are overridden by the continuing support and love for the team. Go Cowboys!
- Gloria Gonzales, Fort Worth
Ukraine aid is insurance for US
If Republicans think that sending aid to Ukraine is too expensive, wait until they see the bill for the United States going to war to stop Russian expansion into a NATO country.
- Mark K. Bauer, Haslet
Border wall is never the answer
The Biden administration recently announced that it will continue to build parts of Donald Trump’s border wall but must waive 26 federal laws to expedite the process. Twenty-six? NBC News reported that among them are the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Endangered Species act. Biden claims that his hands are tied because of previously appropriated funds, but there’s no obligation to waive federal laws to build the wall faster.
It’s not that we don’t have an immigration problem. But waiving federal laws to build a wall isn’t the answer. If we want actual ethical change, we need a complete immigration system reform, making the process more accessible, easy and affordable.
- Mark Chrissan, Denton
Campus ‘protests’ out of hand
I remain extremely worried about the sharp rise of raw antisemitic incidents, especially at universities such as Cornell and Tulane. Since Hamas’ attack on Israel, antisemitism has increased significantly at home and abroad. The Anti-Defamation League reports a 388% increase in antisemitic incidents in the U.S.
It is time for all Americans to stand up and loudly speak out against this hate. University students and faculty should demand their administrations take action immediately. As history reminds us, silence is the enemy.
It is clear that what some call “protests” are in fact attacks against Jews. Antisemitic attacks must be stopped before it is too late.
- Richard Cherwitz, Austin
