I thought defense of Ted Cruz’s silly beer ‘limit’ stunt was sarcastic. Joke’s on me | Opinion

Ted Cruz, Texas drinkers and a laugh

I got a chuckle from Ryan Rusak’s Sept. 3 column that gave kudos to Sen. Ted Cruz for his impassioned stand against perceived government overreach into the amount of beer we should drink. (5C, “Cruz is right: Feds, leave us alone about beer drinking”)

At first, I thought the commentary was tongue-in-cheek, especially after having seen the funny video of Cruz’s ardent defense of hard-drinking Texans and our love of beer. But then I realized that Rusak was serious. Would the Biden administration really try to keep Texans sober? Not if Cruz has his way.

I can only wonder if this staunch defender of beer is the same Ted Cruz as the one who failed to stand by his wife’s side after Donald Trump attacked her appearance. Perhaps it takes a cold beer to get Ted Cruz in a lather.

- Michael Putnam, Arlington

Unruly behavior merited ban

The ban of Bob Willoughby and Adrian Smith from personal appearances at Fort Worth City Council sessions is years overdue. (Aug. 30, 1A, “Fort Worth bans 2 residents from council meetings until 2024”) Disruptive, rude, slanderous and aggressive behavior will get you terminated from jobs and barred from airlines, churches, concerts, sporting events and more.

It is about time basic guidelines for public behavior apply to City Council chambers, and finally city leadership has made that bold and necessary move. Hats off to our mayor and city manager.

- Dave Fulson, Fort Worth

Just be fair with electric vehicles

A new state law requires that owners of electric vehicles pay a flat fee each year to compensate for lost gas-tax revenue that funds highway maintenance. But the gas taxes you pay depends on the weight —and therefore the miles per gallon — of the vehicle and how much you drive.

I find a flat fee for electric vehicles to be unfair. How about charging electric vehicles the same way as their gas-powered counterparts? The weight of the vehicle is known, and the mileage is taken every time it is inspected.

- Jack Brocious, Grapevine

Real Texas history, told right

I read Richard Selcer’s Sept. 3 “Fort Worth History” column with pleasure. (1C, “After Civil War, veteran groups from both sides coexisted”) It is not often that we see the history of the 19th and early 20th centuries told without large doses of 21st century bias.

Union and Confederate veterans, Americans all, got along well with each other after the war. Perhaps we could learn something from them. As a proud descendant of several Confederate and Union veterans, one of whom gave his life in the service of Texas, and a member of the R.E. Lee Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, I am gratified that Selcer and the Star-Telegram offered such an unbiased account of Fort Worth history.

- Daniel L. Nation, Fort Worth

Could Paxton be tricked into lying?

So, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won’t testify on his own behalf in his impeachment trial. (Sept. 8, 1A, “Ex-staffer: Paxton’s office spent too much time on donor”) It sure seems to me that if he’s not guilty, he would want to be heard.

Please don’t give me the nonsense that he and his legal team are afraid he might be tricked into lying. It mystifies me to think that that’s possible.

- Graham Donathan, Benbrook

Don’t confuse God’s laws, man’s

In his Sept. 6 commentary, “American conservatives are not more Catholic than the pope,” David Gibson wrote about Pope Francis’ criticisms of a “reactionary” philosophy dominating the U.S. church. (15A)

It is Catholic teaching that man changes. God does not. God’s law does not change, no matter how much anyone, including the pope, may wish to make it so.

- Valerie Jo Remley, Colleyville