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Commentary this week discussed the need for more organ donations, changes in Valley cities over time and the need for open government. Other comments addressed various candidates, injection of religion in government and environmental concerns among other topics.
As always, we welcome your comments on current issues, and thank those who have shared theirs.
Missing the joy
When troubled waters reach the peaceful shores of our tranquility and our serenity, when the whirling winds of discontent and restlessness descend upon the calmness and passivity of life as it was meant to be, it is time to bring back the joy. Time to bring back the normality. Time to bring back the sanity. Time to embrace civility. Time to take a breath, and look forward toward tomorrow — and not back — through the haze and maze of distorted and contorted memories that no longer fit into the majestic tapestry of wonder that lies beyond the tempest clouds of discontent and gloom.
Bring back the joy that used to be. Bring back the thrill of it all — the rapture and the ecstasy of reason and of purpose — the empowerment, the inspiration and the liberation — to feel the power of righteousness, the power of human motivation.
That is the story of America. A forceful storm of ideas and notions, whirling and spinning, and gaining strength with every changing season. A storm that gathers force with the roiling waves of changing times and growing minds that shape and mold the path toward smoother, calmer, stiller waters that breaks the cycle, eases the pressure and reduces the level and anxiety of manmade fury and rage. Bring back the joy. Bring back the power to believe in the America’s story, in America’s dream.
There is a ray of light — a ray of hope — that shines through the darkened clouds of our time. There is a renewal of the old-time American spirit captured in Norman Rockwell paintings, and in living memories that depict the best of America — the ordinary, the extraordinary — the hopefulness, the promise, the expectation that is America. Through storms — the thunders and eruptions of disagreements, even attempted insurrection. Through mistakes and missteps of human error and human fault and blunder. Through triumphs and victories over evil and lies. Through the nightmares of remembered struggles and sacrifices. America. My America: That place beyond the rainbow, at the end of the yellow brick road.
Bring back the joy! Let us feel and savor the pure delight at hearing again — the sound of our liberty bell — and seeing again the banner of the free and the brave, waving proudly, flying high. Bring back the joy of listening to America being uplifted and extolled, instead of being constantly degraded, debased and humiliated. Bring back the joy!
The 2024 presidential campaign is a call to stand up, or a time to bow down and out. The choices are simple: joy versus humiliation. Good versus evil. Truth versus lies.
Americans have always had the choice — to select, to elect, to differentiate. But always, America has won.
The joy of freedom, of liberty, of choice, of growth — too profound to be let go and abandoned in the storm of discontent, disillusionment, greed and corruption. America is about the promise of the quiet after the storm.
Al Garcia-Wiltse
San Juan
Book bans garner fire
The U.S. Constitution is in no way founded upon the Christian, Jewish or Muslim religion. The U.S. Constitution is not ordained by any God. No god gives any legal rights under the laws of the USA. The USA is a democratic state with all sorts of freedoms because it is not a Christian nation. The USA is a secular nation.
Book burning has been part of the Christian Religion since it was created. Acts 19:19: “Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.”
Parents who say that God told them this or that about their child’s needs are mentally ill. Look up schizophrenia. It is a symptom of severe mental illness of 80% of those who have received messages from God or Jesus.
The federal courts have ruled such acts are illegal under the U.S. Constitution. Could you look up the secular humanist trial in Mobile, Alabama? They banned science books in the Mobile County public schools because they were against the Christian Bible. The Circuit Court in Atlanta reversed the ruling and told Judge Brevard Hand to stay away from religious cases.
The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that book banning is against the U.S. Constitution, but MAGA Republicans have no respect for it. If you do not like the books in school libraries, then take your child out of public school. Pay for your own school. You have no right to limit what is available to my child. Fascists should have no control of public education.
Hank Shiver
Mission
Trump a hero
Just a few comments in response to letter by David Mellinger (Aug. 9).
The writer first outlines reasons why former President Donald Trump does not deserve to be considered a hero after he was the target of an assassination attempt in Butler, Penn.
He ends his letter by stating that heroes knowingly confront danger even when they know they are at risk. The writer somehow ignores the fact that former President Trump did not immediately suspend his presidential campaign and disappear from the public scene after the attempt on his life. Such would have been the case, and understandably so, with most ordinary individuals.
Instead, Mr. Trump has chosen to carry on and continue his campaign knowing full well that he faces continued threats. Trump haters intent on causing him harm will will not go gently and quietly into the good night.
Former President Trump has demonstrated extraordinary courage and is a hero in my book in spite of Trump haters who would ague otherwise.
Ben Castillo
Harlingen
Meetings postponed
Why were the Super Heavy vehicle SpaceX public meetings to increase the number of launches/landings by the Federal Aviation Administration in mid-August suddenly canceled — the day before they were to be held in Port Isabel and South Padre Island?
In early August the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued an investigative report concerning the SpaceX water deluge system used for launching at Boca Chica Beach. The report states that the Starbase launch pad site was discharging industrial wastewater without proper authorization in March, April, May and July. Consequently, SpaceX now must submit an application to obtain this TCEQ permit for their unpermitted and previous ongoing actions.
In late August, FAA filed a notice that it became “aware” of allegations that SpaceX violated the Clean Water Act at the Boca Chica launch site and that it was unable to confirm the accuracy of certain SpaceX representations in SpaceX license application and the Draft Tiered Environmental Assessment.
Subsequently, the FAA public meetings were postponed, until matters could be resolved and a revised draft EA could be issued.
Are the above-described SpaceX actions a blatant disregard for federal and state environmental laws?
Are our current local and state politicians condoning and promoting SpaceX while there is continuous environmental degradation to the detriment of residents, visitors and wildlife?
Diane Teter
Edinburg
End of a nation
When I visited Rome in Italy several years ago, I was walking on a road made by the Roman Empire in the center of what remained of that city. Our guide advised us that we were walking on the same road that great Roman emperors walked daily a millennium ago. Just imagine seeing them on this road today.
I felt I was walking on the same road Julius Caesar walked on; it sent goose bumps on my skin. I imagined Julius Caesar walking with friends and conversing on a daily basis between buildings.
Today, Italians live on the ruins of a once great “World Roman Empire.” Greed and mismanagement brought this world empire to its end. It failed to put the forces of order in place to keep it from becoming a failed empire.
This November if we in America fail to put the forces of order in place, America will become a failed nation no different than the Roman Empire.
Rafael Madrigal
Pharr
Abusive language
I wish there was some way to stop all the name calling and verbal abuse from politicians and other adults. As a parent, grandparent and former educator I am appalled at the extent to which we have become willing this to be the norm.
There is now an anti-bullying policy in effect in every school. How can we expect our young people to abide by this expectation when they see and hear negative and denigrating behavior every day from the people who are supposed to be setting an example for them?
David Evans
Weslaco
In defense of Trump
As a MAGA Trump supporter, I accept being referred to as a Nazi, a fascist, a racist, a cult member and someone who does not support democracy. I find these labels much more tolerable than being perceived as ignorant cowards who continuously attack Donald Trump and you know who you are based on your letters to the editor.
Only ignorant cowards are under the impression that Trump stoked an insurrection by telling his supporters at the Capitol to “peacefully and patriotically” protest the election results. Moreover, who would attempt an insurrection while being unarmed? Only cowards would make such allegations and allege an insurrection attempt by individuals carrying Trump and USA flags. Trump literally took a bullet for democracy, while Trump haters buckle in fear at the site of flags.
The Biden administration and his corrupt Department of Justice, along with lower level courts, show on a daily basis they are the true agents against democracy. Their actions prove there is a two-tier system of justice. One tier is orchestrated against Trump, his associates, attorneys and fan base, while Biden and his son Hunter are allowed to walk free, despite insurmountable amounts of evidence of wrongdoing.
Illegal kickbacks Biden’s family is allowed to receive from Russia, China and Iran abound with no consequences; it is beyond comprehension. Biden’s other impeachable offences are too numerous to mention and are ignored by the judicial system, the media and his blind followers.
All the while, Kamala Harris has stood idly by Biden in support of his corruption and disastrous policies. If elected, her administration would no doubt be another four years of Biden’s inept governing. She has stated she will continue to prosecute Trump if elected and is yet another true agent against democracy and free speech.
Fortunately, Trump supporters are valiant, well educated and actually know the definition of the words insurrection and democracy.
Rene Castillo
San Antonio
Voting on environment
Election time is approaching and candidates for office are inundating us with promotional materials, from billboards, banners, signs and bumper stickers to emails, social media, texts and phone calls. Incumbents are bragging about their records, while their opponents are promising to do better. This is all normal (if tiring) and to be expected.
But few if any candidates talk about the environment. This is not because they, like the rest of us, do not want clean air, clean water, a stable climate, less pollution and more parks, refuges, wildlife and green spaces. It is because politicians have concluded, apparently, that these issues don’t matter much in the voting booth. People for the most part seem not to think their individual vote will have any impact on our environment. They don’t vote the environment.
But our votes do matter, because the legislation that our representatives will vote on can make big differences.
When I was going to college in the late 1960, the air pollution in Los Angles was terrible. Mountains just two or three miles away were completely obscured by smog. Breathing that air was said to be like smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. Ten years later the air was much cleaner and visibility much better. That was due to two things: the passage of the Clean Air Act and the requirement that all new cars come with catalytic converters. Similarly, legislation got lead out of our drinking water, brought back many of our most imperiled species including Peregrin falcons, brown pelicans and our national symbol, the bald eagle. Wilderness areas were created, rivers and streams protected, funding was increased for parks, recreation and wildlife refuges. All these things and more happened because we voted for people who made them happen, who made improving and sustaining our environment a priority.
We would like to think that even today all our elected representatives believe in these things. But we would be wrong. The League of Conservation Voters is a non-profit organization that keeps track on how our representatives and senators vote on all environmental legislation. In 2023 the LCV counted 27 bills in Congress that were environmentally related. Monica De La Cruz, the representative for the 15th District that includes most of Hidalgo County, voted pro-environment on none of them. She had a 0% environmental voting record. So did 18 other Texas congressional Republicans. Like the others, Ms. De La Cruz took her marching orders not from her constituents but from the national Republican leadership.
It wasn’t always like this. Nearly every major piece of national environmental legislation (Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Wilderness Act, Endangered species Act and others) were supported by and signed by Republican presidents. But not anymore. If Ms. De La Cruz is reelected we have every reason to think she will continue to vote against the environment, every single time.
Why don’t more people vote the environment? I don’t really know. But we should. It’s all around us and it’s where we live. It’s the world that we will pass on to our children and their children. If we don’t protect and take care of it, who will?
Jim Chapman
Weslaco
Educator spurs pride
I recently attended the investiture of the third president of Texas A&M University-San Antonio, Dr. Salvador Hector Ochoa. Dr. Ochoa is a native of McAllen and attended Fields, Travis and McAllen High. He graduated from Texas A&M-College Staton and received a doctoral degree as well. He has served as dean of the College of Education at UTRGV and at the University of New Mexico. He also served as provost at San Diego University in California.
I felt compelled to write to remind others that honest, hard-working, humble, approachable and family-oriented educational leaders still exist. That I am proud to be his cousin goes without saying. I admire his continued dedication to the field of education and of serving others.
He is representing the RGV well. He has never forgotten his roots. The ceremony included mariachis, many dignitaries and his speech related to our upbringing, our elders, our customs and culture. I was reminded of the importance of being proud of where we come from and that with “ganas” anything is possible.
Delia Mendoza
McAllen
Proactive vs. reactive
Amid this complicated election, one clear distinction between Colin Allred and Ted Cruz has emerged, making the decision considerably more straightforward. Colin Allred’s approach has largely been reactive. His efforts and responses seem to ramp up only when faced with significant pressure, often lacking the depth needed to address the core issues.
This reactive style suggests focusing on immediate concerns rather than a proactive strategy for long-term challenges. He was hardly even campaigning before members of his party and the press started questioning him on his campaign strategy.
In contrast, Ted Cruz has consistently demonstrated a proactive leadership style. His extensive outreach and consistent presence across Texas reflect a commitment to addressing issues before they escalate.
Cruz’s approach shows a genuine dedication to understanding and effectively addressing the diverse needs of Texans.Given the challenging nature of this election, the difference in their approaches has become increasingly apparent. Cruz’s proactive and thorough engagement reveals the foresight and dedication essential for managing the complex issues facing our state. His leadership offers a forward-thinking approach that stands out as the most effective path for Texas’s future.
Mike Travis
San Benito
Editor’s note: We welcome your letters and commentary. Submissions must include the writer’s full name, address and daytime telephone number for verification. Letters of 200 words or fewer will be given preference. Submissions may be edited for length, grammar and clarity. Letters may be mailed to P.O Box 3267, McAllen, Texas 78502-3267, or emailed to [email protected].
