Letters — U.S. history, elections, virtues, water bills

Re: “The founders were America’s greatest generation,” by Talmage Boston and “Farmers have always been backbone of American prosperity,” by Glenn Rogers, Sunday Opinion. 

Sunday’s editorial pages offered excellent essays by Boston and Rogers. Both offered important perspectives on our country’s history that seem largely forgotten today.  

These days, it seems that everybody is looking for something to be angry about, and the internet and artificial intelligence provide plenty of fodder for people whose only goal is to prove others are wrong, which seems to describe the most vocal of our elected officials and their appointees.  Their approach is to talk long enough and loud enough that even the truth surrenders. 

But perhaps there is a lesson to be gained from reports of the experiences of World Cup visitors to the United States, many of whom are discovering a side of America they did not expect – one defined by hospitality, kindness and real efforts to learn about other cultures.  

Although it sometimes gets lost in the chatter that we are subjected to daily, our country is still made up mostly of people who are intellectually curious, living productive lives and leaving things better than they found them. Like the nation’s founders and the farmers who feed us. 

Clayton Devin, East Dallas 

Re: “Texas Democrats Can’t Win Like This – Pairing James Talarico with Bernie Sanders is a gift to Republicans,” Thursday editorial. 

I totally agree with this editorial. It is a true shame-on-you that neither Colin Allred nor Jasmine Crockett showed up at the Democratic convention. Let’s be grown-ups and put petty differences aside. And fight for the party.  

I remember my son in fifth grade got into a fistfight with one of his friends, and both were suspended from school for a day. The next day, the friend, who struck the first blow, showed up at my son’s birthday party. They exchanged hugs and moved on. Do I really have to tell adults to move on?  

This is why we remain a Republican state. Our Democrats cannot unite. Let’s be adults. These fifth graders were acting more mature than our adult politicians. I had signs for both of you in my yard (and I live in a Republican area), and now I regret it. 

Jodi Lynn Slabaugh, Denton 

Re: “The Declaration still pushes us forward – The march toward liberty started before July 4, 1776, and continues today,” by John McCaa, Thursday Opinion. 

In McCaa’s column about the struggle to construct the Declaration of Independence amid conflicting ideals, he quoted Thomas Paine’s Common Sense pamphlet stating that governments were an indispensable evil, “rendered necessary by the inability of moral virtue to govern the world.”  

What are we to do when we are governed by leaders who are imposed on us by lack of choice or, God forbid, by our own electoral process, who themselves are largely lacking in moral virtue? Perhaps we should not be surprised that such a person would use the power of their office to attack political opponents, enrich themselves by making inside deals and accepting gifts from those seeking influence, act in a way that lacks moral consideration for the weak and powerless and surround themselves with lackeys to do their bidding, for example.  

Perhaps it can happen because we (many of) the people choose to vote for the person who we think will pursue our own self-interests, accepting some poor behavior as the price to get what we want.  

After all, Paine said we could not be trusted for moral virtue. Russia and North Korea do not have an impeachment process, bless their hearts. 

Robert Rathmell, Murphy 

Re: “Water bill chaos,” by Kurt Wolfenbarger, Thursday Letters. 

I can sympathize with what Mr. Wolfenbarger said in his letter about the new payment system for one’s water bill. If you had previously been enrolled in autopay, it was a drawn-out process to continue and switch to the new system. As he noted, there is now a 3.15% fee if you choose to pay by credit card or if you call and pay by phone. I set mine up to be paid by debiting my checking account and that has worked successfully. 

I would like to point out, however, that there is another option. You can choose to receive the bill by mail and use the return envelope provided to return your check in payment of the bill with no added fee. 

Most have probably noticed that more businesses are tacking on a fee if you choose to pay by credit card. In the past, most accepted credit cards and absorbed the fee from the credit card company. That is changing now. I can understand it, and I think it is actually a prudent move by the city. As we continually hear about budget woes, I’m glad the city is eliminating fees to credit card companies. 

Donna Gregory, Dallas 

I’m not a World Cup fan, and I’ve paid little attention to the games. But I have been impressed with the fun visitors from abroad are having in Dallas and other venues. 

Our citizens seem to welcome everyone for the most part, and it’s a joy to see. 

And then President Donald Trump decided to step and make it about him. Talk about a bad host. I’m wondering if he wants to be in the instant replay booth when the National Football League begins to play. 

Terry Broxson, Allen