Letters – Juneteenth, Southern Baptists, data centers

Upon moving to Dallas from New Jersey in 1981, I was introduced to Juneteenth celebrations and learned another piece of America’s too often bigoted history.  

One hundred sixty-one years later, a federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore dozens of national park signs and exhibits — some regarding slavery — that were removed or altered under the president’s 2025 directive titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” 

Fortunately, the president’s attempt to distort the truth and sanity of history was unsuccessful — unlike the successful Confederate officials and Texas slaveowners who denied the 1863 emancipation for two and one half years. 

Recently, I was introduced to the 1939 Billie Holiday song lyrics for “Strange Fruit,” which exposes the insane, but truthful, brutality of the American lynching of almost 5,000 humans — primarily African Americans: “Southern trees bear a strange fruit, blood on the leaves and blood at the root. Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze, strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees…” 

It is time that the singing of “Strange Fruit” and the recognition of the president’s lies become additions to annual Juneteenth traditions. 

Reggie Regrut, Phillipsburg, New Jersey 

Re: “Southern Baptists ban women preachers — Truth and Unity Amendment gets the history wrong,” by Beth Allison Barr, Tuesday Opinion 

Relying on 400 years of Baptist tradition (if incorrectly), the Southern Baptist Convention votes to exclude women from preaching and pastoring in the name of Jesus. Why stop at Baptist history? Why not go back another 1,600 years to the Bible where we find Philip’s daughters preach, and Paul counts many women as co-workers and leaders in the church?  

Southern Baptist policy ahead of scripture is inherently wrong. 

Stan Thiebaud, Dallas 

The most significant result of an organization benching half of its intelligence is that the organization will never become more than half smart, which is not a good look for an institution trying to help people who are concerned about entering the hereafter. 

Larry D. Mason, Azle 

Re: “‘Potentially lethal blow’ — Dallas has stopped funding Thanks-Giving Square, leading to an existential crisis for downtown’s first park,” by Robert Wilonsky, Monday Opinion. 

The city’s withdrawal of support for Thanks-Giving Square reflects continuing fallout from a 2024 Dallas HERO charter amendment to hire 4,000 police officers, and to further allocate half of new revenue to public safety. Law enforcement is certainly important, but so are libraries, neighborhood swimming pools and recreation centers. These are the assets that keep young people off the streets, so they aren’t interacting with police. 

Recent attention has highlighted the city’s under-maintained infrastructure and the struggle to continue costly trash collection in alleys. The public rarely appreciates that a decision to fund one thing involves defunding others or raising taxes. Economics is called the dismal science for a reason: Desires are unlimited, but resources are scarce. 

We elect council representatives to make tough budgetary calls. Only now, when the city needs an additional dollar in revenue, it must raise two due to Dallas HERO. 

Voters will have the opportunity to repeal this misguided amendment in 2034. Let’s hope by then we have a mayor capable of articulating the consequences left in its wake. 

Ken Duble, Dallas/The Cedars 

Regarding Dallas City Hall, why has no story explained in detail why/how the building was allowed to get to the state of disrepair that it is currently being reported? I would like to see an analysis of repair issues on a year-by-year basis and what, if anything, was done to address each one. 

Sharon S. Mathews, Irving 

I had to chuckle last week when Gov. Greg Abbott called for regulations on data centers. Seems it dawned on the governor, who has rolled out the red carpet for every Bitcoin miner, data center and other energy and water intensive industries, that another grid failure or a water shortage this summer might have a deleterious effect on his next coronation. 

William Carroll, Far North Dallas 

Saying who is or is not a Christian comes close to judging, which I am reluctant to do. In today’s religious and political milieus, there are many “bridges too far” and “hills to die on” to count, but I am going to take a risk and say that any professing Christian who supported, attended, paid money for or participated in the cage fighting on the White House lawn has missed the main message of Jesus (see the New Testament). 

Yes, I am looking at you, Sen. Ted Cruz, and many other Christians who either endorsed the cage fight or stood by silently. You attended, had pictures taken and claimed this spectacle was “pure Americana.”  

Maybe it was, but please don’t think that you and other cage-fight-supporting Christians are following Jesus. 

How refreshing it would be for our actions as Christians to match our words. 

Larry Brown, Dallas/Preston Hollow 

Poor voter turnout reminds me of an old joke where a man, down on his luck, is praying that he wins the lottery. His god responds, “Can you at least meet me halfway and buy a ticket?”

My point is that if you are so offended by what a candidate believes in or is espousing, get out and vote against them. That applies to any race starting with school boards and town and city councils. 

The second reason I implore people to get out and vote is that it will demonstrate that you don’t have your head in the sand. 

Jim Welch, Dallas/Northaven Park