Letters – Odyssey, bald eagles, child protection, Trump’s speech

Re: “Odysseus tamed — Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic says much about our weary culture,” by Seemee Ali, Sunday Opinion. 

Thanks to The Dallas Morning News for featuring this essay. Ali’s fine analysis of the Odyssey film rings true for those of us who follow the culture. It’s always a joy to see art emerging just in time to characterize what we’re all experiencing, especially when the experience is tumultuous and bewildering. It somehow makes it more bearable. 

At some point in the future, when the culture settles, hopefully there’ll be a film presenting this time as the pain of birth — the birth of a new age and the new culture it inspires. 

Until then, I hear there is a new short film, At The Turning, by noted London filmmaker Graham Peebles. The film asks the question, where do we go from here? It should provide for stimulating conversation. 

Betsy Whitfill, Dallas 

Re: “Taking bald eagles under wing — Urban biologist keeps White Rock Lake’s beloved birds safe,” Saturday news story. 

After months of being totally disappointed in the shenanigans of the elected officials of the city of Dallas, what a pleasure it was to read of the city’s efforts to protect “our” bald eagles, Nick and Nora. It was also a pleasure to read about the dedication of Chris Morris to share his vast knowledge of wildlife in this urban paradise that we are privileged to enjoy as the “Jewel of Dallas.” 

Thank you, Dallas Morning News, for this informative and uplifting article. It’s a bit of sunshine in a murky climate.  

Kay Martz McKinney, Dallas/Little Forest Hills 

Re: “Protecting children,” by Beverly Watson, Thursday Letters. 

I want to second Watson’s comments about Matthew J. DeSarno’s July 12 opinion regarding protecting children. Usually, every time a stranger is arrested for molesting a child, it is reported in the news. That gives a false impression of frequency because it is a comparatively rare offense. Much more common is abuse by acquaintances and family members. If we devote all our protective attention to strangers, we are looking in the exact wrong direction. No wonder we do such a poor job of protecting our kids. 

Talking to legislators over the years, I’m struck by their ardent commitment to protecting minors matched by their complete ignorance about the dynamics of sexual abuse. They seem to believe they can pass more prohibitions and punishments to solve the problem. 

If they are so keen to eliminate child sex abuse, why don’t they trouble themselves enough to read the relevant research and learn something about it? Well, it’s hard to talk about. More “safety zones” are not the answer. 

Philip D. Taylor, Dallas 

Re: “Trump again denies 2020 defeat — President called out several media outlets for not airing his speech live,” Friday news story. 

For the good of the country, let’s hope that MAGA voters heed the warnings of the president and boycott the November elections. Their absence will be a win-win situation. They’ll show their loyalty to the nation’s felon, and his congressional toadies will be voted out of office. 

Jay Lynch, Pittsburgh, Pa. 

I’m confused. Are our elections at risk because of China’s interference or because of mail-in voting, or because illegal immigrants are allegedly voting? How does disenfranchising women due to name changes and those who need to vote by mail make the right to vote in our country better? Why does the dire issue of voter integrity only emerge when President Donald Trump is worried about the potential results? 

Then the essential core questions surface. Why does the Trump administration want to sow doubt about the validity of elections, and what does he stand to lose? 

Linda Johnston Arage, Waxahachie 

Let me get this right. Last week, President Trump led with long-held assumptions that the 2020 presidential elections were tampered with. He then told us about explosive findings concerning associated involvement by China, and the fact that 220 million Americans’ personal data had been accessed by China.  

But what The Dallas Morning News chose to do was to bury the lead. It is not surprising that a left-leaning news publication would massage the news to suit a specific narrative, but it is disappointing and shortsighted to those who are open-minded and critical thinkers — whatever their political leanings.  

Report what the president says in its entirety and allow us to determine what we should or should not believe. We can also research findings at Whitehouse.gov. That is the way that democracy actually works. 

Anne Davidoff, Plano 

Following a long painful battle with cancerous politics, deceit, apathy and compromise, true journalism has died, choked out by three of America’s major broadcast networks — NBC, ABC and CNN — choosing not to cover the presidential address Thursday night. 

The speech offered proof about China’s extensive election crimes against America. Ignoring the information encourages and enables China and other nations with nefarious intentions against the United States and makes the networks complicit in the crimes. 

I chose journalism as a profession after studying the works of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi minister of propaganda under Adolf Hitler. Goebbels’ propaganda justified the horrendous genocide of Jews in Nazi Germany. This could never happen again — never in America. Not on my watch! 

I was taught that a news journalist was “the watchdog of the government,” charged with reporting information objectively and accurately. It was never about whether you agreed or disagreed. Journalism was noble, and I was all in! 

I felt the earth tremble a bit Thursday night as Walter Cronkite and other legendary news icons shifted uncomfortably in their graves. 

True noble journalism died Thursday night. 

And a little bit of me died with it. 

Marcia Davis, Plano