Re: “Decision weakens Voting Rights Act — Ruling claims Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District relied too heavily on race,” April 30 news story.
How should we deal with past injustices? One way is to correct the original wrong. Just as we all make mistakes, like tying a knot in our shoelaces instead of a bow, we can simply reverse our original error before moving on. The remedy is not a new endeavor; it is part of the original process.
Redrawing a voting district to correct a problem, even if it involves race, is not automatically illegal. It is simply the continuation of a process to fix a previous error and make things fair. The impact of Jim Crow still exists, as majority-white districts continue to be used in the South to weaken fair representation for Black and Hispanic voters, which shows ongoing fights for real voter equity.
I understand the concerns about race-based redistricting rules under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. I believe, however, that states should have the opportunity to correct past injustices with specific race-based remedies, as this is part of a larger effort to promote fairness and justice in voter representation.
Andrew L. Norton, Mesquite
America has changed for the better regarding racial tolerance and acceptance since the Voting Rights Act was passed during the Civil Rights era. By declaring racial gerrymandering unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has laid the groundwork for further advancement.
With this ruling, neither party can take the Black vote for granted, nor can a party simply write off the Black vote as unattainable. With the razor-thin margin of victory in many elections, the GOP had better sharpen its messaging and outreach when it comes to earning the Black vote, or it is liable to see the progressive wing of the Democratic Party take root, or should I say rot, and then we will all be in serious trouble.
John Riggs, Highland Park
Re: “Council pushes for shared sacrifice — City imposes hiring freeze, other measures to fix shortfall of tens of millions,” April 26 Metro story.
Is anyone surprised that the city of Dallas has a budget shortfall? In the same Metro section, there is another story noting that Dallas will raise parking prices in Deep Ellum, some of which are 5 cents per hour and haven’t been raised in years. What other areas does the city manage that are deficient in generating revenue?
Neil C. Brady, Carrollton
I keep hearing about how “strong” our economy is. The stock market hits record highs. Unemployment numbers look healthy on paper. GDP growth exceeds expectations. The experts in tailored suits appear on television and assure us: America is thriving.
Meanwhile, I’m at the grocery store doing math in my head, putting back the name-brand cereal because the generic is $2 cheaper. I’m driving past the gas station hoping my tank holds out another day. I’m watching my neighbors work two jobs and still fall behind on rent.
There’s a profound disconnect between the economy the billionaires and bureaucrats describe and the one we’re actually living in. The numbers they quote aren’t lies, exactly. They’re just measuring the wrong things. Or rather, they’re measuring what matters to people who’ve never had to choose between fixing the car and fixing a tooth.
The billionaires optimize their taxes while lecturing us about fiscal responsibility. The bureaucrats massage statistics while actual human beings are drowning.
I don’t need another suit in D.C. telling me the economy is resilient. I need wages that keep pace with housing costs. I need health care that doesn’t bankrupt families. I need an economy measured not by how well the wealthy are doing, but by whether working people can afford to live with dignity.
The numbers don’t lie, but they don’t tell the whole truth either. And until the people citing them have to live by them and until they experience what it means to stretch $47 across four days until payday, I’ll take their rosy assessments with a grain of salt.
Creating another problem
Re: “Coaches snub UIL portal — High school leaders warn against proposal to allow transfers,” by Greg Riddle, Wednesday SportsDay column.
The issue I have with a transfer portal for high school athletes is that for every student who’s moving, and likely with a guaranteed starting spot, there’s another student they’ll be replacing who has expended the time, energy and effort to move up the depth chart, only to be relegated to the bench.
While I am a firm believer in meritocracy, I despise anything that is sold as a solution when all it does is create another problem.
Jim Welch, Dallas/Northaven Park
The city of Dallas is struggling with budget issues, and Fair Park needs to make more revenue, so we should have the Cowboys play a throwback game in the Cotton Bowl.
As America’s most valuable brand raking in nearly $1.2 billion in revenue a year, I think one game in the Cotton Bowl with beer gardens and tailgating experiences, plus the ridiculous sponsorship opportunities, should generate enough revenue to fill the city’s budget gap and provide some funding for Fair Park to start actually fixing the infrastructure.
The city wins, Fair Park wins, Jerry wins and hopefully the Cowboys win.
William Dominguez, Richardson