Letters: NRA and Ellen's, Student Media, SMU, Congressional Races, EPA

Food for thought in diner story Re: "After NRA skirmish, diner is booming โ€” Tables turning faster than ever, although reviews take a hit," Sunday news story.I am happy you are bringing light to this topic. The article felt even-handed and I liked that you showed how a couple of innocent words can rile up those who disagree. It has an underlying meaning of "think before you speak." I learned a lot from your article and it makes me want to read the newspaper more often and learn more about our city's news.Stewart McClelland, RichardsonOne speaks and one vows to shootBecause Joe Groves, the proprietor of Ellen's in the West End, used his First Amendment right during the NRA convention to announce his support for reasonable gun regulations, he has been called a traitor, someone threatened to "shoot the place up" and another indicated a bomb would explode in his establishment. One could conclude that the NRA is full of nut-jobs. What normal-thinking person wouldn't want common sense gun restrictions so these people would not have access to firearms?Scott Kimball, McKinneyDon't stifle student voicesRe: "This is why colleges need student media โ€” Fourth Estate's training ground must be allowed to flourish uncensored, Meredith Shamburger says," May 7 Viewpoints.Student media voices shouldn't be stifled by administrative oversight. Hillcrest High School's legendary and nationally recognized former journalism teacher Julia Jeffress was the first teacher to receive SMU's Distinguished Alumni Award. She would be appalled by SMU administrators' recent decision to govern student media. As her student editor and faculty successor, I value her letting journalism students learn to make responsible, ethical decisions while being accountable for their mistakes. My HHS journalism and SMU communications students represent countless student media alumni whose student press freedom played a key role in their education, with tremendous benefits to their campus and broader audiences. A former editor of SMU's Rotunda student yearbook and alumni magazine, and a former communication arts faculty member, I know I'm among thousands of journalism graduates and faculty who are ashamed and disgusted by SMU's administrative takeover of its student media. Surely our university's vast financial resources could afford to support student publications monetarily, while also providing venues for the free expression that meaningful education offers.Janie Bryan Loveless, DallasWatchdogs must be unbiasedThe focus in this column is one that I agree with. Meredith Shamburger writes, "The work we did at the SMU Daily Campus was invaluable. It taught us young journalists how to seek out truth and confront those in power. It enriched our journalism education with firsthand experience. It gave our school a watchdog institution." I totally agree with her analysis and wholly support the need for an independent media. However, this freedom to be a watchdog must be unbiased. The Dallas Morning News can take a lesson from Ms. Shamburger. Based on my reading of articles and letters to the editor, The News seems more of a public relations organization for the Democrats.Norman Nossaman, PlanoCompare congressional candidatesNow that we are down to two individuals in the 6th Congressional District race, we can compare and contrast candidates.On one hand, Ron Wright has spent the last 25 years in different forms of public service through elected office and working for Joe Barton for over 10 years. On the other, Jake Ellzey served 20 years in the U.S. Navy as a combat pilot first in helicopters then in fighter jets on an aircraft carrier and is serving in Austin as a commissioner on the Texas Veterans Commission.Currently Wright is working as the Tarrant County tax collector and Ellzey is flying for Southwest Airlines while continuing to train young Navy and Marine combat pilots.We are down to either the status quo, overspending "same old Joe" candidate serving the needs of the establishment, or a true patriot outsider who has given his entire adult life serving the U.S. Constitution and the Republic.Strong character, a love of liberty and a man who has taken an oath to defend and protect the Constitution makes Ellzey a great candidate. He takes a strategic view on limiting the federal government, protecting the border and the overreach of the government.Bill Carson, StreetmanSalerno's story is compellingRe: "I can beat Sessions, 2 rivals say โ€” Salerno touts business experience; Allred notes rise to success," by Gromer Jeffers Jr., May 2 Metro & State column.Lillian Salerno is reluctant to contrast her experience with Colin Allred's, so let me do it for her.Her story is even more compelling. She grew up poor in Dallas, one of nine children, and pulled herself up by her bootstraps and built two businesses. He was the only child of a white single mother who was a schoolteacher.She worked for over five years in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was deputy undersecretary of Rural Development for the Obama administration, helping rural areas with innovation and entrepreneurship, managing a $220 billion bank that serviced the poor. Allred filled in at HUD for less than five months during the transition when Clinton lost.After building Retractable Technologies in Elm, Texas, and fighting off monopolies like Becton Dickinson to get their device to market, she worked to bring her safe needle technology to the world and was involved in the international HIV prevention campaign. He worked for about six months for Battleground Texas during the Wendy Davis campaign.The Blue Wave may mean anyone can win, but having a person in place with a proven track record who can hit the ground running and not someone who needs "on the job training" will be a huge advantage in 2020. Did I say she is a woman?Dorothy Mundy, University ParkEPA chief isn't so transparentRe: "EPA transparency sorely needed," by Gary Hancock, May 9 Letters.I must respond to this letter praising EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's move for transparency and deregulation. Why does Pruitt need a secure phone booth in his office if he supports transparency? Why does he fly first class "for protection" if he supports transparency? When it comes to deregulation, now we have coal ash being dumped into our streams again. Pruitt is moving to lift restrictions on auto makers that were meant to reduce the harmful emissions that greatly affect our air quality. It appears that Scott Pruitt's sole mission as EPA administrator is to stimulate business growth at the expense of our health.Martha Jenkins, DallasGOP gives us EPA, then tries to take itIs it ironic that a Republican president, Richard Nixon, who ultimately faced impeachment, created the Environmental Protection Agency while the current Republican president, who may also face impeachment, is destroying the EPA?Anyway, think about that when you turn the tap on for cooking your family's dinner or for a glass of water.William Devitt, Plano  Continue reading...

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