Letters: Rakkasan Tea, Michelle Wolf, Golden Rule, North Korea, Jacquielynn Floyd

Tea breaks in oil fields of IranRe: Combat veterans want to change tea culture in U.S. — Dallas company supports post-conflict countries," Tuesday news story.Thank you for the story about Brandon Friedman and his Rakkasan Tea Co. It touched a memory of my first job out of college in the oil fields of Iran. The well sites were remote and our crews were uneducated peasant men with none of the refinement of polite society. We worked 12-hour shifts, 14 days at a time. And we had tea twice during every shift. No matter what was happening on the rig, those men took their tea breaks. Had anyone tried to prevent that, there would have been rebellion. The kettle was beat up, and the shared glasses — mostly old jam jars — were filthy, only rinsed with rig water. The other Americans on the crew didn't join in, but I enjoyed that ritual with them most days, and as a result, I learned a lot more Farsi than my colleagues. Roughnecking was a horrible job, or at least one for which I was not well suited, but drinking tea with my snaggletoothed crew mates was a high point. Thanks for reminding me of that civilizing ritual.Jon Caswell, DallasJournalists call out the wrong personRe: "No Laughing Matter — Boorish putdowns undermine media's mission," Tuesday Editorials.I disagree with your editorial on Michelle Wolf and her 19-minute comedic roast at the White House Correspondents dinner. It's simply sad and shocking to me that so many journalists have not called out this administration for its lies and untruths and lack of facts for the last two years but will excoriate a stand-up comedian for speaking truth to power.That the White House Correspondents Association hired a woman known for working on The Daily Show and then distances itself as if she didn't do the job she was paid to do, as well as the press not defending the First Amendment, shows how far from the norm we are these days.Irma Myers Donihoo, PlanoMedia can't take humiliationWhat Michelle Wolf said about Sarah Huckabee's "smoky eye" makeup, that it was made from ashes of burnt facts, was not poking fun at her looks. Those who were insulted and walked out should have put on their big boy and girl panties and stuck around for the funniest lines and climax. Wolf went on to heap up the fire by making jabs at the main stream media and the establishment, as though bent on melting them down. I don't believe what most of the media are saying — that they object to the humiliation of a wife and mother on national television. The media's judgment was surely far in excess and out of proportion of what could be thus justified. What members of the press didn't like was their humiliation when they saw their reflection in the mirror.Gail Blessing, Far East DallasIf only we'd all take the high roadI remember trying to teach my young son the meaning of the Golden Rule after he hit one of his brothers who had just hit him. I told him, "Treat people the way you want them to treat you." He responded, "I did. He hit me so that meant he wanted to be hit." I laughed and explained that Jesus meant we should initiate kindness rather than retaliate.I grow weary of the defense, "They did it so we can too!" How about we treat each other with kindness and lead the way in demonstrating to our families, communities and the world what the true application of the Golden Rule really looks like. This is not a call to ignore wrongs and injustices, but we can stop acting like misbehaved children and yelling, "He started it!" I believe the personal jabs that Michelle Wolf and President Donald Trump have said are inappropriate, but can someone take the high road and speak about others as they would want to be spoken about?Garland Owensby, MidlothianFollow the money About Vladimir Putin pulling the strings, follow the money. Russia wants to build a natural gas pipeline through North Korea to South Korea. Putin and Kim Jong Un stand to make an obscene amount of money from this project. South Korea will get cheap natural gas. All of this cannot be accomplished with the two Koreas "at war." I believe Putin is pulling the strings to get this done. It has nothing to do with anything President Donald Trump is doing.John T Kirtley III, DallasIs Kim stable enough to broker peace?I think most of us can all agree that peace is better than war, but anyone who celebrates the "peace talks" between North and South Korea is a fool.Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe Kim Jong Un really wants peace and will make significant concessions. Then again, this is the same guy who purged his political enemies with anti-aircraft guns in a stadium. Think about that. I mean, really try to imagine it. Still think he is stable enough to broker peace? Still think this is the type of guy who would denuclearize?Jason Nancarrow, DallasStop the nuclear insanityThe major demand of the U.S. for the scrapping of North Korean nuclear weapons is perfectly reasonable. It would also be even more reasonable for the U.S. to scrap its nuclear arsenal as well, and lead the world to total nuclear disarmament. The unspeakable horror of even one nuclear warhead detonated to destroy hundreds of thousands of human lives is unacceptable. It is time to stop the nuclear insanity.The Rev. John D. Zeigler, DentonChoice doesn't reflect TexasThe Dallas Morning News, true to its history, has studied the Democratic primary, the mood of the electorate and the make-up of the country, and decided the rich white man is a better choice for Texas than the just-like-us Latina. And he's Republican-lite! What's not to like?Roy Treadway, Fort WorthDon't go, Jacquielynn Floyd!I am a staunch conservative in the William Buckley/Paul Ryan mode. Articles by liberal columnists, especially in the coast media, are dismally boring and usually propaganda efforts salted by vast amounts of venom toward conservatives, Republicans, middle America and all who have not consumed the politically correct Kool-Aid. And no article is deemed satisfactory without at least a passing reference to slime and demean the president. But Jacquielynn Floyd is different. She's a Texas liberal! Hatred and venom are not in her DNA; she writes with wit, humor and heart. Her emotions and feelings come through as well as her love for Texas. When I go to collect the paper in the morning and I see steam rising, I know Jacquielynn is mad! Ms. Floyd, once you've done your mandatory road trip around America, taken a cruise, tried and maybe dropped out of an exercise class and go to some important events, you'll wish you had a pen and a spot in the paper on hand.We will miss you. You're too young to retire. Don't do it!Lawrence B. McNally, Dallas/Kessler Park  Continue reading...