Letters: Virginia Governor, UT Dallas, Catholic Priests, Changes at The News

Why are we surprised?Re: "Virginia governor weighs resigning — Northam meets with senior staff to consider options as outcry among allies grows," Monday news story.Why is this news? Candidate Donald Trump established this low bar of accountability when he was publicly outed espousing the tenet that grabbing women by their genitalia was permissible if a person was famous. (Luckily, this was caught in an undisputed audio recording, or else we would be barraged with the familiar "fake news" retort. However, now emboldened by his office, President Trump now heralds that retort even when he is on news clips stating certain opinions contrary to what he would prefer we believe he has stated. But I digress.) Candidate Trump was not only allowed to remain in the race, he won the highest office in the land! So began the moral re-education of America. Therefore nothing should surprise us any longer.Vincentia Civello, DallasMore unacceptable behaviorNot that applying blackface or dressing in a Ku Klux Klan robe is acceptable behavior, but I find it tragically ironic that the governor of Virginia, a pediatric neurologist, can be asked to resign for that and praised for advocating infanticide.Robert F. Deuell, GreenvilleCan I get an amen?David was not allowed to build the temple. Moses was not allowed to go to the promised land. Ralph Northam cannot remain governor of Virginia. Amen? Amen.Renita Boykin, DallasIt went on so long for moneyRe: "How did it go on for so long? For years, UTD instructors told officers to skip class — and cops got A's," Sunday news story.The University of Texas at Dallas Criminology Department credit scam began in 2012. In 2015, a professor within the department asked for permission to implement the scam that was already in place and was told no. The practice he sought would allow students not to attend classes, but be awarded credit anyway. The professor sent an email to two cohorts that they should ignore the denial. The first answer as to why it went on so long is because the actions financially benefited those who participated. And no was not the answer they wanted.Three professors participated in the attempt to conceal their dubious behavior in the credit give-away program. Warnings were given to potential whistleblowers to quit asking questions and keep their mouths shut about the scam. Once the scam was about to go public, a retroactive vote was taken by the school to condone the giveaway program. A 2018 in-school investigation found improper actions on the part of the professors and said they likely knew it was wrong, but found "no evidence showing the professors had an intent to defraud." The second answer for why it went on so long is because a cover-up was undertaken. Crime does pay. All three are still employed.Brenda Halpin, LucasList the guilty bishopsRe: "Names and shame — Dallas diocese lists 31 clerics 'credibly accused' of sexual abuse. They're among nearly 300 on statewide list that dates back several decades," Friday news story.I am a Catholic. I want to state that I fervently support those who have been abused and have watched the Catholic church cover up this abuse for decades. What I do not support is accusing priests and "suspending" them from service without informing them what they are accused of. Leave it to the bishops to ignore complaints of abuse for decades, get caught, and then swing 180 degrees in the other direction. Notice there is not one bishop on that list. The bishops have either turned a blind eye to the abuse or transferred known pedophiles from church to church to save their reputations. Those bishops are every bit as guilty, if not more. For Bishop Edward Burns to now portray himself and the diocese as being "on the job" is hypocritical. We should demand they publish the names of the guilty bishops and give the priests who are "suspended" due process, which last time I looked, was still in the constitution.Joan Smotzer, DallasDon't let priests off the hookThis is a serious decades-long criminal cover-up and abuse of power. The Dallas Morning News must not let priests off the hook by blaming someone or something else for their behavior like it does with the headline "Some see devil's hand in clergy scandal." I find this lazy and sensational headline writing.Sharon T. Doherty, GarlandBring back business sectionI have been a subscriber of The Dallas Morning News for over 50 years, and I cannot believe you practically destroyed the business section. I loved it so much and spent 20 minutes every morning keeping up with everything important. Please bring back the full business section. It is extremely important to so many of us. Kurt Fromme, FairviewLoss of letters very sadHey! Hello? I'm a letter to the editor! I'm down here, squeezed at the bottom of what's left of the Editorial pages of what's left of this newspaper. I'm lonely and less informed than before. The president is right about one thing: It's sad. Very sad.Mark Birnbaum, DallasThe age of truthinessIt's a sad day seeing The Dallas Morning News laying off staff. It's a sad day seeing the continued decline of local newspapers and local journalism that provide in-depth, fact-based reporting. I fear we will soon be left with nothing but professional internet, radio and TV opinion spewers who exist with little if any fact checking, research and journalistic standards. I fear we will soon enter an all-consuming age of truthiness with truthiness being the quality of seeming or being felt to be true, even if not necessarily true.James Francis, Carrollton  Continue reading...