Great photography

The photo of the red-tailed hawk in today’s edition [Page 1A, Feb. 22] is, in my opinion, the finest piece of photography that the DRC has ever published.

Congrats [photographer] Al Key — keep up the good work.

Joyce Quesenberry,

Sanger

Made in the USA

Comments: If the economy is something we care about and actually want to help, then there is really only one way that will help cure the problem.  

Let’s say everyone buys a clock radio made in China with the stimulus rebate. The U.S. only gets import and export fees for this purchase, thus boosting China’s economy.

Another bad reason for buying stuff from overseas is that sometimes it’s truly a piece of junk and in three months you have to buy a new one, in which case you will most often buy the best deal possible, continuing the process. I know this for a fact; I have a bunch of imported stuff sitting in a pile in my small living room waiting to find a place I can recycle electronics. If you don’t believe me, buy some pliers made in India or China and test them versus our own.

The next problem is jobs: Everyone needs one, yada, yada. If American products have a bigger demand, they become cheaper. This adds to the demands for jobs to help fill the need of the consumer. In turn, more people have jobs to spend money, which helps the economy.

Buy American. The whole issue of the surplus package is dependent on the fact that you will purchase from an U.S. company and purchase its U.S. goods.

(If you happen to be one of those stock trading people, buy precious metal and steel.

Everyone needs that stuff, from HDTV makers to jewelry manufacturers.)

Allen Barron,

Denton

Shrinking value

Hurrah for Blue Bell Ice Cream! A red banner on the carton you pick up at the store proudly proclaims “Still a Half Gallon.” Other brands are shrinking. Bravo for a local Texas company that stands firm and provides full value for us, the consumers!

Contrast that with national and multinational firms whose prime profit objective is to deliver less and charge more. Witness the shrinking pound of coffee (only 13 ounces) or “pint” cans of beans or corn with only 14 ounces. Given the current trend, they will eventually sell peas or soup or whatever in thimble-size containers for the price of a pint.

When you put away groceries, pick up the can or package that is not full measure, e-mail the Web site or call the toll-free number and chew them out for cheating you out of content. And compliment Blue Bell.

Wilbur F. Poppe,

Denton

Quakertown, the novel

I found Dan McGraw’s article on Qua­ker­town [Page 1A, Feb. 15] very interesting, but was disappointed by the continued lack of reference in the DRC to my former UNT colleague’s novel on the subject, Quakertown (2002, Plume). 

Anybody who is interested in seeing this unfortunately racist event in our city’s history come to life should check out Lee Martin’s novel.

There’s no little irony that it can probably be checked out from the public library branch located on what was once part of Quakertown itself.

Scott Simpkins,

Denton

The silent swing

I guess I’m one of those voters the Clinton machine worries about: I don’t respond to polls or robo-calls, and after voting for Reagan twice and Bush (41) and Bush (43) twice each, I will be voting for Barack Obama on March 4. And, if for some reason Obama is not the Democratic choice as his party’s nominee, I will vote for Sen. McCain in November.

I don’t think that I am terribly unique in this decision as a member of what I call the silent swing in America. I know many people across Texas and the country who feel the same as I.

After reading Obama’s books, McCain’s books and those written for and about Clinton, and enduring non-debate debates and nauseous analyses by political pundits and surrogates, I conclude that both senators, Obama and McCain, are committed to serving the interest of Americans first and always. Sen. Clinton appears to be stuck in the divisive rhetoric of the past and has shown me that her overriding concern is, as it always has been, herself.

I believe Sen. Obama has an extraordinary perspective about America and its challenges that is rooted in a sense of empathy and resolve unique among all candidates. He has the capacity to bring America back together to face its many challenges and to restore our credibility throughout the world.

I am very pleased to have the opportunity to vote for him on March 4.

William Steding,

Crossroads

Taking property

The black history museum opened this week [Page 1A, Feb. 15]. Fine. History should be recorded and acknowledged, both the good and the bad. However, previous city administrations have been hammered for the Quakertown buyout to create the Civic Center Park.

What difference is there between what they did decades ago, and what UNT did to buy property to expand the university? Or the condemnation of whole neighborhoods just to benefit the owners of sports teams or big developers that is done regularly around the U.S., and more locally, in Arlington?

The fact is, all of our properties are at risk every day at the whim of local, state and federal governments, because they believe they have a better idea of how to use private property than the property owner.

Currently, thousands of Texans are facing the massive taking for the Trans-Texas Cor­ridor. Businesses along Interstate 35E in Lake Dallas are facing the loss of their properties and livelihood for the widening of the highway. And you can bet someone at City Hall is making plans to take someone else’s property just for public needs.

Perhaps it’s time to revisit eminent domain laws in Texas to make them more responsive to the populace being displaced through this process. 

We’ve seen what has happened in the past. Do we want to continue this type of government abuse of the taxpayer into the future?

Roger Strahan,

Denton

A good American name

Until this evening, when I watched some old videos of Martin Luther King speaking out against the Vietnam War, I had forgotten how powerful his speaking abilities were. I was again deeply touched and reminded of him.

Today another American speaks out, again in powerful words, against the war in Iraq. He speaks with the same eloquence and strength of Dr. King. He speaks truth to power in a land reduced by the illiterate ramblings of George Bush and the hate of Rush Limbaugh to banal sloganeering.

He is a lawyer, giving me once more great pride in my calling, not afraid to lead and an inspiration to me to do better personally.

His name is Barack Hussein Obama, a good American name, in my opinion.

I recommend him to you both in the Democratic primary and the November election.

He will make us all proud to be Americans again.

William Trantham,

Denton