Reporter made a difference
Re: “Pulitzer Prize-winning conflict reporter,” Tuesday news story.
During the summer of 1991, our eyes were glued to CNN with correspondent Peter Arnett reporting from Baghdad during the first Gulf War. Today we are used to 24/7 news, but back then it was new, and we were mesmerized.
Arnett passed away this week. As the war began and most western reporters had left Baghdad, Arnett stayed and gave us a front-row seat from his hotel balcony while rockets and bombs blanketed the skies throughout the night. He changed the way we experienced modern war coverage by hearing the sounds and fear of war without delay or government filters.
Rest in peace, Peter, for the way you changed the way we watch history being made.
Barry Rothschild, Dallas/Preston Hollow
Insurance and doctors
On Dec. 23, we received a letter from our health insurance company (Cigna) telling us that in nine days (Jan. 1) we might lose in-network coverage with UT Southwestern due to their failure to come to an agreement. That means we would lose coverage with several of our doctors (we already have appointments scheduled). The insurance company is saying we would need to find new in-network doctors to maintain full coverage.
Do these people know how long it takes to get an appointment with a new doctor in Dallas? Often more than half a year, and never in nine days.
Insurance companies should have to give at least a year’s notice if they are going to drop providers from their networks. Where are our elected officials, and why are they allowing this? My guess is that, in Texas, they are in the pockets of the insurance companies. Countries with universal health care don’t have this issue.
Joel Hale, Dallas/Lake Highlands
Revealing actions
Re: “What do you value?”, by Don Skaggs, Wednesday Letters.
Skaggs urges voters to “forget parties and vote values.” Let’s examine what voters received after Nov. 5, 2024. If you value legal immigration, the administration proposes eliminating constitutional birthright citizenship and threatens mass deportations separating American citizen children from their parents.
If you value America as the greatest nation, ask why the first priorities weren’t health care reform or infrastructure investment, but rather investigating political opponents and threatening NATO withdrawal.
If you value the Ten Commandments, note that “bearing false witness” hasn’t stopped daily documented falsehoods, and “thou shalt not commit adultery” hasn’t applied as a moral standard for leadership.
If you value law enforcement, explain pardoning convicted Jan. 6 rioters who assaulted police officers defending the Capitol. If you object to profanity, perhaps you missed the campaign rallies. Voters did vote their values on Nov. 5; now they’re learning campaign rhetoric and governing priorities are different things.
Actions reveal true values, and so far, those actions suggest priorities very different from what Skaggs claims voters chose.
Alfonso Cevola, Dallas
Politicians’ values
Skaggs appears to believe that Americans voted for their values last November. If so, values in this country have hit an all-time low.
What values does our present president have? He is a multiple adulterer who ran a fake university and had a charity closed down due to malfeasance. He is also a prolific liar and has demonstrated a lack of ethics over and over again. Along with Sen. John Cornyn, who declares character matters in a politician, the hypocrisy is beyond belief.
Cornyn refused to impeach Donald Trump but finds it hard to accept infidelity and/or corruption in Attorney General Ken Paxton, his political opponent. It appears morals, ethics and values only apply for Cornyn if someone is running to replace him.
Tina Williams, Dallas
Generational goals
Re: “When goals are unattainable,” by Rosalie Hamilton, Tuesday Letters.
Is buying a house, getting married or having kids now out of reach? My grandparents started out in a small, 19th-century farmhouse. They survived the Great Depression, saved money and put both sons through college. They built their first home with indoor plumbing at age 65.
My parents started out in a trailer. They worked hard, saved money and put four children through college. They built a house at age 40.
I graduated from college in 1984 when mortgage rates were twice what they are now. I lived in an apartment for 20 years before a house. Running was my attainable goal, and how I met my wife and friends. It improved my health and taught discipline, effort and patience.
Each generation had to work and save for material success, and most attained other goals along the way. What is any different for Gen Z?
Ken Ashby, Dallas
Happenin’ at the zoo
Re: “Zoo launches new initiative for families,” Wednesday Metro & Business story.
What a wonderful Christmas story about Dallas Zoo membership availability to less-fortunate families!
My wife and I are lawyers, and we live on the hill above the Fort Worth Zoo. I’ve heard it is a better zoo than your smaller zoo to the east. Perhaps you can expand the Dallas Zoo and surpass ours?
Our zoo is financed by moneyed generational oil wealth. The only outreach is half-price Wednesdays, where the demand can be so great the expensive zoo parking lot is full and spills west to lots on the other side of University Drive, gently inconveniencing the elite of Colonial Country Club. This morning as I walked my dogs, I could hear the zoo animals roaring approval for Dallas launching the new initiative.
Some of the animals may consent to move east. Although for people, Fort Worth is a nicer place to live.
(Every day I read The Dallas Morning News, and I constantly hope you’ll throw us a bone and cover more of Tarrant County beyond Southlake controversies.)
