Readers worry about diseases returning; question the fairness of blackouts during the 2021 winter storm; advocate for fewer rentals; enjoyed the column on memory loss; and urge kindness everywhere. Diseases should be feared
As a child of the 1940s, I sharply remember living in fear of death or living in an iron lung, a machine that replaced the paralyzed muscles of the diaphragm. Swimming pools, the dream of every kid, were strictly off limits because we thought the polio virus spread in its waters.
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Then came the first vaccines, those magical pink drops on sugar cubes. My mother ran with me to the local doctor's office to receive that life-saving vaccination.
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Today, we have whole sections of Texas that refuse life-saving vaccinations, believing unfounded stories about the harm of vaccines. We have a measles outbreak in West Texas.
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I've had these childhood diseases and they are no picnic, nor are they without long-term consequences. How did we come to this place in this country?
Ernest Stokely, Far North Dallas
AdvertisementBlackout fairness questioned
Re: "Winter storm cases stifled -- Texas courts stand in way of jury trials for 30,000 victims of 2021 power loss," Monday news story.
I did not file a law case concerning the 2021 winter storm, but a line from the plaintiffs in this story accentuated something I have long felt. That is, that "the utilities decided where to cut power, favored some neighborhoods over others, intentionally took steps that made the power shortage worse."
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My little section of McKinney was basically without power from Monday morning of that storm to maybe midday Wednesday. There were no rolling blackouts. If we got power, it was maybe for 45 minutes at 2 a.m.
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A friend south of Eldorado Parkway and behind a fire station never lost power. Another friend south of Eldorado and several miles west of me had power. North of Eldorado, east of Hardin Boulevard, south of Virginia Street, and west of U.S. 75 was basically without power for 2.5 days.
Then the pipes burst, and I was without water for five days until a plumber could get here.
For the past four years, I have felt we were targeted. I don't know who had it in for us or why, but I have felt someone did.
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Frances Wilson, McKinney
No new apartments needed
Re: "D-FW rental gap widens -- Difference between house, apartment costs grows as home market gets tougher," Sunday news story.
Nick Wooten's reporting makes it clear: Dallas has an oversupply of apartments. Since 2014, DFW has built more apartments than any other U.S. city, and now 59% of Zillow rentals offer incentives just to attract tenants.
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So why is District 11 Council member Jaynie Schultz aggressively pushing to rezone Pepper Square, adding 1,000 new luxury apartments in two 12-story towers -- right next to single-family homes? This is on top of the 1,500 apartments already under construction at the same intersection.
Dallas does not need more high-rises in a non-walkable area. The data proves it, and neighbors have been begging Schultz for years to listen.
On March 26, I urge the rest of the City Council to reject this rezoning and vote with the facts -- not special interests.
Julie Coffman, Dallas
AdvertisementLearn signs of dementia
Re: "Dementia knows no retreat -- 1 in 3 Americans will die with the condition. This year, it took my dad," by John McCaa, Sunday Opinion.
McCaa's essay really hit home for me. Four years ago I lost my beautiful wife of 43-plus years. Dementia itself did not take her life, that was the result of four strokes over a 10-year period. In all other respects, she was a very healthy and outgoing 78-year-old woman whom I loved dearly.
When dementia began to settle in, the changes in her were subtle at first and I failed to recognize them, thinking that she was just being disagreeable. How wrong I was.
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I would say to all who have somebody who they deeply love to be aware that this could happen to him or her. If you don't know much about dementia, it behooves you to study up on the subject and learn to recognize the signs and what to do.
It is generally a slowly progressive disease and it is easy to disregard the symptoms. There is no cure. Only love and patience can help you and your loved one navigate the process.
I deeply regret that I was too slow to realize what was happening and too slow to seek professional help.
Edgar von Trotha, Denton
AdvertisementBe kind first
This week is designated as "Random Acts of Kindness Week." It's a celebration of all the ways we can become a positive influence in each other's lives. Even one small act of kindness can mean a great deal to somebody.
A warm smile directed to a stranger, a brief greeting to someone you meet in passing or just holding the elevator for someone can lift their spirit, brighten their day and make someone feel a little bit better.
Now just think if these random acts of kindness could be played out on the world stage, where nation states displayed kindness and consideration to their geopolitical rivals, instead of just mistrust and suspicion.
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On an individual or a state level, if our first instinct was to do kind acts, our lives and the world would be a better, more hospitable place to live. Let's give it a try.
Ken Derow, Swarthmore, Pa.
Thanks for smiles
Re: "First the memory, then the burrito -- I'll never forget my first senior moment -- when I was 48," by David McClure, Saturday Opinion.
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What a delight is the clever wit of McClure. Who hasn't been minus a coin or two at a counter? Or sat in a car that was smelly and dirty and quickly jumped out? Or been mistaken for somebody obviously more advanced in age? Thanks for some smiles needed in these troubled times.
Anne R. Healy, Richardson
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