May 24, 2018 500 AM
Editor: Thanks to Texas Department of Transportation for their very organized public meeting in Alpine last week and for their friendly staff. It was good to see them soliciting suggestions for how to deal with increasing traffic. There were many Alpine residents interested in finding out more and having a say in our future. Additions such as bypasses and bike lanes could offset some of the concerns associated with this type of growth. On the other hand, it seemed that the most important decision, that of routing truck traffic through our area to the border on “Our 67”, had already been made, despite intense, and apparently successful, local opposition to the proposed truck route “La Entrada al Pacifico” in 2007 and 2008. Increased truck traffic through our towns brings increased hazards, noise, and pollution. Any economic gain in truck stop type businesses is offset by other economic and quality of life losses such as has already occurred in many once-pretty little towns in rural Texas. While some types of business growth, such as the green houses and solar businesses, seem to have minimal negative repercussions, trucking and other oil related ventures may be more likely to impact our community health. It is good to get an opportunity to be involved in how to mitigate growth issues, but even better to have a voice in whether this type of growth occurs here at all. Helen Snook Alpine
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Editor: Two days before yet another school massacre, the one in Santa Fe, Texas, there was another massacre, the one perpetrated by the Israeli military. While Ivanka was smiling and looking pretty, Jared was fantasizing about peace in the Middle East and Ted Cruz was yucking it up with various “dignitaries” in Jerusalem, 60 miles away members of the Israeli military were using Palestinians in Gaza for target practice. Some 62 demonstrators were killed, somewhere between 1,600 and 2,700 were injured because they were armed with rocks and slingshots. A whopping total of one – one! – Israeli was said to be slightly injured in the “battle.” The United Nations Human Rights Council condemned Israel’s brutality, Israel’s right-wing government blamed Hamas (a break-away political party from the legitimate Palestine Authority) and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, in keeping with our never-ending search for justice, vetoed a Human Rights Council resolution calling for a commission of inquiry into the slaughter. The resolution passed 29-2 with only the US and Australia voting against. Why should we care about what goes on “over there?” I often ask myself that question regarding what is going on somewhere else and sometimes the answer is “I don’t care.” But in this case the Trump administration response to the Gaza slaughter again emphasizes how alone in the world we have become. How we can no longer be looked to for the moral leadership, or any leadership, we as a nation have exhibited since WWII. A decline that, incredibly, has only taken sixteen months. As European Council President Donald Tusk said last week: “With friends like that (Trump), who needs enemies?” Fred Gossien Terlingua
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Editor: Our Lieutenant Governor, Dan Patrick, and his infinite wisdom has proposed arming teachers to make schools safer. As a teacher with 23 years of experience, I ask Mr. Patrick the following questions: Will you purchase my weapon? Will you purchase my ammunition? Will you pay for my certification? Will you pay for my re-certification? Will you pay for my fees at the shooting range? Will you pay me a stipend for being a part-time security guard? Will you pay for my NRA dues so I can get a free cap? Will you pay for my bullet proof vest? Will you pay for my liability insurance? Will you pay for my attorney fees when someone sues me for defending my school? If your answer to any of my questions is “NO”, then you need to come up with a better plan. Your solution is idiotic. Do Texas a favor – please never consider running for governor. Sincerely, Frank P Jimenez Midland
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Editor: “Each …” Following last week’s death of 10 people at the Santa Fe, Texas high school, a story appeared about a 63 year old teacher working two jobs to take care of the chronic medical needs of her husband. Her son, a detective with a local police department, identified the body of his murdered mother, Cynthia Tisdale! Let’s recognize that at Columbine, Sandy Hook, the outdoors concert massacre in Las Vegas, Parkland and now, Santa Fe that the blood of the innocents was once held in a body. Each body had a name. Each name had its personal stories of love and loss, tragedy and redemptive growth, challenges and hope. Each story held the truth of our common human journey. We are capable; even in the face of mind-numbing pain to identify with any number of their stories as our own. Let us open our hearts and minds. Commit to having our elected representatives do something already. The risk is not completely eliminating the incidents, but taking serious measurable steps in the direction of reducing an epidemic not plaguing other modern, Western nations. One student interviewed said she knew it would happen. Did it need to come to that where a mass shooting is as predictable to students as starting kindergarten or graduating high school? We aren’t going to hear fewer lamentable stories until each has been understood as our own. Respectfully submitted, Rev. Barry Abraham Zavah Alpine
