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Republican Texas officials appearing at NRA meeting this weekend makes perfect sense

NRA meeting is right in line

This weekend in Houston, Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz are scheduled to speak at the National Rifle Association’s 2022 Annual Meetings and Exhibits. (May 25, Star-Telegram.com, “‘How do you even sleep at night?’ Texas Sen. Ted Cruz faces backlash after Uvalde shooting”) That’s fitting. These elected officials care far more for the gun lobby than they do for our children.

These elected officials have done nothing to keep our children safe.

They don’t care that this doesn’t happen in other countries. The carnage doesn’t bother them.

- Marsha Fishman, Lantana

Ignoring the real gun problems

Matthew McConaughey is right: We need to do better when it comes to protecting our children in schools. (May 25, Star-Telegram.com, “Uvalde native Matthew McConaughey: We must ‘rearrange our values’ after school shooting”) While the Democrats scream that the answer is to take away guns and Republicans scream that they want to keep their guns, children are dying.

Guns have always been part of our Texan and American cultures. That has not changed and never should. What Democrats and Republicans both refuse to acknowledge is that society has changed. Politicians refuse to address the real issues: mental health, social media red flags and repeat violent offenders who should be dealt with harshly but are just released back onto the streets.

This vicious cycle will continue without the right measures, but any attempt at gun confiscation will result in civil war. What kind of violence would that bring?

- Derek Edwards, Fort Worth

Weapons not for everybody

So let me get this straight: Republicans are elected because they’re against killing babies through abortion. But they’re OK with someone having the tools to easily murder elementary school children and their teachers.

When will they ever promote the idea that not everyone deserves an assault weapon?

- Cheryl Litke, Mansfield

Short-term rentals are a problem

Fort Worth’s 2018 ordinance prohibiting short-term rentals in residential districts was a good move. (May 22, 4C, “Face it, Fort Worth: Airbnb is here to stay. Here’s a better approach to city’s rental rules”)

My wife and I have lived in our neighborhood for 50 years. There are several active short-term rentals within 200 feet of our residence. The city does not enforce the ordinance, and these rentals operate with impunity.

We do not see any need, beyond personal profit for the owners, for such rentals in residential areas. It isn’t as if short-term rentals are difficult to locate.

Keep and enforce the ordinance.

- Jim Sims, Fort Worth

Bill the Hillary Clinton campaign

Given the recent testimony from Robby Mook, Hillary’s Clinton’s 2016 campaign manager, that Clinton gave her approval to spread the word to the media about unproven allegations that the Trump Organization had a back-channel connection to Russia-based Alfa Bank, would it not be appropriate that the federal government bill the Clinton campaign for the $32 million spent on this ill-conceived scheme? This would pale compared with the unknowable cost of the resulting three years of hearings by grandstanding Democratic-controlled committees.

- Dexter Gatlin, Bedford