Thanks, Bass Hall, for letting Fort Worth enjoy the musical ‘Come From Away’ safely

A treat, and done the right way

Thanks to Bass Performance Hall and Performing Arts Fort Worth for safely presenting the musical “Come From Away” this past week. It was a magnificent production, and the hall’s audience masking requirement helped ensure health standards for all attendees at a time of high COVID-19 transmission and related deaths in Tarrant County.

Bass Hall leadership is an example of responsible stewardship. Some other venues are assuming attendees will be responsible and wear masks at their events or are being held hostage by performers — Eric Clapton, for example — who oppose certain mandates that protect the lives of people.

As recent concerts at those venues reportedly have shown — and as one Star-Telegram letter writer admitted recently — the majority of attendees haven’t worn masks for the protection of themselves and others.

- Tom C. Burke, Fort Worth

Higher education is out of control

Kudos to the Star-Telegram for printing Kathleen Parker’s Opinion piece, “Yale Law School triggers me.” (Oct. 20, 17A) She pulls no punches in exposing the theater of the absurd that our colleges and universities have become.

Who is accrediting these madhouses? The degrees these institutions are handing out are certainly suspect. Let’s hope someone at TCU is paying attention.

I salute the courage and intelligence of Parker and bid her a fond farewell, as the cancel culture will certainly be after her.

- Curtis Basham, Fort Worth

Teach kids the whole picture

Ryan Rusak is going to drive me from the Star-Telegram. Sounding like he is campaigning for gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin in Virginia, he asserted that parents have every right to supervise what is taught to their children in school in this past Wednesday’s “Worth Discussion” email newsletter.

We are seeing the destructive effects of such philosophy all around us in violent confrontations over masks, instructions to teach an “opposing view” of the Holocaust and books yanked from classrooms and libraries. (Oct. 20, 2A, “Southlake mayor speaks out on ‘opposing’ Holocaust views”)

Teachers, librarians and superintendents are trained professionals employing their experience and education. Parents who object to ideas such as so-called “critical race theory” (which is never taught in public schools) most often do so from personal prejudice, religious belief and lack of education.

The purpose of schools is to teach our children critical thinking, not to shelter them from controversy and uncomfortable history.

- Judy Alter, Fort Worth

Who’s really hiding the truth?

The author of a letter last Sunday (4C) claimed that Democrats are hiding the fact that they are in favor of what he called “critical race theory” being addressed in schools because it’s such a bad idea. That made me think of Donald Trump’s efforts to keep his minions from honoring subpoenas to testify about the Jan. 6 riot and events leading up to it.

Why refuse to talk if there’s nothing to hide?

- Graham Donathan, Benbrook

Pitts must be projecting

Leonard Pitts Jr. is a talented writer, but his clear hatred of America and his undeniable extreme bias was confirmed in his column, “My people are Americans, not like ‘you people,’” published in Friday’s Star-Telegram. (15A)

He suggests that Donald Trump, Mike Pence and those who support them are not true Americans, but people who think like him are. His rationales, without support, are that Republicans rig elections, hate free speech, don’t cherish the rule of law, don’t support democratic ideals, don’t value facts and don’t honor ideals about transformation of our society.

He obviously ignores the reality of our real election issues, the rioting and looting last summer, the border crisis created by Joe Biden and the lack of free speech at colleges. The man should look in a mirror.

- J. Mark Bronson, Fort Worth

Focus on the rule-followers

With millions of people in the country illegally, I’ve noticed a glaring omission in the news reporting of this disaster. Why not mention the people who are doing it right by getting in line and waiting their turn, usually for years, to enter the country legally?

This mess seems grossly unfair to them. How did you like it when someone cut in front of you at the theater?

- Dale Peterson, Keller