13-year-old Fort Worth cancer patient Cline McMurry had a power money can never buy
Hope in young man’s sad story
Thank you, Mac Engel, for your amazing story about Cline McMurry and the way he lived his life that was cut short by cancer. (July 31, 1C, “Cline McMurry’s life was a miracle, ending far too soon”)
No words can explain why a child precedes his parents and family in death, but Engel wrote a thoughtful and sensitive story about how Cline lived every day of his 13 years as well as possible.
Cline managed to do what people with wealth and power have failed to do in recent years: He united people with a common goal. Blessings on the McMurry family, who taught Cline how to focus positively with determination and humility during the years he was allowed. Cline leaves a legacy that all of us need to embrace.
- Maggie B. Thomas, Fort Worth
Manchin always tricks the GOP
It’s like something out of the comic strip “Peanuts”: Sen. Joe Machin is Lucy holding the football for the hapless Charlie Brown, the poor Republicans who fall for it every time. After he gave in on a huge tax and climate bill, his name could become synonymous with certain outcomes: “The Republicans got Manchined.”
- R.H. Gruy, Fort Worth
Just leave the past to history
The July 28 front-page story “Protesters rally against Fort Worth schools’ equity programs” looked at demonstrators against the district’s racial equity initiatives. Equity is providing someone preferential treatment because his ancestors may have been discriminated against by my ancestors. Equality is allowing everyone to compete based on current ability and to have the same access to resources.
- Deana Glenn, Fort Worth
Climate demands more than just you
Megan Cardona’s July 28 story, “Is the heat wave caused by climate change? Expert explains why this year is different,” (star-telegram.com) is well-written and clearly explains the effects of increasing planet-warming gases on local climate. Though this story focuses on individual actions, it hints at policy-based solutions.
Systemic action driven by federal, state and local leaders is crucial to mitigating climate change. Individual action is important but not enough.
Climate change often feels insurmountable. We might ask, “Is it too late?” To paraphrase science communicator John Green, there will always be more “points of no return,” but this means there are also continual opportunities to keep the situation from getting worse.
We need policy action driven by federal, state and local leadership to keep our community safe and healthy.
- Brenda Kirlin, North Richland Hills
The problem is purely the children
The biggest problem behind the teacher shortage is the total disrespect from the students directed to the teachers. As a former substitute teacher in the Fort Worth district, I can tell you that teachers have virtually no way to discipline a student for any infraction and little support from the school administrators or the parents.
Parents will always say, “Not my child — he wouldn’t do that.” Being unable to control a classroom using acceptable discipline leads to the teacher getting no respect.
Private schools demand respect from students, and parents back it up. So, why would anyone want to teach in public school? You can’t pay people enough to deal with this abuse.
- Bob Cosby, Fort Worth
