Dallas, TX
Letters to the Editor – Politicized words, Dallas traffic, RJK Jr., alcohol awareness
Sound advice
Re: “’One language, many realities,’ — When words become politicized, we lose real meaning,” by Rudolph Bush, Sunday Opinion.
Bush argues that the way we use words is at the center of our political struggles. Language is now being used as a kind of political or cultural signaling. I agree. Evaluating what is said requires more than just listening to the words. It requires understanding their nuances.
As a lawyer who practiced for over 45 years, I appreciate the value of the shared meaning of words. Though retired, I still like to ask speakers questions about complex issues. Like Bush, what I am really trying to determine is whether they have any depth of understanding about the complexity of the matter or if they are just offering a slogan. Are they appealing to my reason or are they just playing me?
Bush points out that words have become a battlefield. We need to evaluate not only the words that others use but also our own words. Do they appeal to reason or just emotion?
Bush’s opinion offers sound advice on how to deal with the political rhetoric of the 2024 elections.
Raymond J. Termini, Dallas/Turtle Creek
Our streets are dangerous
Re: “Dallas struggles to lower fatalities — Staffing hinders goal of cutting speed-related deaths, police chief says,” Friday news story.
The recent six-car accident in Dallas points out how dangerous our city streets have become. Excessive speed and disregard for others’ lives and property have become quite normalized.
The Dallas North Tollway and Central Expressway, in addition to city surface streets like Preston Road and Northwest Highway, are largely unpatrolled and many drivers travel way too fast.
The real danger is the reckless drivers who speed and swerve in and out of traffic with no regard for others. Their vehicles are often uninsured. The rest of the driving public pays for this in increased insurance costs.
Drivers are also constantly running red lights, putting others at risk. Plus, increased traffic congestion contributes to these safety concerns.
Public safety should be a top priority of our city leaders. Taxpaying citizens have a right to expect basic levels of safety while driving. Increased enforcement of existing laws would go a long way to improving the situation. Recently, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia was quoted as saying he had 29 officers on traffic patrol for the entire city of Dallas. That seems shockingly low for a city of 384 square miles.
Betsy Morton, North Dallas
Let’s define ‘populism’
Re: “Kennedy the populist candidate,” by Randolph Severson, Saturday Letters.
I read Severson’s opinion and wondered which dictionary he used to obtain his definition of “populism.” He expounds on why he believes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the best candidate for president but uses a definition of populism that is far from reality as the basis for his reasoning.
According to Merriam-Webster, a populist is a member of a political party “claiming” to represent the common people. It doesn’t mention anything about a populist actually believing in the dignity and worth of the common person or his/her issues. That has been the ruse of using the populism moniker all along. It has been a means to a political end regardless of actual beliefs.
Personally, if I was to promote a political candidate, I would not use a term that is associated with other famous and infamous political figures. Whereby there may be a few examples of someone truly concerned for the common man, more often than not, it is the other way around. Please remember that Huey P. Long, Hugo Chávez, Juan Perón and Donald Trump were or are all populist candidates.
Bill Hudman, Plano
Little family resemblance
The 1968 election was the first one in which I was eligible to vote, and I supported Robert F. Kennedy. When he was murdered, I was devastated. I still have his picture on my wall. Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel by Sirhan Sirhan. Roosevelt Grier, a former pro football tackle who was acting as a bodyguard for Kennedy, immediately grabbed Sirhan and seized his gun. Sirhan, who was from the Middle East, said “I did it for my country.” He was tried and convicted and given the death penalty, which was later commuted to life imprisonment.
Now Robert Kennedy Jr. says Sirhan is innocent and should be paroled. Most of the family of RFK Jr. totally disagree and are appalled.
RJK Jr. is not a populist. He is an anti-vaxxer and delusional conspiracy theorist who says because of what he knows our government “may try to kill him.” He is nothing like his father.
Crawford Long, Waco
Funny, but …
Re: “Literally Anybody Else runs — Fed-up teacher makes name for himself as ballot protest,” March 27 Metro & Business story.
Votes for “Literally Anybody Else” could get Donald Trump elected. That’s truly frightening!
Bill R. Betzen, Dallas/Oak Cliff
Drink responsibly, y’all
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, a time to think about your alcohol consumption to ensure you are enjoying alcohol responsibly and in moderation. According to the dietary guidelines for Americans, this means limiting alcohol to two drinks or less a day for men and one drink or less for women.
While any alcohol abuse is too much, the good news is federal data indicate harmful drinking in the U.S. is declining. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows binge drinking among adults ages 21 and older decreased 11% from 2018 to 2022, and 9 out of 10 (89%) say they drink the same amount or less than they did pre-pandemic.
Adults who choose to drink should commit to mindful drinking year-round. There are some people who should not drink alcohol at all, and talking with health care providers can help determine what is best, based on individual factors and family history.
Amanda Berger, Washington, D.C.
Vice president, Science and Health, Distilled Spirits Council
We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com
The search for the next general manager or president of basketball operations of the Dallas Mavericks has begun. They terminated Nico Harrison in November, which was about nine months too late, and gave any available candidates clear notice that they were open for business.
The plan was always to wait until after the season to start the search. While names popped up as the season reached an end, they didn’t begin turning over the staff until the Monday after the season ended. However, Dallas Mavericks fans are not going to like how the team is going about the search.
Patrick Dumont Leading Search for General Manager
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Mavericks are not hiring a search firm in their hunt for a new lead executive. Instead, team governor Patrick Dumont is “acting as his own point person.”
This is an… interesting decision, to say the least. Dumont is not a basketball person whatsoever, and most organizations usually hire a search firm. The Chicago Bulls hired one as they look for their replacement for Arturas Karnisovas. Just because a firm is hired doesn’t mean a team will listen, though.
The Mavericks hired a firm in their last search for a GM. They let Donnie Nelson go in 2021 after a long tenure with the Mavs. Instead of listening to the firm, though, Mark Cuban ignored it to hire Nico Harrison, who had no previous NBA front office experience. Harrison had been an executive with Nike, which gave him connections with players like Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and plenty of others.
For a while, that seemed to be working out okay. While he still had some questionable transactions, such as trading for Christian Wood and letting Jalen Brunson walk in free agency, they were still able to make a run to the NBA Finals in 2024. Then, he blew it all up, trading away Luka Doncic for an older and injured Anthony Davis, and the team hasn’t been the same since.
It’s imperative that the Mavericks get this hire correct. The interim Co-GM setup with Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley has performed admirably, but the 2026 NBA Draft is important for the Mavs to get right. It’s their best chance to pair Cooper Flagg with another young star, as they don’t own their first-round pick again until 2031 after this.
Hiring the right GM could help bring in more draft capital by bringing in bad contracts or flipping veterans into picks.
Dumont was able to convince Rick Welts, a Hall of Famer, to come out of retirement to be the CEO and lead the charge for a new arena. Maybe Dumont pulls another rabbit out of his hat for the GM.
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For a moment, it looked like FC Dallas was on its way to another statement win at home tonight.
Petar Musa scored two first half goals, to extend his Golden Boot leading tally to nine goals. But after Dallas grabbed control, the Galaxy found a way back before halftime with goals from Lucas Sanabria and Joseph Paintsil.
The second half brought more chances and more frustration for Dallas, which finished the night with 13 shots to LA’s nine. In the end, the point stretched Dallas’ unbeaten run to five games, though just like last week, it felt like another match where Dallas left points on the table.
Key Moments
7’ – GOAL! After a poor pass back by a LA defender, Petar Musa was free to go one-on-one with the LA goalkeeper. After a touch to get ahead of a defender, Musa slotted home his eighth goal of the season from outside the penalty box.
21’ – Offside! Joaquin Valiente sent a floating ball over the Galaxy defense, where Musa was able to get behind the defense and make an easy play for what appeared to be his second goal of the night. The play was called offside despite a fairly lengthy review period.
38’ – GOAL! This one counts! Musa gets his second of the night off a great ball from Chris Cappis. Logan Farrington picked off the ball in the midfield. He then played Cappis wide to the left of the penalty area. Cappis immediately played a ball back across the goal for Musa to slide in and finish for his ninth of the season.
43’ – Goal LA. Lucas Sanabria got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He took a couple of touches to get outside the penalty box before firing a shot that beat Michael Collodi at the near post.
45+4’ – Goal LA. Gabriel Pec got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He pulled the ball back a bit, which caught a pair of Dallas defenders. This allowed Joseph Painstil to get free behind the Dallas defense as Pec played him through inside the penalty area. Pec immediately smashed home a shot above Collodi to tie the game.
75’ – Another offside goal. This time on a corner kick for Dallas, after a scrum in the penalty box, Kaick hammered home what looked to be the go-ahead goal. But after a few seconds the flag was raised due to a deflection on Osaze Urhoghide, who was in an offside position.
Instant Reaction
Yeah, this is another disappointing result for this team. In a real way, it felt like the first half against Houston from last month. Dallas grabbed the lead, looked in control, but some defensive miscues opened the game up for the visitors to climb back.
With a double-game week coming up, this will certainly be another game where Dallas will wonder ‘what if’ more than anything else…especially when you factor in the two goals called off for offside.
About the Subs
Eric Quill went to his bench for the first time in the 66th minute, as he brought on Santiago Moreno for Logan Farrington. Quill went to his bench again 81st minute with Ran Binyamin and Nolan Norris coming on for Sebastien Ibeagha and Deedson. The final sub came during stoppage time with Herman Johansson and Joaquin Valiente coming off for Sam Sarver and rookie Nick Simmonds, who made his MLS debut.
Man of the Match
No question about it tonight, it has to be Musa.
Where does this fit into the season
As of this writing, the draw puts Dallas into a three-way tie for 5th place with Real Salt Lake and Seattle. Both are in action right now and look firmly in control of their games. I’d expect Dallas to be in 7th place by the end of the night.
What’s next for FC Dallas
Dallas wraps up a three-game homestand next Wednesday night as they host Minnesota United.
Dallas, TX
Akheem Mesidor selected by Cowboys by Blogging The Boys in SB Nation’s community mock draft
Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami
Pass rush has been an issue since the Micah Parsons trade. The Rashan Gary trade helped, but Dallas still needs an injection of talent. Akheem Mesidor fits here because his body size allows for some versatility inside and out, something DC Christian Parker utilizes. Mesidor is also a high-motor player with a deep bag of pass rush moves.
His last season at Miami was full of disruption in the offensive backfield and he shows an all-around game, not just a bend-around-the-edge pass rusher. Yes, he’s a little older than you’d like in a rookie (25), but his motor, pass rush toolbox, and ability to play the run matches up with a need and makes him a quality pick at number 20.
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