Missing the fiery old Cruz
At least the beard is cool
As a flaming liberal, I never thought I would say this, but I miss Sen. Ted Cruz. His consistently wrong positions were all very frustratingly well-presented and backed by his zeal, passion and integrity. Remember that freshman junior U.S. senator firebrand who persuaded the House to shut down the government? I actually miss that guy, who is now AWOL along with the rest of the Senate. Seeing Cruz devolve into another follower of President Donald Trump has been hard to watch, even for a liberal. But it’s not all bad news: The beard is cool. Chuck Rinehart, College Station
We love you, Grandma
Three years ago, the city of Houston was torn apart by Hurricane Harvey. Not only families were displaced but their fur babies also, too many for the city to handle. A decision was made to send animals to other states to find new forever homes. I found Grandma, as she was called, in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Such a joy for a chubby chihuahua/terrier mix. I knew she came from a good home. I had almost three years with her, but she had been sick for a while. I made the hard decision and called our vet. Grandma’s last week was filled with love and junk food. The vet came to my house and Grandma crossed over on the couch she slept on while I pet her, and Texas was once again being hit by another hurricane. To the unknown family who raised Grandma, I thank you. She had a great life, and her ashes will be returned to me. Karen Driscoll, Morro Bay, Calif.
A different way to protest
Concerning “Protests go from streets to court,” (A1, Aug. 27): I totally understand that professional athletes in the major sports leagues and at the collegiate and high school levels want to make a statement about police actions and brutality that unfairly discriminate against minorities and mostly Black people. Kneeling during the National Anthem before games is often the chosen form of protest. The challenge with kneeling during the anthem is that many Americans feel that it’s dishonoring or even desecrating the flag, and it immediately polarizes veterans and conservatives. The result is that a large percentage of the people you are trying to reach with your message end up shutting you out because of the methodology of protest. I’d like to suggest an alternate approach — all players, coaches, staff, etc. lock arms on the sidelines during the anthem. This shows solidarity of cause, and would likely not alienate or polarize veterans and conservatives. It’s a show of unity and that should not be viewed as a slight to our flag and country. Mike Wheat, Tiki Island