Letters to the Editor

Well-being over policies

While we were under an excessive heat warning per National Weather Service and the local weather stations from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday in Tyler, citizens/residents in need were seeking cooling shelters, as advised.

On Monday morning, I was asked to leave a particular business location (where I did my laundry for free) after “my two hours were up.” This business has air conditioning, restrooms, showers, and water. The business had several open seats at time I was asked to leave, and no one was required to stand. There was no one waiting outside the business to get in.

This is in very poor taste and lacks practical consideration, given the active ongoing excessive heat warning and the fact that the public buses were not running Monday and the fact that several community services such as Tyler Public Library and Tyler Senior Center were closed due to Juneteenth national holiday.

Citizens, particularly homeless and/or disabled, needing to seek air conditioned shelter with water and restroom facilities (cooling stations) are unfortunately asked to walk on foot to the next “open” recognized cooling station to seek human health respite and relief.

We understand challenges and work to overcome them. With due respect, we need business organizations, who pledge to aid their fellow citizen and neighbor, to focus more on practical, live-time priority matters rather than on a general rule of enforcement. Human health and well being should always trump a general written policy; unfortunately, as in the above case, this is not always the practice in Tyler.

Chris Dearmin

Tyler

Censure thoughts

Our Congressman Nathaniel Moran voted Wednesday afternoon to censure another Congressman, Adam Schiff, for actions Schiff was accused of that took place in prior to November 2022. How can Moran vote to censure a man for actions he was accused of doing before he was even a congressman?

In my opinion, poor judgement, but a fast learner. Moran has caught on quickly how to play party politics.

Pete Wagner

Tyler

Remember the risks

On the Fourth of July, many Americans will be grilling out, watching parades, and enjoying beautiful firework displays. But as families celebrate Independence Day, American Humane, the country’s first national animal welfare organization, is reminding pet owners that hot dogs belong on the grill — not in parked cars.

The air temperature can rise dramatically within a stationary vehicle—exposing four-legged family members left inside to serious risks that range from extreme discomfort to death. On an 80-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can jump to roughly 100 degrees in just 10 minutes and go upwards of 130 degrees in an hour.

This Fourth of July, animal lovers should not only act responsibly with their own dogs but also be on the lookout for other pets in danger. If you see a distressed animal inside a parked car—or left outside in the sun on a warm day alone—immediately call local animal control or law enforcement. Taking responsible action could save a pet’s life.

Dr. Robin Ganzert

President, CEO of American Humane