Minority party in our democracy

Regarding Alan Langford’s Jan. 20 letter that asserts that “true democracy requires majority rule, not minority rule,” he is 100 percent correct.

Fortunately, the Founding Fathers gave us a representative republic which protects the minority from what Plato, Aristotle, Madison and Tocqueville viewed as the “tyranny of the majority.”

A “true democracy” would probably have never seen the end of slavery, women’s suffrage or segregation.

Liberals in the press railed against the Republican juggernaut after the 1994 mid-term elections. Curiously, they expressed no such misgivings in 2006 or 2008. I’m sure we’ll hear it again come this November.

Alfred W. Evans

Gatesville

Reason for new pecan law

In response to so many letters and statements I have heard recently about the uproar over sanitation of pecans, I as a small grower of pecans would like for everyone to take a step back and understand why some of the state’s regulations for production and distribution of any food product are not only necessary but helpful to the people who make a living in this field.

With many food scares over the past few years — such as peanut contamination and livestock diseases — the state of Texas has put into place regulations to keep the entire industry in our state protected.

If one bad batch of contaminated pecans made it onto the open market and people were to become sick, then the entire Texas pecan crop could face possible quarantine. This would destroy the livelihood of all producers in the industry.

Unfortunately, some small businesses do not have the means to upgrade their operations and meet sanitation standards, but this is the reality of any business venture one decides to invest in.

I feel for these businesses, but the overall protection of a large portion of our agricultural economy must be our state’s priority. This is true in all food and feed production. It has to be regulated to ensure a standard for all producers.

Like many folks, I have picked up pecans and eaten them right off the ground for years, and I will continue to do so for my own personal consumption. But there is too much at stake to risk this in the commercial consumption market.

There are many producers of food products throughout the United States, and throughout the world, who would love no more than to quarantine or ban food products from our state to improve their profits on agricultural products that compete with our own. We can’t let that happen.

Colt Weilding

Waco

* * *

I am 91 years old and have been around pecan trees from creek bottoms to prairie pastures, gathering pecans and eating a few along the way, as our neighbors and friends did. And I have never heard of anyone getting sick from eating pecans.

That law demanding that pecans be sterilized before shelling for market has got to be one of the most ridiculous laws yet.

John Balentine

Waco

Organ donation saves lives

I must thank Tribune-Herald reader Angela Carothers, who wrote a Jan. 2 letter detailing the need for people to consider organ donation.

There are now more than 105,000 men, women and children in the United States awaiting life-saving organ transplants. Every day about 18 people die because there are not enough organ donors.

We all have the power to save lives by declaring ourselves organ donors if anything were to happen to us. Consider registering your wishes on the new state registry, www.donatelifetexas.org

Your decision could save eight lives!

For more information on organ donation, go to www.txorgansharing.org. To volunteer to help us spread the message of organ donation, please contact the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance at msegovia@txorgansharing.org or call (512) 459-4848 x2202

Michelle Segovia

Texas Organ Sharing Alliance

Austin

Delicious political irony

The irony is delicious that it took the health care debacle to turn Ted Kennedy’s long-held Democratic U.S. Senate seat over to a Republican with the election Tuesday of Scott Brown in Massachusetts.

Oh, be still my heart.

Could it be after decades of timidity that the American people are ready to instruct the government to remove its prodigious proboscis from our daily affairs?

Bob Crenshaw

Lorena

Hillcrest staff gets an A+

I would like to commend Waco’s emergency medical workers, including the ambulance drivers, emergency room doctors, nurses and staff at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center.

I had to be transported to Hillcrest ER several times recently because of shortness of breath. About a month ago, I had heart surgery and was hospitalized several times prior to the surgery. Hillcrest rates A+ in my book.  All of the staff — from housekeeping to the doctors — were kind and compassionate. And I have to admit, I was not the perfect patient. I was in a lot of pain, but they treated me royally.

Hats off to Hillcrest. I am recuperating well and am so grateful for their help.

These people helped when I needed help most. I thank God for Christian people.

Minister Linda Majors

Waco

Conspiracy theory?

Many people are concerned that you are withholding negative letters concerning President Obama and the Democrats.

David Calvert

Waco