Feedback: July 3, 2026

Flagrant Usurpation

Dear Editor,

Since Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas GOP are so determined to ignore the Constitution and the First Amendment, I got curious about what the Founding Fathers really had to say on the subject of religious freedom.

Thomas Jefferson was an important supporter of religious freedom and frequently used the phrase “wall of separation between church and state.” Jefferson also said, “The constitutional freedom of religion is the most inalienable and sacred of all human rights.”

Another staunch supporter of religious freedom and the separation of church and state was James Madison. He said, “There is not a shadow of right in the general government to intermeddle with religion. Its least interference with it would be a most flagrant usurpation.” Yet another quote from Madison was short and to the point when he said, “The Constitution of the U.S. forbids everything like an establishment of a national religion.”

Thomas Paine said, “Persecution is not an original feature in any religion; but it is always the strongly marked feature in all religions established by law.”

Forcing the Ten Commandments and biblical readings in the schools is definitely persecution and needs to be stopped.

Sandra Bakkethun

Consider Global Citizenship

Dear Editor,

I recently encountered the article “Pence Says GOP Needs to Rediscover Its Conscience” [News, June 19]. Throughout Texas, MAGA Republicans are rapidly becoming disjointed from the larger establishment, pivoting toward an agenda dominated by populism and polarization. Amidst this hostility, the former vice president urges Republicans to look inwards – to rediscover their conscience. However, to this, I ask: Should we not all rediscover our consciences?

A “Global Citizen”: someone who recognizes that they belong to a broader global community. Today, we operate within an unparalleled age of connection. And yet… never before have we displayed such ambiguity towards others. We tend to believe that community is narrow – that it only encompasses those in our vicinity. This definition is too cramped.

Currently, poverty stands as one of the world’s most pressing issues. Across the globe, nearly 736 million people live in extreme impoverishment, and a staggering 2.3 billion do not know where their next meal will come from. Such anxiety is not a personal failure, but rather a systemic, pervasive problem.

U.S. foreign aid amounts to less than 1% of the federal budget, yet faces immense scrutiny for being futile and exorbitant. This could not be further from the truth. Humanitarian aid has long stood as a cornerstone of American foreign policy – uplifting not only those who need it most, but cementing our own domestic security and economic prosperity. It is essential to the fabric of our nation.

Now, I urge our leaders to consider their own global citizenship. In fact, I invite everyone. Can we look beyond our immediate bubble? Can we reach for compassion? Can we find unity and lend support to the hardships that define all of humanity?

Ultimately, the answer is simple: We must.

Sofia Castano