Letters are posted as we receive them during the week, and before they are printed in the paper, so check back frequently to see new letters. If you'd like to send a letter to the editor, use this postmarks submission form, or email your letter directly to [email protected]. Thanks for your patience.

Dear Editor,
    The Texas abortion bill has received abundant national press coverage. Unfortunately, stories focus mainly on technical details such as who the bill affects or how it will impact the economy. What is ignored by the media in its gracious service to the ruling class is the reality of citizens in Austin being denied the right to participate in government by the cold shoulder of politicians and the brute force of policemen.
    On Saturday, a photograph circulated on Facebook of protester Joshua Pineda bleeding a big puddle out of his head after being slammed to the ground by DPS officials at the Capitol. Last week, pro-choice advocate Sarah Slamen, who’d been invited to testify at the Senate hearings, was escorted for no legal reason out of the Capitol by armed guards mere minutes after beginning a well-deserved tirade against the Stone Age legislators.
    Such treatment of citizens would spark outrage if it happened in, say, Turkey. Yet media coverage of this open, physical attack on democracy at home is sparse to nonexistent. Yahoo! News actually had the gall to run the headline, “Protesters disrupt Texas debate on abortion.” It is a truly cynical media that characterizes citizens demanding to be heard as a “disruption.”
    Sadly, the people’s voices mean nothing to Governor Perry, DPS, or the national media. Real democracy tried nobly to assert itself in the Texas abortion debate through the courage of Slamen, Pineda, Senator Wendy Davis, and their like. It was kept at bay with badges and handcuffs while Republicans blitzed their regressive, unwanted legislation through. Perry and DPS are the real disruptors of democracy, not the protesters.

Dear Editor,
    I read the letter from Jason Meador [Postmarks, July 12] and felt the need to write. He says in his letter that “Gun control costs lives.” Just like that, with no qualifications or specifics. I understand we have to sometimes generalize for efficiency when writing; however, gun policy is too important in the long term to be set by huge generalities. Gun control is an unspecific term. It is similar to the term gun safety. To be against gun control of any kind is to be for what? That is the question that has to be answered.
    As a responsible person, I have to be for some gun control because it reflects common sense. It has only been the last few hysterical years that some gun owners are asking for no gun control. Without specifics, that means anyone can own a gun for any reason and buy it any way? Is that logical, intelligent, or responsible? No. It means a child can get a gun; would you want your 5-year-old to be able to buy a gun? I am not exaggerating, you asked for no gun laws.
    What thinking, feeling person asks for this without qualifiers? I, for one, am happy and content with things like the Youth Handgun Safety Act from the Gun Control Act of 1968, which works to safely store firearms away from children and prohibits the selling of firearms to those under 18 years of age. I am also for gun safety locks.
    On an average day, 14 American children under the age of 20 are killed and many more wounded by guns. My conscience as a parent alone won’t let me be for "no gun laws" because of this.
    The majority of Americans, including gun owners and NRA members, support common-sense gun safety regulation.

Dear Editor,
    It's long past time for special event transportation event fees to stop being waived [“Event Horizon,” News, July 12]. The city of Austin and partners (including Capital Metro) traditionally bypassed their chance to collect money from people who obviously have lots of expendable income on hand. Getting to Austin, Texas, from halfway around the world certainly isn't cheap.
    At this same time, elderly, low-income, and/or people with disabilities – the people with less economic resources – are being expected to accept a proposed fare increase. It would more than double the price of Capital Metro passes. These groups have less disposable income. We're the ones not able to attend the "special events." Residents get impacted when streets are blocked off or buses are constantly rerouted away from jobs and community resources such as health care and grocery stores. We can't always take another route on public transit.
    We should coordinate [Office of Special Events Manager] Frances Hargrove's permanent retirement. She has allowed the city's transit resources to get strained to today's breaking point. A remotely competent public administrator would have promptly advised Council that straining basic city services to the limit does not manage crowds nor bring in much needed transit revenue.

Dear Editor,
    Coal plants are the number one source of toxic water pollution in the country, and exposure to these dangerous chemicals these companies dump into our water leads to birth defects, cancer, and even death. The existing standards governing water pollution from power plants have not been updated in the last 30 years; this leaves four out of five coal plants in the country unregulated in their amount of toxic dumping. These plants are polluting our drinking water, local rivers, and our recreational water systems.
    However, this past spring the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed new coal plant pollution standards. These guidelines will, for the first time, set national standards that limits the amount of toxic metals dumped into our water systems. While these new standards will protect our water and improve our water’s health, these coal companies are fighting back against these new regulations.
    It is imperative that we all act together against these coal companies and have them start being accountable for their actions. Anyone who cares about having clean water systems should submit a letter to President Obama and the EPA in support of the new standards for water pollution from coal plants.