Letters: Politics, Baylor

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Despite politics, remain united

“Many people in the nation are happy because their candidate won the U.S. presidential election, while a significant number are experiencing shock and anxiety. This presents a significant challenge for our country and the church. Despite our political views at any one moment, we are citizens of one nation, bound together by the principles in the Declaration of Independence and the legal framework of the Constitution. These documents bind us together.

We can take great pride in the trustworthiness of our electoral process. Our elections are fair, and the process is secure. We should be thankful for that trustworthiness.

Those of us who are Christians respond to a higher calling and a greater authority. God is our ultimate ruler, and we are citizens in God’s kingdom. Still, we often disagree on how to apply our faith to our nation’s politics. It is important in our political disagreements that we remain united in Christ, recognizing that none of us has full wisdom in these affairs.

Jesus, as expressed in God’s word, gives us hope and a reason to be optimistic about our future, even when we feel discouraged. Jesus still is the answer for our world today, and the results of this election will not hinder God’s causes.

What does the Lord still require of us? “… to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

Gus Reyes, director

Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission

Austin


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Briles and Starr were ‘scapegoats’

What I found missing in “Written Pepper Hamilton report could have delayed action, Baylor regents say” is any attempt made by Baylor University’s board of regents to present the detailed Pepper Hamilton findings to Art Briles and Ken Starr and give them a chance to defend their actions or to take corrective actions. 

As a matter of fact, the article does not even mention Briles and Starr once, as if the article was praising how great the board is in protecting the Baptist heritage. You say the board wanted to hurry up and take action, but we are talking about smearing the careers of two good men. 

It is a disgrace that the board is just now releasing this information instead of showing it to Briles and Starr when the information was first released by Pepper Hamilton. 

Also, Patty Crawford, Baylor’s Title IX Coordinator at that time and the person who was the closest to the allegations, told the athletic staff the football team had been unfairly targeted, noting just two football players have been convicted of sexual assault during Briles’ tenure at Baylor. Crawford said a very small percentage of the Title IX cases had anything to do with Baylor athletics and she had made that very clear to Baylor leadership. Baylor offered Crawford a $1.5 million settlement and wanted her to sign a nondisclosure agreement. That sounds like hush money to me.

I think the board fired Briles and Starr as scapegoats to cover up their inability to implement Title IX.

Dennis Linscomb

Sugar Land


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