We appreciate all the letter writers who shared their opinions with us in 2019. Many of our readers take the time to write regularly, even daily. We read every letter. Here is a selection of some of the letters that stood out in 2019.

Last year, I spent two weeks in Poland and Germany on a World War II history tour. We visited at least six concentration camps. The tour of Auschwitz was the most memorable due to the preservation of artifacts and camp buildings. We stood in the showers and saw the crematorium. It is true history comes alive when you are physically at the location and hear the stories of those who lived through it. I now look for articles about the camps and the stories of survivors because it is real to me.

Although millennials may not know of the atrocities, they do have the opportunity to learn by visiting Holocaust museums both here and in Europe. Once one is confronted with the pictures and stories, it will not and should not be forgotten nor should it ever be allowed to happen again.

Kathy Minde, Richardson

My frequent trips to El Paso for medical clinics over the past decade gave me the experience of a dynamic bilingual city, a beautiful model of the melting-pot synergy that gave birth to the United States. The gratitude of Latino patients for my few words of Spanish, the devotion of Thomason Hospital staff and doctors to patients of every hue, the merging of cultures to give tastes from chiles rellenos to chicken-fried steak, all show the path to tolerance and humanity that makes for true greatness.

My feelings of safety that allowed enjoyment of views from the Franklin Mountains or the Tibetan heights of the University of Texas at El Paso were matched by statistics showing lower crime rates than most metropolitan areas, decreasing over the past 20 years despite the small chain fence and thin river that until recently served as a wall. The last thing our exemplary Texas border cities need are rallies for wasted funds that will make America hate again.

Golder Wilson, Dallas

Having read several recent articles that caught my attention Coast Guard officer planning terrorist attack, hate groups on the upswing, church moral issues under scrutiny, $13 million of meth found in a truck crossing into United States with strawberries it all made me wonder where we are headed. Not sure any wall will change the moral fiber of people in general. All of us need to take a pause, figure out where we are headed, and step up to change the momentum. We are better than all of this.

Vicky Herr, Carrollton

This country is in serious trouble. We have allowed our president and Congress to divide this country to such a degree that people actually hate other people just for different political ideals. This division is not in the interest of our country but instead in the interest of their individual political parties. This strategy of we vs. they is the cause of this division, and we can no longer accept it. We need to take our country back and vote for leaders who do not believe in this type of politics and who are willing to work together for the good of the country.

Divide and conquer is presently the mindset in Washington, and we need to change that mentality. Vote!

John Dunne, Frisco

Re: U.S. cuts aid to region, citing migrants Democrats denounce end of payments to Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, March 31 news story.

I would like to know where is the Organization of American States? Instead of cutting off aid to three Central American countries, the administration should be using our influence with all our partners in the Americas to devise strategies to deal with the extraordinary humanitarian crisis that is at the heart of the U.S. immigration predicament.

Why is Central America fundamentally different from Africa, Europe or the Middle East? The U.S. should request a United Nations task force to support Mexicos intent to prevent movement on the Mexico/Central American isthmus, while at the same time setting up a multinational OAS team to assess claims of asylum. Those with legitimate claims should then be distributed among nations of the Americas, not just the U.S., so that no one country is responsible for taking care of all these desperate people.

Benjamin Levine, North Dallas

People all over the world were watching as Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was burning. It was likely caused by a construction accident as workers were restoring the almost 900-year-old church. Within 24 hours, more than $700 million was pledged for repairs. Likely not so many people noticed that a few days earlier three African American Baptist churches in Louisiana were deliberately burned to the ground. Evidence points to a young white man, the son of a sheriffs deputy, as the one who set the fires. Even more than the fire in Paris, the fires in Louisiana are the ones we should be paying attention to, for they represent a racist act done in the name of white supremacy.

This is the scourge that must be eliminated from America as well as from the rest of the world. I saw a T-shirt the other day that says it all: Love Your Neighbor... your black, brown, white, immigrant, disabled, religiously different, LGBTQ, fully human neighbor. Thats the last, best hope weve got.

Roger T. Quillin, Dallas/Lake Highlands

Re: "Robert Bob Compton Beloved pioneering books editor at The News, by Michael Granberry, April 26 obituary.

Kudos to Michael for what was so much more than any standard obituary but a true and very well-deserved tribute to Compton. I was one of his regular reviewers from the late 80s, starting about five years after he became the papers books editor. Before he retired, he handed me on to the new editor, who did the same when she left The Dallas Morning News.

In addition, I reviewed for the long-gone Saturday religion section. Every editor I worked with at The News was perfect, but Compton was pluperfect not so much a boss as a gentle, understanding friend who knew much. He had an unmatched style of guidance that helped this reviewer as a person while simultaneously sharpening my reviewing skills. I suspect hes already working with the heavenly choir on perfecting word choices. I know for sure that there will never be another quite like him here on earth!

Harriet P. Gross, Dallas/Vickery Meadow

Re: 3 talented teens make it to the top in Junior Cliburn, by Scott Cantrell, June 9 Arts & Life column.

The tumult of the outside world was silenced when the Dallas Symphony Orchestra hosted the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition finals. In the cocoon of the Meyerson Symphony Center, three young pianists (ages 15, 16 and 17), with fingers like butterflies, nuanced the softness of pianissimo and the passion of forte. My heart beat faster; my soul soared; tears filled my eyes. It was a moment in time that was the promise of tomorrow.

Andrea Weinstein, Dallas

Re: Curtain falls on City Ballet Rent increase puts end to dance school that taught generations, June 28 Metro & Business story.

Dallas is losing a city treasure, and hardly anyone will know. City Ballet has been a part of this city for 69 years.

Now, thanks to a new landlord (who tried to double the rent) and rising rents in the city generally, it will shutter its doors forever. More than 100 students have lost their after-school activity an activity that promotes grace, beauty and discipline. They have lost the space to pursue their dreams and truly feel they have lost part of their family.

What makes this all the more tragic is seeing all of the vacancies on Lovers Lane. Nobody can afford the rising rents. So, as of June 30, rather than walking past a wall of windows where you can see students ages 3 to 60 learning an art form, you instead will see a dusty, empty space. How small businesses will ever afford a space in Dallas is beyond me.

Denise Brown and her daughter, Evelyn Johnson, built an amazing studio that has touched the lives of many here in Dallas and beyond. Their light and legacy will live on in the thousands of students they taught.

Tanner Hartnett, Dallas

Re: Outrage incentive is dooming our politics Cycle of controversy takes focus away from improving Americans lives, by Dan Crenshaw, July 23 Opinion.

Rep. Dan Crenshaws comments resonated with me like no other in a long time. A politician with the directivity to tell it like it is is an anomaly! He pretty much took us all to task for the circle of controversy in which our beloved country finds itself. It is shocking to continuously read and hear the childish banter between our leaders, harking to our days on the school playground. To the former Navy SEAL, I say, Bravo! Thank you for your continuing service to our country.

Anne R. Healy, Richardson

What if being tough on immigration meant having the stamina to work out comprehensive legislation that upheld our American values instead of screaming meaningless phrases like open borders and regurgitating racist rhetoric?

Brave people confront complex, real-world problems. Cowards rely on chaos to distract us from watching them run away.

Barbara Chiarello, Austin

Re: Libraries evolve to aid in crisis situations Many patrons need refuge, help that falls outside the books, Aug. 11 news story.

I was disappointed that The Dallas Morning News published this wire story without taking the opportunity to highlight the efforts being made locally at Dallas Public Library.

Since 2013, the library has made it a priority to build relationships with our customers experiencing homelessness. The program coordinator is a mental health professional. Librarians and other staff are trained to provide referrals and host programs to alleviate the boredom of life on the streets. Each year our staff has contact with more than 4,000 people in need of social services, job search help, hygiene kits and daytime activities. We also have regular coffee and conversation events to engage with the people who visit the library regularly, improving interactions for staff and customers alike.

Perhaps this is not the work we imagined when we applied for jobs at Dallas Public Library. But finding answers for the unique needs of each person who comes through our doors is very much at the core of what we do.

Jo Giudice, Dallas, director of the Dallas Public Library

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free ... . So reads the plaque on the Statue of Liberty.

America once again mourns innocent lives lost forever from this earth, this America, this land of the free. The perpetrator is not one man, one group, but all of us Anglo-Saxon, white privileged Americans who have allowed this cancer of hate to fester into a deathly disease across our land. What in the world is wrong with us?

Every faith espouses the Golden Rule, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, which boils down to honor and respect for one another because under our skin color, we are all the same. Its time to look in the mirror and point our finger there: Am I doing enough to love my neighbor?

Ann Shaw South, Richardson

The angst created by the hate and violence of our times is difficult to escape. Today I am deeply grateful for the fact that I was born in 1928, have experienced a largely safe, healthy and happy 91 years, and that I was lucky enough to be born in the United States of America. I hope to be able to vote in the 2020 presidential election.

At this moment the choice of candidates remains problematic and leans toward none of the above. I hope to find a candidate who really believes in a great America. This is not a nostalgic look backward. I cannot remember in my 91 years when America was a safe, healthy, free nation for everyone. I wait for a leader who will work for education policies that ensure higher levels of education for all; health care policies that help people live longer and healthier lives; social welfare policies that ensure a higher standard of living for all; and criminal justice policies that reduce violence and crime rates.

Maybe my dream of an America that deep in its heart is dedicated to the welfare of all is just an impossible fantasy. I refuse to abandon the dream.

Gerald L. Hastings, Dallas

I recently attended the Dallas Theater Centers presentation of Ann, a play about the late Texas Gov. Ann Richards.

It was refreshing to see one of Texas finest leaders portrayed on stage, exposing all of her personal flaws, yet showing the true colors of a real person of character in public office. What a rare pleasure to see a public official more interested in the people she serves than holding on to power.

The audience was filled with nearly 50 kids from Dallas schools who stayed after for the talk back. As I listened to these middle school and high school students, I was inspired for the future of our country and confident in the young thoughtful minds recognizing opportunities to make a difference.

A. David Zoller, Dallas

Re: FDR ran a resort from White House Trump would do well to consider this altruistic model, by Randolph Brandt, Oct. 28 Opinion.

Reading this column, I was reminded of a quote displayed in the house in Warm Springs, Ga., where Franklin D. Roosevelt died: He was the greatest man I had ever known. His life must be one of the commanding events of human destiny. Spoken by Winston Churchill.

David Haymes, Dallas

Re: This is how you do it, Dallas, by Robert Wilonsky, Nov. 3 Metro column.

Holy Batman, what a one-two punch! This Wilonsky piece on St. Jude Center was one of the most inspirational articles Ive read in a long time. He outlined a blueprint for creating meaningful housing for the homeless and showcased why the citizens in this country should look to themselves, not the government, for solutions to social problems.

The city of Dallas has been sitting on a $20 million bond issue for two years, dithering while the Catholic Housing Initiative made things happen. They have created a positive, safe homeless haven in St. Jude Center and are on their way to creating another in southwest Oak Cliff. Meanwhile, Dallas continues to dither while spending money on a community engagement plan.

Enough already with expecting government to solve our social problems! Lets start looking to churches, communities and individuals to get the work done. Government is paralyzed by nonsensical rules and regulations. It will never get anything done while continuing to spend taxpayers money at a breathtaking rate.

Danna Zoltner, Denton

Re: Amen and nay, by Kevin Loyd, Nov. 30 Letters.

I practice whistleblower law. Whistleblowers as a group are extremely courageous individuals compelled, in most cases, to expose corruption. They seriously jeopardize their familys financial welfare and lifestyle for the benefit of U.S. taxpayers and their fellow Americans.

To me that is a hero. My dictionary defines coward as a man who five times lied about his draft status to avoid his duty to his country while I commanded men in combat in Vietnam. While the coward admits that he was safely grabbing young women in the U.S., my combat soldiers were sometimes trying to grab their last breaths. Because the coward didnt serve, someone likely died or was wounded instead of him.

Yes, I know cowards, and none of them spilled any blood in Vietnam in man-to-man combat while wearing the dirty, blood-stained fatigues that we proudly wore. Crappy war, great warriors.

Sam Boyd, University Park, Combat Platoon Leader, 173rd Airborne Brigade, Ret. Vietnam

Re: City signs off on big dig rig, Dec. 4 Metro & Business story.

Perhaps, when the Big Tex boring machine is finished with the floodwater drain system, DART can contract it to excavate new subway lines under Loop 12. For too long, DART rail has been hub-and-spoke. Perhaps it is time to create the wheel, too.

Donald N. Wright, Richardson

Re: Mayor demands plan on crime Letter to city manager calls for strategies and timelines, not excuses, Dec. 4 news story.

Go with me on this. After years of mediocrity and disappointment, the New York Jets fired yet another head coach. Expecting a long line of applicants, they were surprised when no one showed up. In the end, they hired one of the few people who would actually take the job. The results have been predictable.

Certainly the mayor and citizens deserve a crime plan, but if this finger-pointing attitude results in ousting Chief U. Rene Hall, the city may find itself in league with the Jets. The Dallas Police Department is already struggling to recruit officers, and if theres constant conflict between the department and elected officials, the chief job will turn into one that no one wants.

Pointed fingers arent very useful for fighting crime.

Vinny Minchillo, Plano

The Pew Research Center released data in August of this year citing their mid-July poll showing a staggering 43% of Republicans strongly feel that the president should not be accountable to either the Congress or the courts, effectively nullifying the constitutional concept of checks and balances. There is now a demonstrably significant number of Americans who are willing to renounce our Constitution and embrace the concept of an unbridled executive.

We forget that we submit to tyrants when we renounce the difference between what we want to hear and what is, in fact, truth.

Tyranny will not rise in our country because it is strong, but because our democracy has been weakened by its very citizens.

Thomas E. Turpin, Bedford

My 6-year-old granddaughter, who has attended Montessori Childrens House and now attends White Rock Montessori, where her friends and classmates are all races and religions, was recently sitting in her fathers lap while he read to her. The instant he read the words the black man, she interjected with, Whats a black man? What a blessing it would be if only we could see each other through a childs eyes. My wish for all mankind this Christmas season is for the perfect and beautiful innocence of childhood.

Kimberly Mercer, Richardson

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Letters to the Editor: The top letters of 2019 - The Dallas Morning News