Letters to the Editor

Misplaced concern

A recent article cited high age value in the Social Security database as an example of fraud. However, such ages do not necessarily mean that those are people getting benefits. It may mean that 20-year-old coders are ignorant of how software was written before their time.

Many years ago, software was written with different languages and coding practices than today. Unused values in a database field were often “reused” to capture additional information without using more computer memory. Understanding the true meaning of a value required knowledge beyond a simple interpretation.

Yes, the Social Security database may need to be updated with newer languages and better coding practices. But our primary concern should not be payments going to 150-year-olds. Our concern should be that brute force reductions in Social Security or other government personnel by DOGE will eliminate the handful of people who can still understand the existing code and correctly interpret the meaning of values in the database. Those people and that understanding will be essential to any upgrades to outdated code.

Ken Gibbs

Tyler

Time to stand up

Where are the good people of East Texas? I know, you are manning the nonprofits, volunteering at schools, running our churches working in hospitals and clinics, serving our cities, driving your kids to practice, caring for tots and elderly. The list is long, valuable, and essential to our community and way of life.

Have you ever heard the expression, “If you want a job done, give it to a busy person”?

You good, busy people are desperately needed. Our beloved America is calling on you. It has a job for you to do.. The job: stand up, speak out, shout your rage about the destruction of The United States of America by the people we elected, and many who bought and elbowed their way to power.

In case you don’t know, “We, the People,” are very close to arriving at a destination named Authoritarianism, or Dictatorship, or Autocracy, or Kingdom.

How can we good, busy people stand up, speak out, or shout? The same way America has always evolved? Write a letter, call an official, attend a meeting, join a group, stand on the sidewalk and hold a sign, get arrested, run for an office, pray, sing, paint, dance your anguish.

It’s our turn now. Do what you can do. America is worth it.

Pat Parsons

Tyler