Rebuked
As a Texas Monthly fan and an Orthodox Christian, I was doubly disappointed by “Rise of the ‘Ortho Bros’ ” [April 2024]. The article portrays Reverend John Whiteford as some kind of protofascist, in part because he doesn’t agree that all Confederate statues should be ripped down and destroyed. To parlay this idea into part of the article’s subtitle, that his followers are “interested in the Confederacy,” is deeply misleading. The article also treats transplanted conservatives like incoming artillery rounds. There is nothing interesting about this type of journalism, which, rather than engaging political and religious issues on their merits, simply relies on Pavlovian responses from the readers.
Christina Helms, Milan, Italy
Let’s make sure I have this straight. The Reverend John Whiteford, hiding behind an impressive cross and beard, appears to be an apologist for the Confederacy, preaching some kind of Russian Orthodox Church theology? He’s also a foreign policy expert, specializing in the current [Israel–Hamas war]? The reverend has, what, a hundred or so congregants, some sporting chest-length beards and gingham dresses while enduring his latest bloviation in Spring? What is it about this thin résumé that enticed Texas Monthly to offer such a figure an excruciating bully pulpit in the April issue?
Bill Brown, Houston
Swing and a Miss
Thank you for the recent column about the small-town Texas teams that played during baseball’s golden age [The Texanist, April 2024]. I’d like to highlight one omission: the fabled Lubbock Hubbers, named for Lubbock forever being known as the hub of the plains. The Hubbers played on and off—but mainly on—from 1922 until 1956. My father took me and my two brothers to many a hot game on hard bleachers where snow cones, hot dogs, and Cokes were in great abundance.
David Bass, Waco
Bordering on Bias
I am writing about the excellent story “What Happens to the Migrants Who Don’t Make It?” [April 2024], by Aaron Nelsen. I feel the pain and anguish of people like Martin Paredes Salazar, whose brother drowned at the border. I feel for his struggle to find out what really happened to his brother, track down the body, and gain closure. But important details in the article raised questions that, if sufficiently answered, could have created a balanced and complete picture of this tragic situation.
Alan Paredes Salazar’s wake was well attended, and his former soccer club was renamed in his honor. Why would such a person try to illegally cross into the U.S.? Why would Alan leave his country and take on debt, which financially hurt his relatives? The issues at the border are complex, but a one-sided story creates a negative bias, despite which side the bias is on.
Ric Dasheiff, Plano
Editors’ note: An article in the May 2024 issue, “The Immortal Life of ‘80 John,’ ” incorrectly used the former name of the American Windmill Museum.
This article originally appeared in the June 2024 issue of Texas Monthly with the headline “Roar of the Crowd.” Subscribe today.
