Come together

High on education

Regarding “Texas billionaire was no quitter” (Front page, July 10): I remember the ’92 election cycle. It was fascinating to see Ross Perot on TV giving us his view of the problems we faced and how he wanted to fix them. He was analytical and witty. His unexpected bowing out of the race in the summer was disheartening to a lot of people. Jumping back in in the fall, and his VP pick, left even supporters with a big question mark about his temperament as a president.

His legacy here in Texas is school accountability, which was necessary and which we now have aplenty. Unfortunately accountability is only a part of the problem that Perot and Gov. Mark White started on. There’s also school quality and student effectiveness. We are still struggling mightily with how to make all of our students good.

Walt Lind, Nassau Bay

Unforgettable message

Ross Perot gave the commencement address at my son’s convocation about the time of Desert Storm. He shared a number of thought-provoking observations, but one in particular I have retained.

I cannot remember the exact wording but the following is close: “I meet and know a number of very wealthy individuals, but wealth is not my measure of success. I do not consider anyone successful until they have raised a family and their children are making a positive contribution to society.”

I think of that message almost daily.

Kenneth B Gunn, Magnolia

Shaky agreement at best

Regarding “Word is our bond?” (Letters, July 10): The letter writer contends that President Trump has gone back on the word of the United States in withdrawing from the multilateral agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities. I won’t try to defend Trump’s “wisdom” in withdrawing from a multilateral agreement, that commodity being in short supply in Trump’s case.

But the agreement was not the “word” of the United States. It was only the “word” of a president, Barack Obama, since it was not a treaty ratified by the Senate. Other nations must take a current administration’s “word” as being only as good as the remainder of a president’s term, unless it’s ratified as a treaty by the Senate.

Tom Moore, Katy

A journey for Beatles fans

It was hard to decipher Wei-Huan Chen and Andrew Dans-by’s “A world with no Beatles?” (Star, July 8): Did they like the movie “Yesterday” or didn’t they? They talk about the Beatles and the cultural impact the band had on today’s music — in particular, Cold Play. They pick Beatle songs such as “Yesterday” that easily connect with today’s music fans and songs that don’t easily translate because they sound too “quaint.”

What they didn’t do is talk about the movie. The movie itself may be too “quaint” and charming for these authors. But the movie resonated with me — someone who has been a Beatles fan since 1964 when I first heard Ed Sullivan say, “Ladies and gentlemen — the Beatles!”

The movie itself is a romantic comedy sitting on a sci-fi premise that is never explained. Like “A Hard Day’s Night” it’s a musical journey that ends with the enlightenment of its main character, Malik. After his visit with John Lennon, a moment endearing to any Beatles fan, Malik’s trajectory takes adecisive turn, and true to the lyrics of the Beatles, he realizes that all you need is love.

The movie may be quaint; it may be sentimental; but it is so much more than nostalgic. It honors the Beatles and elevates their words to a message for humanity that is sorely needed today.

Mary Budka, Houston