Batch was great choice for featured artist One of the many things my artistic family taught me growing up is “art is in the eye of the beholder.” With that thought in mind, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Baron Batch’s artwork as the featured artist at the Lubbock Arts Festival. His visions that motivate his paintings, along with the application of such vivid color to wood, were breathtaking. His writings, photography and now artwork have inspired me and my family for years, and we can’t wait to see what he will do next.

Hardly a day goes by without stories being reported about record-breaking firearms sales and ammunition being in short supply across America. Usually, the explanation is American citizens are increasingly concerned about losing their Second Amendment rights. I believe informed Americans certainly have legitimate reasons for such concern. One of the most recent threats to the Second Amendment as well as other constitutional rights of Americans comes in the form of The Arms Trade Treaty agreed to by the United Nations on April 2.

‘Rain’ taxes only get higher over the years It was interesting to learn about Baltimore imposing a “rain” tax (CBS station WJZ Baltimore, April 14) and the protest it has created. Fortunately for them, they are 20 years behind Lubbock. We’re had our stormwater (“rain”) charge since 1993. Hopefully theirs won’t go up more than 800 percent ($1.71 residential in 1993 as opposed to $14 in 2013) like ours has. One thing they can count on, though, is once charges have been implemented, they don’t go away — they only get higher.

Re: The letter “Cruz was illogical and wrong,” A-J, April 2. There is another Harvard-educated politician who is the brunt of jokes on late-night TV. Can you guess who said the following? ■ “We’ve excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs.” ■ Insurers delayed an Illinois man’s treatment, “and he died because of it.” ■ “I have not said that I was a single-payer supporter.” ■ Fully inflating tires is “a step that every expert says would absolutely reduce our oil consumption by 3 to 4 percent.”