When I lived in Houston during the early nineties, I always loved to read Leon Hale's column in the Chronicle. Several times he made the observation that you can tell newcomers to Houston, because they take off when the light turns green, instead of waiting for the red light runners to pass by.
I see that things haven't changed.
Prudence demands that when one is stopped at an intersection, one not proceed until it is safe to do so. There are a variety of reasons why even a prudent motorist may sometimes enter an intersection very shortly after a light turns read (e.g. a motorist who is boxed in by large trucks may not be able to see the light at the moment it turns yellow); there is no reason, however, that a prudent motorist who sees a red light ahead should not be prepared to yield the right of way to any other motorist who would (rightfully or wrongfully) demand it.