LETTERS

LITTLE ROCK — Listen to different strategy

I agree with Vice President Joe Biden. We are challenged by a type of war that does not allow us to establish a complete and sophisticated military and diplomatic contingency in every country where terrorists are being trained. I think maybe we should listen closely to what Biden is saying.

I think we should support countries that choose to seriously cooperate with us when they are beset by these terrorists with the equipment, intelligence data and special forces troops so that they can defeat terrorists. Or deliver overwhelming bombing attacks on countries that choose to provide safe harbor for terrorists.

Let’s get serious about these mad people and maybe they will stop such madness before too many more patriots lose their lives or we spend our fortunes to the detriment of improving our own economy. Americans and the rest of the Western world should listen to Biden. I think that he is right on this one.

JAMES MITCHELL Little Rock

Give athlete a break

This old woman just doesn’t get it about football and Matt Jones.

Let me get this straight: Jones caught 166 passes for 2,153 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 2005-08 seasons, then messed up-as have many, many other NFL players-got it all cleared up, then drank a beer and bang, he’s out.

You reported that a former NFL head coach said teams are reluctant to deal with character problems. Really. Well, the coach should explain this: The Philadelphia Eagles just voted Michael Vick winner of the Ed Block Courage Award. Wow, it takes a lot of courage to operate an ongoing, illegal dog-fighting operation. Yeah, it took a lot of courage to take the $37 million the Atlanta Falcons gave him before he ever played a game.

For his brutal actions, Vick should have never played again. I guess his character is so great that the Eagles gave him the courage to accept a $1.6 million contract to play back-up quarterback. Give me a break, and someone give Jones a break.

One more thing. The Indianapolis Colts’ head coach, Jim Caldwell, stinks. What was he thinking? What coach pulls out the quarterback and other players when the team is ahead? As I said, I just don’t understand football.

VIVIAN MEINS DeWitt

Where did vote go?

I am 80. I went to a small school, Paron, which exists no more. I was taught all my life that you needed to vote, that was all you had.

After World War II, Saline County was voted dry. No alcoholic drinks were allowed. In a few years, the Veterans of Foreign Wars clubs were allowed to serve drinks. Over the years, restaurants and sports bars were allowed to serve alcohol.

Where did my vote go? How did the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board get its right to grant these licenses?

DENSEL DYER Benton

People don’t matter

Years ago, 35 people, including me, were involved in a lawsuit. The law firm that wrote the opinion that got everyone to invest admitted that they were wrong and wanted to settle. We all agreed, but their insurance carrier said no.

Their tactic became delay, delay, delay. Each year for 12 years, and sometimes twice a year, this firm would go in front of the same judge and get the case delayed. In the 12th year, not having had our day in court, the amount of participants had dropped to seven. Most dropped out because of attorney’s fees. We had to go out of state to find someone who would sue this firm on our behalf.

The insurance company paid the remaining seven in full, and their attorney fees, and settled out of court. In the 12 years of delay tactics, they had reduced the amount they paid by reducing the amount of participants. Justice? Here’s justice. The day the judge retired, he went to work for this firm as a consultant.

Elected officials are no different. Most don’t take bribes, but they know if they vote with party lines, they will be taken care of. Book deals, overpaid speeches and jobs are just a few of the ways these people are paid back. The people who put them there no longer matter.

Want to change it? Then change the law. If the law is changed, you will see a lot less people spending $2 million of their own money to be elected to a job that pays $150,000 a year.

MICHAEL E. DAVIS Maumelle

Bill contents wanted

With the U.S. Senate having deliberated the restructuring of one-sixth of the United States economy in the Senate health care bill and the campaign promise of the president to put all of the proceedings of the matter on C-SPAN along with a 72-hour reviewing period prior to the signing of the [final] bill, we must ask our senators several questions.

Why deliberate in secret? Why the stealth care? Are parts of this bill really not repealable? Are parts of this bill really not repealable if it is enacted? If the measure is so urgent, why would we have to pay taxes on it for four years before we see any benefits from it? Why pool all of the high-risk patients with healthy ones? Would the tax money we prepay for health care reform go into general revenue or health care “lock box” like the Social Security “lock box” has (not)?

Isn’t taxpayer funding for abortion still a part of this bill? Isn’t this bill really the catalyst to single-payer health care? Where are the constitutional scholars who will find the unconstitutional natures of this bill and federal judge ready to claim so upon signing, not unlike the partial-birth abortion issue?

Knowledge hungry citizens are eager for the real information this bill includes. Too bad we won’t learn of its contents until it is signed into law and it is too late, just about the same time our senators will find out.

WILLIAM HOYT Russellville

Citizens pay buyouts

Who hired Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor? We did, the citizens of Arkansas, not Harry Reid or Barack Obama.

Both Pryor and Lincoln will admit that the majority of their constituents were against the health care reform bill but they voted for it anyway. I guess they are just smarter than we are.

I’m not against a good bill to reform health care, but the despicable buyouts that shoved this thing through are a disgrace and we have to pay for them. We hired them. Now let’s fire them.

RONNIE FORMBY Hot Springs

Doublespeak defined

When liberals talk, their words usually don’t mean what you think they mean. To help navigate your way through the confusing world of leftwing doublespeak, I offer these translations from the liberal lexicon.

Freedom of speech-The right to say anything liberals agree with.

Free speech-The right of corrupt leftist organizations and obscene art galleries to be taxpayer-funded. (Free to them, not to you.)

Open-minded or progressive-Liberal.

Closed-minded or backward-Conservative.

Mean-spirited-Anything a conservative says.

Visionary-Anything a liberal says.

Bipartisan-A Republican who sides with the Democrats.

Gridlock-What Republicans cause by not being bipartisan. (See above.)

Unity-Everybody agreeing with liberals.

Radical fundamentalist-A Christian with traditional values.

Reproductive freedom-The right to kill unborn babies.

Homophobe-Anyone who does not support the sodomite agenda.

Tolerance-Forced acceptance of gay marriage with no tolerance shown to those who oppose it.

Separation of church and state-The effort by haters of religion to remove all Judeo-Christian influence from society.

GENE SAUGEY Little Rock

Shooting outrageous

I was outraged about the killing of Major Philip Wise of the Salvation Army in North Little Rock. He helped the poor and needy.

Years ago between teaching jobs, I worked as a social worker at the East Baton Rouge Parish welfare office. It takes a while for someone to get on welfare. I found I could call the Salvation Army and they would always help with food, clothing, etc. I always donate to it.

When they catch the shooter, and they will, I hope the jury gives him the death sentence.

BEVERLY BILLINGSLEY Little Rock

‘Help’ proving costly

The Democrats are the son writing to his father.

“Dear Dad: Gue$$ what I need mo$t of all. That’$ right. $end it along. Be$t wi$he$, Your $on, Ru$$.”

The Republicans represent the father.

“Dear Russ: I’m glad to kNOw that you are NOt doing badly in college. NOthing pleases me more. Write aNOther letter soon. As I have NO news, I must close NOw. Dad.”

There are three stages of getting sick-ill, pill, bills. We are being helped by the government to such a degree that it’s getting to where we can’t afford ourselves. The way politicians spend my money really taxes me.

CHARLES D. PHILLIPS Arkadelphia

Vote secured infamy

Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor have failed. They have failed Arkansas. They have failed the United States of America. Their misguided support for the Senate health care bill against the wishes of their constituents will be their legacies. They have secured their infamy. And now that they have sowed the wind, they should prepare to reap the whirlwind.

Yet even after they have been voted from office, the damage will linger. Their decision on will likely plague this nation for generations to come. If I may be so bold as to alter a word or two of Edmund Burke, liberal progressives will pull down more in half an hour than prudence, deliberation and foresight can build up in a hundred years. Thank you, senators; thank you so much.

WILLIAM ARMACOST Fayetteville

Feedback Story caused tears

What a story that was in the newspaper recently about John Patrick as Santa Claus. I have to say that yes, Patrick is a true Santa Claus and he should be so proud of himself. I am sure that the people of Pocahontas love him for all he does for the children in that little town.

It brought tears to my eyes when I was reading it. And to think, he has done this for 28 years, giving toys to all the kids who come by on those five nights before Christmas. Twenty-eight years-wow.

What a great guy he is. I just wish there were more Santa Clauses like Patrick in our world, giving toys to kids who probably wouldn’t receive any toys during the Christmas holiday.

EDNA M. JOHNSON Hot Springs Village

Hats off to carrier

’Twas the night before Christmas and it brought four inches of snow and icy roads. The next morning, I resigned myself to not getting my newspaper. I figured it would be too dangerous to drive and that I should be glad the paper carrier had off for Christmas Eve.

But there on my doorstep on Dec. 25 was the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Now that is exceptional service. My hat is off to my carrier, Keith Lindsay of Eureka Springs, and all the other Democrat-Gazette folks who worked to get our daily fix of world and local news when most of us were off work for the holidays.

BECKY GILLETTE Eureka Springs