LETTERS

— Fired up on the high road

John Brummett, bravo. I don’t know if he was able to attend the Democratic Convention or not, but it was so good to hear him fired up. At our Democratic open house, we had three speakers who came back fired up and we intend to stay this way, not just through November, but as long as it takes to keep our voice strong.

A huge thank you to Linda Farrell for her letter on voting. Voting rights are so important in this country. Starting way back before any of us were born, the ladies of this country suffered beatings, pain and prison so women could vote. In the 1960s, people were beaten and killed, marching to obtain the right for people of color to vote. (Of course they were called something else back then.)

Today, in several states Republicans appear to be working overtime to suppress the rights of certain people, mainly blacks, women, senior citizens and anyone they think will vote Democratic.

Democrats believe everyone should have the right to vote. So tell me, who is taking the high road regarding voting?

Vote Republican and it ain’t Willard Mitt Romney you’ll be getting—it’ll be the Koch brothers, Karl Rove, etc. (the list is too long to print here), and the millions spent on a man they don’t trust just so they can buy the government.

Want less government? If this crowd gets in, there won’t be any government for you and me, just the very wealthy.

I’m going to stay fired up. This is my government, too.

PHYLLIS LAFFERTY Bella Vista

Our dreams are dying

Daniel O. Pyne of Cabot asks, “Now what does a conservative Democrat do?” With respect, he must admit that his party has abandoned him completely. I believe the last three presidents from that party are the most incompetent, the most dishonest and corrupt, and have the most anticonstitutional and anti-American values of my lifetime. His party fights tooth and nail against any attempt to make elections more honest or to protect our country’s borders, and spuriously claims racism against any who oppose them. Anyone who believes in or cares about the values this country was founded on must oppose the party of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barack Obama, or share responsibility for the end of the American Dream.

KARL T. KIMBALL Little Rock

All in a big nuthouse

Are the nuts crazy or are the crazies nuts? Those voting Barack Obama in for another term can expect the following: 1. Free Kotex for all women. 2. Free Obama tattoos for those who voted for him. 3. A 32-hour work week for homosexuals with 40 hours’ pay. 4. A 24-hour work week for married homosexuals with 40 hours’ pay. 5. High-speed rail from Ensenada, Mexico, to San Diego. 6. All gun ranges closed and replaced with a water-balloon toss. 7. The Environmental Protection Agency will ban all deodorants.

RICHARD WAXENFELTER Berryville

No excuse for deaths

The times are quickly changing, and our First Amendment is hanging on by a thread. The current situation in the Middle East is threatening the very foundation our families have fought for.

Think about that for a moment. Your family tree harbors the original thinkers and planners of this very country. They implanted ideas into America’s framework that allowed for our citizens to be free, and the most important idea was the First Amendment.

Many Americans are quick to stand behind the First Amendment when it benefits them the most, and some push heavily against those rights when they intrude on personal beliefs.

But this is where Americans should realize that we have a middle ground to hold us together: the First Amendment. Without it, one side of thinking gets all of the power.

It’s our American framework. We get the opportunity to argue for or against what we believe in. However, even if someone exercises their First Amendment rights, no matter the circumstance, there is no excuse for deaths to occur because of it. Even if a movie did hurt the feelings of Muslims, that doesn’t give anybody on this Earth the right to kill another human being.

When it’s all said and done, history will show our future family tree members that a movie was not the sole cause of this religious uprising.

CHRISTOPHER FLETCHER

Conway

Agreeing to disagree

The worst nightmare of any letter writer is that their writing is not being read, whether by those who agree with the writer, or by those who disagree.

Considering the many negative letters in this space vis-à-vis the offerings of John Brummett, he has to be grinning in the knowledge that he is being read by many. His regular columns, which reflect acute, perceptive observations on the human/political situation, all delivered up in his inimitable creative writing style, have greatly enriched the quality of this newspaper.

Presumably, many of his critics, members of a choir made up principally of conservative ideologues, are satisfied only with lapping up the offerings of such heralds of the truth as Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and other contributors to Fox Noise.

Mark Twain once said that only fools want to read only that to which they already agree.

LYLE A. McBEE

Mena

Be sure of voter status

For a little over a year, my business in North Little Rock has been one of the many locations around the state involved in gathering signatures for the medical-marijuana ballot initiative. We have been very careful in making sure that those signing the petitions were registered voters. Even so, there are a lot of folks out there who think they are registered voters who may be in for a surprise when they show up at one of the polls in November and find out that they are no longer on the rolls.

If you have not voted in a while, or have changed your address or name because of marriage or divorce, there is a chance that you may have dropped off the voter rolls without your knowledge. You can easily check your status online through the secretary of state’s website.

Do it soon, while you still have time to correct any errors. The last day to register to vote in the November general election is October 7th.

DOUG McDOWALL

North Little Rock

One big no on casinos

Re the casino issue facing us come November: Why would the state of Arkansas let two people come into our state and take over?

We appear to be doing fair with things the way they are. We do not need any more gambling places. I have read where the lottery figures are down. Hello. People don’t have the money to spend on tickets.

I believe Nancy Todd’s theory on the amount of money her casinos would bring in is only a dream. I don’t know where she got all of her signatures, but we live in Clark County, and I have not seen anyone collecting names. Guess we don’t count, but we can vote in November with a big no.

CHESTAMAE STURCH

Gurdon

Pressing a hot button

Recently my husband and I drove my father to visit family in North Carolina. We have a long line of family who have served our country honorably since the Civil War. My family is primarily Democrat also. While we visited this beautiful state, we decided to take in, walk and shop at the state fairgrounds in Raleigh.

North Carolina is largely a red state, so I wasn’t too surprised when I saw ladies trying to register voters for the Romney-Ryan ticket. They were handing out these cute little American flags . . . so patriotic, it would seem, but I just couldn’t stop myself.

I was wearing one of my Obama-Biden buttons, so when one smiling lady tried to hand me a flag and ask me to register, and I didn’t take it, I said, “but Romney didn’t even serve his country—he deferred four times.”

Bless her heart, she bugged her eyes and noticed my button and said those magic four words—“What did you say?”—so I just had to repeat it, even louder this time so the entire crowd could overhear. The flag lady dropped her hand and dropped open her mouth to gasp and turned to her boss. Everyone looked to her and back to me and over to my bright Barack Obama button and held their breath. She just sadly nodded her head.

I was so proud of myself for standing up for each and every one of my real heroes who served their country honorably. I still imagine Obama will lose in North Carolina, but I did get many smiles over my button.

TONI MIKEL

Piggott

Price of world peace

How does one sell peace around the world when there are so many spreading hate for free?

TONY LiCAUSI

Bella Vista

Say enough is enough

I’ve just viewed the pictures of the body of the U.S. ambassador to Libya. If you’ve seen the pictures, you probably believe without doubt that his death was the result of more than “smoke inhalation.”

When will America say enough is enough when dealing with Islamic extremists? We allow them to scale the walls of our embassies, destroy our property and kill our citizens, and then reward them with foreign aid. Oh, I forgot, we also apologize to them because we’ve been insensitive toward their beliefs.

Should they decide to scale the fences surrounding the White House, would we just sit back and take no action?

If the answer is no, then why do we allow them to do so at our embassies?

GREG HOWELL

North Little Rock

In wrong conference

I would like to thank Frank Broyles for moving Arkansas to the Southeastern Conference. After 20 years, the Razorbacks have not won a championship in football, but it looks like it has provided enough money for Frank to join the Augusta golf course. Frank also helped destroy the Southwestern Conference.

Move Arkansas to the Big 12 where they can compete and the fans will not have to travel so far.

CHET DANIEL

Heber Springs

Feedback

Comes down to us

Looks like Barack Obama is too busy being a celebrity and kissing up to Hollywood to tend to the Oval Office. In such dangerous times, he would not meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Really? Why did we elect him anyway? We really know how to elect men of honor, don’t we?

It’s up to you and me to right the wrongs. Fact-check and give strong, unbiased thought to your vote. Voter ID is a must. If you know someone who needs assistance obtaining an ID card, offer to help. Give the disabled a ride to vote. Be a good citizen.

I love my country. Do you? Prove it.

ELIZABETH BARRY

Hot Springs

Invitation to dinner

I want to find out where the Obamas go out to eat because I know how they feel about the haves helping out the have-nots.

And I know they would have no problem at all picking up my check.

DON SHORT

Farmington

Editorial, Pages 17 on 09/20/2012

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