LETTERS

UA flagship isn’t sinking

While reading a recent editorial, I became extremely concerned with the portrayal of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. As a junior at this university, I am disappointed to see the institution that I am attending so consistently degraded in this daily newspaper. My degree is unfairly undervalued when media individuals write about the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville as a “sinking flagship.”

I think the author of these pieces must not be paying much attention to the university and the amazing achievements it has made as of late. In the past year, this institution has produced one Pickering fellow, one Truman scholar, one Gates-Cambridge scholar, six National Science Foundation Graduate Research fellows, one Goldwater scholar, one Marshall scholarship finalist, and one Rhodes scholarship finalist. I think awards such as these illustrate the falsity of statements such as: “There’s no reason the University of Arkansas can’t do as good a job educating its undergraduates as much smaller schools.”

The last time I checked, no other institution in the state was even close to matching UA-Fayetteville in recipients of nationally competitive awards.

These and other achievements demonstrate the vitality and vibrancy of the academic climate here in Fayetteville. Others around the nation and around the globe are recognizing the incredible products of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

Why are others so unable or unwilling to do the same?

AUTUMN LEWIS

Fayetteville

Ignored public wishes

Paraphrasing President Franklin Roosevelt, April 17 is a day that will live in infamy.

The Senate defeated a proposed law that would have closed loopholes in the background checks required of people applying to buy guns. Simply put, this act would have denied such privilege to known criminals, felons and mentally unstable individuals. The wording of this bill had bipartisan support in the Senate, but fell six votes short of the 60 votes needed for passage. Recent public opinion polls showed a 90 percent approval rating.

I believe the National Rifle Association opposed this bill on strictly fabricated grounds. This is a classic illustration of the political power of big money overriding the wishes and welfare of the general public. It should also awaken the public to how far our government has drifted from a democratic, representative government to a plutocratic, wealth-controlled government.

I recommend voting out of office senators who voted against the act the next time they are on the ballot. Check their voting records.

ROBERT G. HALL

Jacksonville

Aftermath predictable

Such a tragedy, the marathon bombing in Boston. What followed in the aftermath is, to a large degree, predictable. Miranda rights experts, government experts on terror here and over there, all on TV interviews with the reason for it. That we have to live with and expect what happens.

What leaves me at a loss is the action of the crowds there in Watertown and Boston upon hearing of the capture of the second thug suspect. Chanting “U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.,” not unlike a mob at a ballgame.

This whole event was about life and death and I think to treat part of the outcome as those people did is sickening.

DERREL THOMAS

Searcy

Take dogs for a walk

I was lucky in that I grew up walking. Had to. No car. No wagon. I had a bike but I considered it a toy rather than a means of conveyance.

So I walked. To school. To town.Both about a mile away. Not a great distance but enough to keep me in pretty good shape. As an adult I jogged for a few years, but I prefer walking. When jogging, I thought about jogging: how far I had gone, how fast I was going, how much farther to go. When walking, I can put my feet on automatic and let my mind wander where it will.

While walking, I have composed songs that will never be sung, poems that will never be published, letters that were never sent and resolved knotty scriptures to my own satisfaction. I like to think of walking as my portable closet that Jesus told us to enter into when we pray.

Even when walking with a friend,there are always silences to allow me to slide into that closet for a few moments.

Everyone knows that walking is good for our physical well-being. I happen to think that walking is just as important for our mental or spiritual well-being. Worry is a midnight stalker. Like the fabled vampire, he does not do well in the light of day, and even the most casual walking pace can outdistance him.

So if you are plagued by the devil-dogs of worry, fear or doubt, take them out for a walk and watch them scurry away like rabbits.

JOHN McPHERSON

Searcy

Where are advocates?

Monday, April 15th was another sad day for the U.S. Those who perpetrated these crimes are guilty of crimes against the people. One suspect has paid with his life. I think the other one should also.

My questions: Where are the gun-control advocates? Why are they not screaming for more anti-terrorism laws? Four innocent lives were taken, almost 200 wounded. Had a gun been involved, the gun-control people would be screaming their lungs out to ban guns. We need to ban gun-control advocates instead of guns.

Put me in charge of the presidency and I will show you how to stop the violence that is in our nation. We need to turn our nation back to God. Read your Bible. It will give you the answers. Let me know what you think. Thanks for your time.

DOYLE BOWMAN

Ozark

America can’t afford it

America is supposed to be the richest country in the world, but it cannot afford to provide decent health care for millions of its people who do not have health insurance.

Years ago, American companies moved their factories to Mexico and other foreign countries to increase their net profits and have low-priced goods in the retail stores. Americans lost jobs and health insurance, and probably could not afford to buy the low-cost goods in the stores. Our government stood by and allowed this idiocy to go on for years. Big business has gotten way too greedy, and there is no such thing as trickle-down economics.

The United States has caused a lot of pain and misery for many countries around the world, overtly and covertly. For example, the 10-year-long war in Iraq was a colossal mistake. I still cannot understand how the majority of Americans were talked into believing that Iraq was a threat to the U.S.

Thousands of GIs have been badly injured, and the VA is having a difficult time taking care of them. Almost anyone can drive to a VA hospital or annex and see how bad it is for returning troops.

America can provide decent medical care and jobs for its people. There is too much greed and a lot of bickering, name-calling and hot air coming from the wealthiest and the ones at the top in business and politics, Democrats and Republicans.

I know a lot of people will not like what I have said, but it is the truth.

MILTON MURRAY

McNeil

Insurmountable goal?

The recent bombings and killings surrounding the 2013 Boston Marathon may force Americans to reassess how we define and deal with terrorism.

When we examine historical references, regardless of whether the terrorist is foreign or domestic, we discover that the perpetrator is strongly motivated, even willing to die to destroy a system of government that he dislikes, or a people he hates. Therefore, it becomes a difficult struggle for Americans to prevent these sorts of incidents.

Americans are more likely to encourage an amalgamation of beliefs, activities, people and cultures. Meanwhile, terrorism is more likely to thrive on religious or racial bigotry, abuse of females and rigid cultural practices.

How do we maintain an open society and impose dominant cultures and practices on new immigrants or natural citizens during the infancy and childhood stages of their lives? How do we develop within such people an allegiance to the American flag? Should we encourage only the dominant religion? Should we deny women positions of leadership, regardless of their qualifications and abilities? Motivation: This could be an insurmountable mountain to climb.

I suggest that we continue to increase our levels of intelligence and be content with an occasional attack, but pursue vigorously the prevention, as we just witnessed during the 2013 Boston Marathon.

JAMES MITCHELL

Little Rock

Tackle veterans’ needs

Lately we have read shocking revelations regarding the care of our veterans in veterans hospitals: unqualified and untrained staff, inedible food, neglect, mistakes in medication, the use of restraints and even poor bookkeeping, thus the loss of the very funding holding it all together. And those are just the the things we’ve been told.

Then we turn on the television and see mountains of unread and forgotten files from vets begging for help with health problems they wouldn’t have if they had not served in a war zone. We see files stacked on top of what looks like a warehouse of file cabinets. We are told there are even files dating back to Vietnam that are still waiting to be read. I wonder how many are dead.

Nothing is being done about it.

It’s easy to make promises, pass laws, set parameters and then close your eyes to what you have done. I say the government needs the experience of cleaning up this mess before it’s qualified to tackle the health-care needs of the rest of us. Otherwise, Obamacare may well end up the same giant (unsolvable?) mess of unread complaints and lack of care.

ELIZABETH CHRISTIE

Fayetteville

Feedback

Sickening display

Sen. Mark Pryor’s lack of courage to stand with the will of the American people sickens my taste for his presence in the United States Senate chamber.

Women will go to the polls at the next election to change the Congress, and, as a woman, my vote will be a “nay” vote for Pryor.

I realize Arkansans lean more toward the fearful tactics of the NRA propaganda, but I know the first 10 amendments; our Bill of Rights is not refutable.

The only conclusion that I draw from the 46 senators who voted “nay” is that their NRA support monies would be withdrawn for coming elections.

JACKIE A. WAGGONER

Norman

Another possibility

OK, so let’s don’t have better background checks and let’s don’t outlaw assault weapons or mega-clips.

Instead, if you own a gun of any kind and someone steals it, then it’s recovered from any kind of crime, you should be charged as an accessory to that crime.

Did we know the NRA was as powerful as Grover Norquist?

MICKIE LEWIS

Rogers