LETTERS

Bridge lights

A headline in the December 20 paper reads “3 bridges light up, thrilling 5,000.” It takes more than that to thrill me. I would be thrilled and overflowing with joy if I knew for a fact that every child in Arkansas woke up on Christmas morning from a warm bed, had gifts from Santa and three nutritious meals for the day. I would be thrilled if I knew there were no lost, stray, mistreated or suffering animals.

Bill Clinton said in the article that airplanes flying over Little Rock at night would see the bridges lit up and see our potential and values in a way they had never seen it before. Maybe they will not look deeper than bridge lights. Someone’s values are really messed up.

ANNE M. CROSBY Little Rock Christmas lights

We took our daughter-in-law and 4 year old grand-daughter to see the Christmas Lights at Sherwood Forest and Burns Park recently.

The Enchanted Forest was beautiful; they’ve done a wonderful job and have done it with donations only. They don’t charge any fee to ride through.

Then we went over to Burns Park. I won’t waste my time or money there again. Very disappointing, and they charge admission. It was so dark in places we actually had to turn our headlights on to see where we were going. I see their display going the same route as the Summerset festival did a few years ago.

DAVID WEAVER

Sherwood

A fulfilling life

Thanks to Paul Greenberg for reminding us of the simple “ordinary middle-class virtues” 1940s Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life. He pointed out that even though George Bailey and his family struggled in poverty, his small savings-and-loan was failing, and he was considering suicide, George had lived an exemplary, worthwhile and fulfilled life helping others.

Mr. Greenberg strongly emphasized there was nothing tragic about George Bailey’s life because, in the end, he was loved by those he helped and declared the richest man in town. I completely agree with Mr. Greenberg.

I can only assume his editorial means Mr. Greenberg has responded to the true meaning of Christmas by magically converting politically from Republicanism to being a Democrat. Congratulations and Merry Christmas!

In 2013, George Bailey’s family would be receiving food stamps, Medicaid, free lunches, mortgage refinance assistance, long-term unemployment and who knows what else in state and federal government benefits.

I’m afraid today’s Tea Partiers like Ted Cruz and Republicans like Mitt Romney and the Koch Brothers would consider George and his family lazy, blood-sucking leeches. The current Republican view of George Bailey would be that his trouble is his own fault for using his money to help others rather than investing it wisely in the stock market. I’m afraid loyal Republicans would have preferred George Bailey go to prison for bank fraud and his “taker” family members be put on the street at the end of the movie.

Mr. Greenberg, welcome to the Democratic Party!

RONITA Y. BLOK

Benton

Judging others

It is comforting to know that God has bestowed on Mike Jenkins the authority to judge others. He seems to be suggesting that everyone who disagrees with him is not a Christian, and while saying God will do the judging, he is knee-deep in judging others.

I am not in a position to judge Senator Pryor, I don’t know him; he could be what he purports to be. However, that isn’t important to Jenkins, who has already labeled all people who don’t politically agree with him to be non-Christian.

He certainly has the right not to enter a store that says Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, but is he aware that almost all the merchandise is made by non-Christian peoples? Maybe the stores are showing respect for other religions, like Judaism. Also, does he think anybody on the planet thinks Arkansas is a liberal state? I know Congressman Cotton didn’t use it in his political campaign, but he attended that ultra-liberal Harvard University! Additionally, he helped shut the government down, at the tune of $24 billion … just sharing.

I found Jenkins’ note filled with hate, judgment, and little or nothing nice to say. It is the kind of hyperbole that has created an environment where folks can’t talk their problems over. He should find time to apologize to all those he judged to be non-Christian simply because they didn’t agree with his political agenda. Based on what he wrote, we should all thank the Founding Fathers for the separation of church and state when it comes to our government.

I sincerely hope that he has a happy holiday, and joyous Christmas.

JOHN CARNEY

Rogers

Ancient story

Two men watch the sun sink into the Pacific Ocean, creating a splendid array of red, pink and purple colors with the horizon-hugging clouds. One man commiserates how the sun’s rays interact with the dust in the atmosphere and the clouds to produce the spectacular display.

The other man remembers the words of the Psalmist: “The heavens declare the glory of God …”

Now here is the thing. The two viewpoints are not mutually exclusive. The first man could believe that there is a power behind the natural processes that produce the fiery show, and the other man could easily understand those processes behind the display as well. It is only when someone wishes the two viewpoints to be exclusive that a conflict results.

If someday we learn of an intelligent race of beings on another planet, I am quite sure there will be someone quick to declare that such proves the Bible is phony and God does not exist.

If I happened to be living at that time, I would not be one whit surprised to learn that the beings on that distant world would celebrate on occasion an ancient story about the birth of a child to a young maiden in a rough-hewn environment who grew up to suffer a cruel death and became a blessing to everyone on that planet.

No, that would not surprise me at all.

JOHN McPHERSON

Searcy

Editorial, Pages 19 on 12/25/2013

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