LETTERS

To give second chance

I saddened me to read that a 93-year-old man raised in a Christian home would renounce his faith because of mythological saviors who fizzled out.

It seems he said there were no historical records of Jesus of Nazareth. It’s clear to me that he didn’t read the Jewish historian Josephus, who spoke of Jesus, his miracles and the early church.

He suggests that Christians have blind faith. Not so. I studied world religions in college and investigated cults also. My relationship with Jesus Christ gives me great joy and peace.

Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and sup with him and he with me.”

Maybe God has allowed Rod Grieg to live so long in order to give him a second chance.

SUE P. WOOLSEY Little Rock

Care for those in need

I’ve long provided food and heated water for my Lord’s creatures in need. This past fall I witnessed three roaming cats that I considered feral (on account of uncaring people). I started placing food on my patio. I greatly wished but couldn’t say I prayed to observe which one enjoyed my proffer. Christmas morning my wish was granted. A black cat with a silver-dollar-size white spot under-throat was looking through the patio glass door as if to say thank you. I would nod as if to say you’re welcome and she/he would resume eating. This continued maybe 10 minutes. Later that afternoon she/he came back looking through the patio door glass for seconds, which I provided.

Being an octogenarian and having last February lost my canine “Mandy girl” and not being of a superstitious nature after hearing at an early age many negatives about black cats, I now consider this a possible omen or reconnection with our Lord’s oft-time unwanted/neglected and abused creatures.

Next morning another surprise. Since I’m an early riser, I turned on the light in our den and saw nothing but two golden eyes looking at me through the patio door. And before I had my morning caffeine fix I served breakfast to my new friend.

Some nights while lying in my warm bed, my mind wanders and with great chagrin wonders how some of our Lord’s unwanted creatures can survive. If my God sees every sparrow that falls, I know he can see a neglected black cat at night out in the cold. Folks, I firmly believe everything happens for a reason, so I’ve turned my imagination loose on this one. May God bless all of you who care for all in need.

AARON R. STRATMAN Bella Vista

Santa Claus does exist

Yes, there really is a Santa: I walk and have coffee with a group of senior citizens at Park Plaza Mallalmost every day. This year, Santa dressed in a restroom nearby. Every day as he was going to his Santa station on the second floor,he came by our table and greeted each of us with a hug and friendly greeting.

No one knew his name, so we only called him Santa, and thus, he became Santa to us. He had a natural white beard and hair that blended perfectly with his Santa suit.

ROBERT WHITE Little RockA vacation for readers

I think the best printed words that the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette offers (and not often enough) are “Wally Hall’s column does not appear today.” JOHN NEWKIRK Bryant

Really not that special

At the risk of being branded a Tea Partier, I would like to remember the message of that original bunch of Boston rebels: No taxation without representation. While we may have become numb to the abuse of our liberties coming out of Washington, I believe there was a remarkable violation of our founding fathers’ credo just this month in our own fair city.

Robinson Center: stately, but a bit out-of-date; scene of many good memories of shows and concerts and Holly Balls; all that and more. I don’t believe a majority of Little Rock voters would want to see it fall into disrepair and disuse; alas, we will never know.

Once again, it seems a small, well-organized group of advocates orchestrated a takeover of the democratic process. Since when has December 10th been an election day? Does it not cost money to run a special election? Don’t we have well-established norms of one or two elections per year? You would never know that looking at the election calendar around Arkansas. Want to get a special tax or bond allocation through-get a special election scheduled.

I believe it’s not right for 7,000 voters to make a 30-year funding allocation decision for a city our size. That percentage fails to be a quorum in any possible interpretation of the word.

Let’s get a grip on special elections in Arkansas. A lot of folks will still stay home on that Tuesday in March or November, but at least most of them will be aware that an election is occurring.

In the end, we will have better representation-and even save our election boards a few taxpayer dollars. THOMAS W. SMITH JR. Little Rock

Blame the drug policy

I believe J. Fred Hart Jr.’s recent assertion that marijuana users are directly responsible for the deaths of Mexicans is as ridiculous as if I said that everyone who voted for “W” is responsible for the body count in Iraq and Afghanistan. I believe the real reason for the murders of Mexicans by the drug cartels is this nation’s drug policy.

Four decades ago President Richard Nixon declared a War on Drugs, and what are the results? Over one trillion of our tax dollars have been wasted on this never-ending “war,” yet more Americans use drugs than ever before. Our jails and prisons are overflowing, and the Mexican drug cartels (and other criminal organizations) profit greatly and grow stronger with each passing year.

One would think that our first experiment with prohibiting an intoxicant would have taught us a lesson. Prohibition was an utter failure. Not only did consumption of alcohol increase during those years, but so did organized crime, corruption in government, and crime in general.

Before you vote for or against legalization of marijuana (in any form), do some research outside your normal information sources. You’ll find that a “gateway drug” is as close as your medicine cabinet. Americans consume 80 percent of the world’s pain pills. Do you think they all started on pot? You might even find that marijuana is far less an evil than two drugs that are legally consumed every day: alcohol and tobacco.

FLEMING STOCKTON Little Rock