LETTERS

— Personal foul on play

A 15-yard penalty and a “c’mon, man” to Sports Editor Wally Hall for his comments regarding New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker’s wife’s social-media outburst. Perhaps her comments directed at Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis seem like sour grapes, given New England’s loss, but what is the relevance of her being a “Miss Hooters” in 2005 and her comments made just after the Patriots lost?

Gotta throw the flag on that one, Wally!

BLAKE MURCHISON

Little Rock

art of the law of man

The recent letter against capital punishment by Samuel Kooistra demonstrates once again the special type of insanity observable in anti-death penalty advocates.

He posits, like so many, that the death penalty actually costs more than life imprisonment. But how could such a paltry thing as cost be factored into the results of mayhem, torture, butchery, rape-killing, decapitation, sexual mutilation, disemboweling, throttling and hundreds of other acts of sadism that cold-blooded killers exact on their victims? When a life is taken and a person is found guilty in a court of law, that person’s life should be taken. That represents the advance of civilization.

Does Kooistra think that these perverted, sadistic murderers are really decent people, hoping to get out of prison to do good? A public execution would serve as a most salutary example of what awaits the bloodthirsty.

Common sense and the continued flourishing of civilized society demand that an eye be taken for an eye. As for statistics weighing against capital punishment, as Mark Twain said, there are lies, damned lies, and then there are statistics.

No human judgment is infallible, but capital punishment must exist if our world is not to devolve into a bloodbath drawn by the criminal mind. Anti-capital punishment advocates have an awfully perverted definition of what constitutes civilized society. Capital punishment is not revenge, nor is it really punishment. It is a part of the law of man.

WAYNE D. McGINNIS

Arkadelphia

To protect ourselves

When the Second Amendment was written, it had nothing whatsoever to do with hunting. Its intent was to provide the people a means of protection against tyranny by a government.

As my great-great-great-grandfather was a sergeant from North Carolina whose company helped bring the Revolutionary War to a conclusion, I would like to see this intent perpetuated, but not by bastardizing it the way some are attempting to do. Some are saying it’s more of a hunting regulation when it isn’t. Tyranny has many forms and may appear in any one of them at any time, at your front or back door or on the street. You have a God-given right to defend your family and yourself. Even those who say there is no God say you have a right to defend yourself.

Don’t let a few loudmouths dominate this conversation the way some have dominated the religious conversation to the point where one can’t say “Merry Christmas.”

If you believe in the Constitution and are proud to be an American, say so. Read the Federalist Papers, understand the Constitution and its political structure and principles based on the inherent rights of man.

A.J. HANSON North

Little Rock

Problem is not science

First, I’d like to thank Austin Stewart for putting me in the company of Al Case, who is a well-spoken and thoughtful man.

Next, though I have never claimed to completely understand the Big Bang Theory, Stewart’s opinion about my beliefs in science appear obviously based on his own ignorance. What can one say about a man who freely admits belief in the Easter Bunny myth over scientific theory? As any good religionist will, Stewart demonstrates an abysmal lack of knowledge where the Big Bang Theory is concerned while continuing to promote the myth of a god, likely because he doesn’t want to understand even basic science theory.

“The origin of things” as Stewart so eloquently put it, is the oldest device of humans to put a supernatural being in charge of what they can’t understand. It was only 2,000 years ago that men worshiped volcanoes, lightning and an assortment of other things that awful science has explained, and by way of explanation, painted religionist claptrap into a very tight corner. To apply superstitious nonsense to the unknown is childish at best and plainly ignorant in an adult, at worst.

Lastly, Sallye Martin’s sexist and offensive letter surprises me only in that it was published. Obviously her gun-loving boyfriend or husband must have just dumped her. Isn’t it nice to be generalized about? I know many women who own guns, enjoy shooting and also understand what the Second Amendment is about.

RICK BURRY

Eureka Springs

We are not safe at all

With all respect to Jim Argue, I must question his wisdom regarding The Church Protection Act. I am glad he feels completely safe when he is in his sanctuary. I bet the seven killed at the Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth felt safe in their sanctuary on Sept. 15, 1999. I bet the six killed at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., felt safe in their sanctuary on Aug. 5th, 2012.

I believe the more the criminally insane realize there are places they can go (churches, schools, movie theaters, etc.) and kill just for the sake of killing and know there will be no one to stop them, the more these mass killings will occur. It really doesn’t matter how safe you “feel” in church, it matters how safe you really are. You are not safe at all. Allowing parishioners who have concealed-weapons permits to use their constitutionally given right to protect themselves is a no-brainer.

Don’t get me wrong, I am for virtually all of the proposals being considered by our administration on gun control. Mr. Argue said he knows many pastors who strongly oppose this bill. To me that means he knows at least a few who do not oppose this bill (thank God). I think for him to trivialize this issue with what is not happening in the Green Forest churches was just plain mean. I hate to inform Mr. Argue that if a crazy person with a semiautomatic gun (or several) comes into his sanctuary on a peaceful Sunday morning and opens fire, he’d better pray that one of his fellow parishioners has a gun.

PATRICIA PHILLIPS

Little Rock

Editorial, Pages 17 on 02/09/2013

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