LETTERS

— That blanket of snow

The day after the snow, there was a portion of “Snow-Bound” in the paper. It was nice, but I remember that we had to learn a portion of the poem when I was in sixth grade. It was supposed to be a description of winter, and it fit perfectly. In fact, I’m sure we read the entire poem, but I never remembered the portion that you printed.

The portion we learned just seemed to fit better than the oneprinted. Here is the one I was thinking about: “And when the second morning shone, We looked upon a world unknown, On nothing wecould call our own. Around the glistening wonder bent the blue walls of the firmament, No cloud above, no earth below-A universe of sky and snow!”

I was curious if the writer put the wrong part of John Greenleaf Whittier’s poem in the paper. It hit me as soon as I read it. But, then, we weren’t really that snowbound. We could see shapes of things, not just snow, snow, snow.

MARILYN JOHNSON Sherwood Connection a disgrace

I was surprised and saddened to open my paper and see the item titled “Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert E. Lee’s Birthdays closings.”

I find it disgraceful that lawmakers of my beloved state apparently have attempted to lessen the importance of Martin Luther King Jr.’s contributions to equality in our country by pairing his holiday with a remembrance of Robert E. Lee’s birthday.

I believe that to pretend thatthis overlapping was done out of anything other than prejudice would be disingenuous. I hope that those agencies listed in the closings would tell you that they are closed in honor of King Day, and I sincerely wish that the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette would limit the title accordingly.

It’s time that our state leaders make decisions that reflect the kindness and honor of Arkansans.

CRISTY SMITH FayettevilleIn the dark on power

I live in Little Rock and am afraid of losing power again. Even on windy days, I get nervous.

The power lines in this Pleasant Valley neighborhood are buried. But apparently, the transformers are at the mercy of tree limbs, snow, ice and squirrels.

A recent visitor from Sweden remarked, “We never lose powerin Sweden.” As someone who grew up in the North, I also can’t remember a time without electricity during heavy snowstorms.

I knowthat Sweden and the northern United States have more snow than Arkansas does each year. Why don’t they lose power? It’s embarrassing that I have relatives in Illinois who say that we should move to Chicago.

So much expense is added to homeowners here in Arkansas: replacing spoiled food, nights in motels, buying generators and more. I can imagine how business owners suffer.

What can the people at the utilities tell us about our vulnerable power grids? I’d really like to hear an explanation.

This is the 21st Century, not the Dark Ages (pun intended), isn’t it?

MARCIA FREER ADAMS Little RockThe misuse of tragedy

I recently attended my second gun show in the post-Newtown massacre era. I was aware of the panic that had set in once gun-control advocates latched onto the tragedy and used the horrible deaths of so many innocents to push their flawed political agenda. The two gun shows proved this further as talk of government bans and confiscations were on the tongue of nearly every attendee.

Rifles and handguns were being bought at a pace I had never seen before. A basic Bushmaster Patrolman’s Carbine that was $600 to $700 in mid-2012 would now set you back at least $1,200. As I looked through one merchant’s inventory, I overheard him engaging in a disturbing conversation. The man boasted, “Now, don’t get me wrong, I hate Obama as much as anybody in here, but let me tell you, Obama is doing wonderful things for [the gun show’s] economy. I get more for a rifle now than I ever have and I can’t get enough of ’em.” It seemed to me that these tactics were no different than when unscrupulous gas stations gouged their customers following the 9/11 attacks.

The same merchant went on to gripe about “those left-wing gungrabbers” and how they were using the hysteria following the tragedy to push the same stupid ideas, yet he didn’t bat an eye at his own (mis)use of the tragedy for his own gain.

I strongly urge anybody reading this to think twice before buying or selling your firearms for obscene prices. In the end, we will only hurt ourselves.

AARON SADLER El PasoA bit further to south

The recent editorial about De Queen Elementary was mighty good, but you made a factual error at the outset. You stated that De Queen “is that quiet little town just south of the Ozarks.”

In truth and in fact, De Queen lies just south of the Ouachitas, the loveliest mountain range the Almighty ever tethered to a river valley floor.

De Queen has an important historical distinction. At one time, it was the home of the Dierks Lumber and Coal Company Hospital.

BILLY R. WILSON Little RockProtecting his legacy

We would like to thank the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for its coverage on The Gen. Darby Legacy Project. We appreciate the overwhelming positive feedback we are receiving regarding this worthy endeavor. Rangers lead the way!

LIZ and JOE ARMSTRONG Fort Smith

Editorial, Pages 15 on 01/23/2013

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