In defense of the redneck
By various communications, one is exposed to derisive materials regarding rednecks. To wit: swings made from tires or love seats, improvised pickups made from cut-down sedans, kinfolk marriages, etc.
Well, I am a Depression-era hillbilly redneck raised on a small farm, thus earning credentials for membership. My life experience includes others establishing that distinction differently.
Please tolerate some observations:
If you are stuck in a deep mud hole (figuratively), pray that a redneck will come by. He will stop, help you out of the hole and refuse any payment.
Look closely at the creativity and reasoning involved when laughing about front-yard displays.
Consider famous generals commending redneck soldiers.
Remember the times they insisted you share some vittles at mealtime.
Recall a redneck wife, three younguns in tow at a roadside watermelon stand, insisting you take your change when you said “keep it.”
Finally the service-station redneck owner replying to a request for a lube job, “Buddy, Jake just called and said the fishing is so hot you gotta hide behind a tree to bait your hook. Though I’m busted, I’m locking up. Call back in two days. Hot damn! Gotta sashay outta here and go after them fish. Call me Wednesday.”
The above typical behavior epitomizes compassion, generosity, ingenuity, patriotism and honesty. No snickering about the fishing.
Hurray for rednecks.
DOYLE E. COLLINS
Arkadelphia
Made right decision
Kudos to the First Baptist Church of Gravel Ridge for revoking a Boy Scout troop charter which would accept membership of openly gay Scouts. I’m extremely pleased to see at least one of the Christian churches taking what I consider to be necessary and appropriate action.
What I’m wondering is: Where are the churches of other faiths known to be Christian? I had hoped (being Catholic) that my church would have led the pack in denouncing acceptance of gays into that organization or any organization designed for the training, education or leadership of their children.
Pastor Tim Reed evidently weighed the value of the benefits provided by the Scouts (which I believe is significant) against the prospect of having his parishioners’ children exposed to gays and came to what I consider the correct decision.
Now I can only hope and pray the Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists and other Christian churches will act in the best interest of their parishioners’ children and follow suit. Your prayers would help, too.
DICK STEMPLE
Sherwood
Worry about own job
I see David Meeks is ranting, implying that Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is not helping with the cleanup in Mayflower. Where is David Meeks? I’m betting he is not there getting his hands dirty. If he wants to call someone out, he will also be called out.
Tea Partiers always want to point out what others are doing wrong, but they refuse to point out what they do wrong, as if they’re the perfect party. They shouldn’t worry. They will have control of Arkansas soon enough. Then, they can destroy us as they please. Taking from the poor and giving to the rich.
I may not be an atheist, but people like that could drive me there. Since day one they’ve been driving hate down our throats, and we are tired of it. If they are not going to do their jobs and stop worrying about someone else’s, they need to quit. Let someone legislate who wants to and not just for one day a month.
Tea Party, get over it. He won.
BENJAMIN FREEMAN
North Little Rock
Where is evidence?
Well, the dust has more or less settled, the religionists have had their say and come off sounding foolish, childish and totally ignorant, which would be a feat for an informed, educated group, but is just too easy a trap for believers to fall into. Allow me to add that a modicum of historical knowledge would help anyone understand that there is absolutely no similarity between the men who wrote the Bible and the educated men who wrote the Constitution.
Having read the writers claiming to have special knowledge of what their super being thinks, all those claims of super-normal cognition, the threats and bluster amounted to zip as far as evidence. Not one delivered one kernel of fact to support their ridiculous claims of an afterlife, the truth in their Bible or any holy book or even that there is actually an omnipotent super being. Come on, guys, where’s the beef? You have made a claim that the super being exists, the onus is on you. If I claimed that the Easter Bunny was real, it would be my responsibility to prove it.
Sadly for religionists, there is no proof, no evidence or even a shred of fact in any historical data to assert the existence of any god or gods, or angels, or demons or any supernatural force in the universe that listens to prayers, answers prayers or even cares to read people’s thoughts and then punish them for those prohibited thoughts.
All the quotes and miracles attributed to Jesus are nothing more than supposition; not a single line was written by anyone who ever saw or heard him. Think about that.
RICK BURRY
Eureka Springs
His Rush to judgment
Re Al Harkins’ recent Voices letter when he wrote “I was shocked to hear Rush Limbaugh say on his daily radio broadcast that moving to Arkansas was like being sent to jail.”
Did he hear him say this or did he read somewhere that he said it? Ihave heard him say in the past that when Hillary Clinton had to live in Arkansas while Bill was governor, that for her it was like being sent to jail. Could this be what he was referring to?
STEVE BRANDEBURG
Maumelle
Something for laughs
Just thinking out loud. Time to laugh a little.
Every time I turn around, I’m facing the same direction.
I went to my 40-year class reunion and I was the only one that hadn’t aged.
In order to get John Deering’s cartoons you have to be an adult that thinks like a kid.
Anybody seen or heard from Gene Lyons or Blanche Lincoln? Or as my dear ol’ pappy used to say, “Who cares?”
Buy one suit for $500,000 and get the store free!
If the Progressive Insurance girl Flo wore any more makeup, she would be a tube of lipstick.
Later in life I realized the most profound statement I ever heard was that things start going downhill at 50.
My wife said I over watered the plants. I pointed out that after a two day rain the plants were over watered. I was informed that was a different kind of water.
The laughter of a small child is one of God’s precious gifts. Learn from it and you will seldom have a sad day.
MIKE DAVIS
Maumelle
Policy reversal wrong
The Boy Scouts of America recently made an unfortunate decision for what was a wonderful organization helping boys mature into manhood. I recently returned my Eagle Scout award-it is never compassionate, caring, or kind to lead impressionable boys or girls away from truth and moral principles. The Scout oath speaks of duty to God, to “obey the Scout Law” (which includes being trustworthy, clean and reverent), and of being “morally straight.”
This policy reversal is problematic on many levels. If faith-based organizations continued to sponsor troops, it would require them to affirm something their biblical worldview clearly teaches as wrong. The pro-activist groups have already stated their next goal is to allow open homosexual leaders. What parent can honestly say this is wise for his/her child? We’ve already seen negative effects from the same decision in Canada and in Girl Scouts.
Younger boys will have to hear and consider issues on sexuality that have nothing to do with scouting-things that should be up to parents’ discretion. And atheists also have plans to end “discrimination” against them by the Scouts. Therefore, God and reverence will be further compromised.
There is some good news and hope. There are alternative organizations for both boys (several already started or planned) and girls. I would encourage every church and parent to consider these alternative groups for their child’s camping, scouting and growth experiences-groups that would truly value the true meaning and spirit of being morally straight.
DONALD J. ECKARD
Bentonville
Priorities have shifted
Recently, there was a grandmother in Pine Bluff picking up her grandkids on Memorial Day to have a nice celebration when she was gunned down by four thugs.
America is starting to be like Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and the rest of the Middle Eastern countries with guns. Kids in America as young as 4 years old are killing someone with a gun.
In the 1950s, I was a teenager growing up on our farm. I never heard of a school shooting or of a neighbor shooting a neighbor. I have never owned a gun or fired one. I do not care for them. They are not God-made. I am more excited about my grandkids getting a good education and serving God than about some nutcase walking the streets with a gun.
Guns were plentiful in our home growing up, but were never discussed. As children, we were taught more about Jesus and how to work. Education was very important. Our mother read a lot to us children. Guns were for hunting food to eat. Now they come before education and Jesus.
My family has no killers. We were taught to obey God’s word and treat people as we would want to be treated.
Don’t worry about why we have so many tornadoes and hurricanes. Worry about who will be next because God is tired and when he gets tired, we all pay a price.
JULIA RANDLE
Jacksonville
Feedback
Far from ‘united’
Why do we still call the United States united when all the state laws, personal income tax, fuel tax, sales tax, personal property tax, real estate tax, and state politics are all different? The only real thread that still unites us is our interstate highway system. And would you believe it was a Republican president that built it?
President Ike used his foresight/vision and big government to make these roads available to us now. There is no one in the present-day Republican Party with the same vision for America. It seems all they want to do now is to get the Democrats out of office, regardless of whether it hurts the nation or not.
JOHN W. WILSON
Jacksonville
To represent him
Regarding a recent “In the news” item about George Zimmerman, I would like to know how much money the taxpayers of this state pay to defend people who have been charged with crimes.
The story in the paper reported that the Zimmerman defense fund was down to $5,000. The legal firm was asking for “another $120,000 to put on a good defense or even another $75,000 to give him a fighting chance.”
Are there any limits? And who sets the amount given to the legal firm that was selected to represent Mr. Zimmerman?
An inquiring mind …
RALPH P. FERRY
Little Rock
Editorial, Pages 19 on 06/08/2013