LETTERS

A kinder, gentler time

Jersey Boys has now completed its tour stop in Little Rock. The show featured the performance of classic songs from a previous generation, all to the delight of the large crowds in attendance.

Unfortunately, the dialogue between the songs was a constant dose of the f-word.

Has anyone considered this irony? The only reason we are able to gather and celebrate the performance of this soft, romantic pop music from a generation ago is because that generation did not allow such language in what they considered entertainment. KEITH HAMAKER Maumelle

More to worry about

Arkansans are rightfully concerned about the environmental effects of the swine-farm operation near the Buffalo River; however, perhaps of greater concern should be the slaughter methods and food-inspection violations typical of plants processing these animals.

An audit report dated May 2013 by the USDA had these conclusions based on 30 onsite visits: “The Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS) enforcement policies do not deter swine slaughter plants from becoming repeat violators of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA). As a result, plants have repeatedly violated the same regulations with little or no consequence. … As a result, there is reduced assurance of FSIS inspectors effectively identifying pork that should not enter the food chain. … Finally, we found that FSIS inspectors did not take appropriate enforcement actions at 8 of the 30 swine slaughter plants we visited for violations of the Humane Method of Slaughter Act.”

As consumers, we should be concerned with violations such as “fecal material on a hog after final trim,” and as animal lovers we should be concerned that a hog regained consciousness after being stunned and “was able to right its head, make noise, kick, and splash water in reaction to being put in a scalding tank.”

Let’s not forget the animal itself being raised in cramped pens and its effect on our food supply.

In the land of the Razorback, we should send a message to the hog processors that we will not tolerate the exploitation of animals.

MARSHALL WADE Bella Vista

Not punished enough

What a deal! Try to steal a TV or a car-go to prison. Try to steal an election-just stay home for a while and pay a small fine.

I believe the very heart of our way of life has been desecrated by the bad acts of a politician, followed by the bad decision of a judge.

I guess the politicians live in a different universe when it comes to the special slime of trying to maintain their royal status.

I think former state Rep. Hudson Hallum and the others involved in his election fraud should be in prison for a long time. And perhaps the judge ought to retake a basic civics class. A truly un-American act followed by a truly inappropriate sentence.

Good luck, America.

MARK BARNHARD Little Rock

Being polite on debt

Not one economist in a hundred likely would agree with the Republican Party that we must cut government spending in a depressed economy to balance the budget. That would increase unemployment and lead to less revenue, making the debt worse.

Tune into Fox TV or radio sometime, and listen to their hateful propaganda. Simpletons listen to this stuff and repeat it verbatim, ad nauseum. In polite company, it stops all conversation.

If you love your country, stop being polite. Explain to them that every dollar of government spending is someone’s income and is respent seven times during the year. I figure a $100 billion cut reduces gross domestic product by anywhere from $150 billion to $800 billion. That hurts the economy. The time to balance the budget is when there is near-full employment.

Paul Krugman says that during a recession, government should prime the pump by increasing spending, not cutting spending.

The chorus coming from the right says, “Are you crazy? We have a$16 trillion debt! Our grandchildren will not be able to pay that off. We are robbing them of their future.”

Economists look at the size of the debt compared with the GDP, about 100 percent at present. We had a debt-to-GDP ratio of 120 percent in 1945. Government investment spending will bring that ratio down, just like it did after World War II.

Families are the backbone of our country. If mothers and fathers cannot take care of their children, we will become a Third World country. RUUD DuVALL Fayetteville

Worthy of our praise

The U.S. military has been split and divided on so many levels. One of these is the partition between wartime “in harm’s way” warriors and their counterparts as either Rear Echelon, My Friends or Peacetime “I’m not in any danger” armed forces.

This is so regrettable and factually fictitious.

Consider, both in wartime and peace, who is really safe in this world. The USS Cole, embassy bombings, Fort Hood shootings and recruitment-office shootings show that no one in the military is ever truly safe. The job is hazardous by nature of using live ammo and ops practice that’s not intended for the faint of heart. This is compounded by being a target for every extremist with a personal agenda, not to mention budgetary attacks and world opinion which is often even more devastating than the actual enemy. Hands tied behind one’s back comes to mind, but defend and fight they will do against all opposition, and do it well and professionally.

Also remember that for every woman or man who joins the military, an entire community of relatives, unified often against their will, signed up at the same time. They live in fear for their loved ones and know that whatever their husband, wife, father, mother, aunt, uncle or cousin’s duty is, stateside or abroad, they are a target and they are in harm’s way.

To the duty and devotion of the past, present and future generations of military personnel, I proudly salute you!

PHILLIP A. RAMBIN Bigelow