LETTERS

Much better balanced

As I renew my subscription to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, I am reminded that, like Wayne Wyatt, I, too, spend good money for it.

I believe Fox News and MSNBC are a waste. They constipate the minds of their viewers while lining their own pockets. The Democrat-Gazette better balances its editorials by allotting same-time space to both sides. The world, national and state sections are fact filled from various sources, allowing readers to compile information and flesh out truths.

Unlike Wayne, I love the Voices page. To be able to opine openly is a hallmark of democracy and America. I enjoy the fiery admonishments of our Ozark imams and the retorts of their pragmatic critics. Such letters and commentary therein promote thoughtfulness and often expose potential harm.

I thank Mike Masterson, but I don’t get Bradley Gitz and his treatise on alcohol-consumption limits and driving. Justification such as someone being old enough to die for one’s country but not to drink is juvenile. Maybe a denizen of academe is not best-suited to assess alcohol impairment. Maybe he is. Maybe I needed a couple of martinis before I read it.

Anyway, tenure may inebriate but manure just stinks. Semper Fi.

BLANE WILHITE

Piggott

Halt drumbeat for war

That sequester that was agreed to by both political parties was supposed to force the various branches of government to chop spending by many billions of dollars. At the Department of Defense, they have told many thousands of civilian employees to take furloughs, days off without pay, that would save $1.8 billion.

Not a whisper about cutting back the F-35 fighter program of 2,400 planes at $150 million each, the C-130 program that keeps building at $80 million each that the military doesn’t want or need, the nine military bases in Afghanistan after we are supposed to leave in 2014, the hundreds of admirals and generals and their staffs, the outrageous amounts of money paid out to U.S. military members who live off-base, the hundreds of U.S. bases overseas, a possible naval race with China in the Pacific, expanding the U.S. military into Africa, playing chicken with Iran at the behest of Israel. The F-35 program would cost at least $360 billion and we now have C-130 planes parked all over the country because the military doesn’t know what to do with them.

I think the generals and high-level Pentagon officials who thought up this smoke-and-mirrors charade to protect their empires all need to be fired. It might also help if we fire some of the flag-waving fools in Congress who pound the drum for never-ending war.

We can’t afford to keep the nation on a wartime footing and keeping the war costs off the books.

FRANK NEWMAN

Huntington

Wasted time with suit

Faiz Siddiqui did a good job in his recent article regarding the lawsuit brought by a parent whose child was disciplined for using the f-word. The article was clear about the state Court of Appeals’ ruling that the principal, Anita Turner, acted appropriately in disciplining a boy for repeated use of the f-word in school. The quote by Rogers School District Communications Director Ashley Kelley Siwiec made clear that this legal challenge was unusual.

I hope the principal, communications director and the judges have a good break this summer after having to waste valuable time on this lawsuit.

NANCY GANN

Little Rock

Texas attacking rights

Recently, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette published a short item summarizing another action of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, which I believe emphasizes his disdain for law and protection of individual rights. If one reads the one sentence without paying close attention, one would miss what the described action portends.

He signed a bill into law providing that the celebration of Christmas and other holidays in public schools be immune from legal challenge. I believe that is the most understated yet most dramatic attack upon freedom of religion ever made against that bedrock principle of this nation. Perry declared that the First Amendment’s freedom of religion does not mean freedom from religion. The Texas Legislature and Perry have decided that they can, at taxpayer expense, force-feed any particular religious practice they choose down the throats of uncomprehending children who may already be members of a non-Christian religion or whose parents are members of another religion.

I suspect the they simply decided that all Texans (who matter) are Christian (or profess to be), and others directly affected could not effectively complain at having their rights infringed. So, these unlettered but clearly devious politicians actually mandate that their “subjects” shall learn Christian doctrine, though they be Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jewish, Scientologist, or even Native American with their own panoply of spiritual beliefs. Or, for that matter, even atheist. Clearly, all that concerns Texas lawmakers is the next election. We all ought to be better than that.

DON SWITZER

Rogers

We must look dumb

Sen. Mark Pryor is, I believe, one of the most liberal and loyal Democrats in the U.S. Senate. Yet we see many ads against his re-election sponsored by liberals such as New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Why might this be? Maybe it all started in Bloomberg’s kitchen not so very long ago, sitting at the kitchen table. Someone says that Pryor is in trouble in Arkansas; there’s likely to be a Republican elected in his place. Bloomberg says something to the effect of tell Pryor to vote against the background-check bill. His vote isn’t needed; the bill is not going to pass anyway. Bloomberg then goes on to say that his people will then run ads badmouthing Pryor for voting for gun rights. This will make him look good in Arkansas. Kinda like reverse psychology. Someone then says, “Won’t the Arkies figure that out?”

“Nah, they’re Arkies.”

Later, y’all.

RICK SCOTT

Maumelle