LETTERS

Improve our choices

In reference to Frank Latimer’s letter, where he states “when a president pushes bad policies, his success is the country’s failure,” I would like to elaborate.

I am 57 years old. I feel it’s my right to vote. But I will admit that I haven’t voted in the past several elections, because there is no one to vote for. When I was 18 years old, I voted for the person, Democrat or Republican. I really didn’t understand the difference. Then as I got older, I voted Republican. But as party lines have started blurring, I’m back to voting for the person. (Party lines blurring-thus the reason for the Tea Party, which is not a voting party.)

But for many elections I have not even voted, or voted for the independent just to be ornery. So when you don’t have a good person to vote for, the least of the two are getting voted in to office. And then we have the problems we have today.

I’m not smart enough to have the answers. But I don’t blame the president or the country. The president deserves respect, no matter what.

If you feel you can do a better job, get in there and learn and run for office. We need better people running for our political offices.

Enough said …

DEBORAH FADDID

Springdale

Pull out the dictionary

While I will agree that liberal Democrats have what they believe to be a president, in my opinion the rest of the nation does not have one. Nor do I see any hope for our country having one president for all the people until the next presidential election.

I don’t think Barack Obama sees it as “us and them”; he sees it as “us and no one else.” As Senator Obama, he denounced the “nuclear option” power grab at the time Republicans were threatening it, but as President Obama, he applauded it when Harry Reid did it.

I think that’s taking political hypocrisy to an unbelievable height! Personally, I don’t think the man could find integrity in the dictionary.

JOHN EATON

Benton

Have to care enough

If the health insurance situation is ever going be fixed, it will take politicians who care enough to fix it. Otherwise, we can go back to 7 percent growth per year in Medicare spending.

The only way to deal with that is to cut defense and food stamps, block grants, etc. Everything. So let’s give this new law a try.

I’ve been studying health-care spending for 30 years. The doctors and experts said things would get worse, like patients dying in hallways on gurneys due to lack of insurance or inability to pay.

STEVE WHEELER

North Little Rock

Good comics out there

I’d like to know if anyone reads Judge Parker. I, too, think Wumo is stupid, but unlike Mr. Larry Haug, I like Overboard. It’s a little far-fetched but at least it has a story.

I do like Mr. Haug’s suggestion of Curtis (didn’t we have Curtis at one time?) and Sherman’s Lagoon. There are so many good cartoons out there.

Please don’t settle for ones people don’t want to read. Just saying …

BRENDA KELLEY

Berryville

Racism is everywhere

Jim Blok, a recent letter-writer, a transplanted Yankee by admission, commented on the controversial billboard in Harrison as well as the Civil War. When President Bill Clinton commented that Barack Obama played the race card on Hillary in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, where was he? Does freedom of speech apply to all or just the politically correct? Is freedom of speech allowed to those with whom we disagree?

Is the Civil War still going on? No. Did the Emancipation Proclamation free all slaves immediately? No. Did President Lincoln intend to give a full vote to ex-slaves? No. About 80 percent of Southerners had no slaves, so were the majority fighting to retain their slaves? No. Did slave ships arrive at Southern ports only or did Northeast traders sell slaves to make a profit? No and Yes.

Slavery was an abomination for our whole nation, not just the South. Written history isn’t always as it seems. Is there a reason why there was Southern antipathy toward the Northeast beyond slavery issues? Yes. Did the Northeast try to control Southern trade, both by controlling trade with England and commerce on the Mississippi River? Yes.

I wasn’t alive during the Civil War. Am I responsible for it? No. I am for freedom of speech such as Blok’s letter. I am for equal treatment of all Americans and equal responsibility of all Americans.

Racism exists everywhere and always will. We must individually decide where we stand and how we act. Saints on this issue don’t live exclusively in the North.

MIKE BROWN

Redfield

For stable democracy

Regarding the recent editorial on the filibuster: The swing of the pendulum of political influence between left and right that is the history of our nation is a reflection of the desire and will of the majority of the American people to co-exist with one another in a manner of peaceful compromise and cooperation. It is the way by which we have remained a stable democracy.

For either party to deny that natural check and balance that is the swing of the pendulum of social tolerances is to move away from a society of democratic coexistence and move toward dictatorial control of what is “right” for the society. This is not a democratic way of going about the business of self-governance, it is an autocratic way.

As I see it, the filibuster was reformed because the minority party has refused to accept the will of the people in the past few elections and it has abused rules, blocked presidential appointments and been obstructive toward initiatives of the current majority party. The current Republican Party has demonstrated neither a respect of the will of the people who have spoken with their votes, nor of the necessity for compromise in the competing interests and needs of a democratic society.

It is disappointing when the press, having a sacred trust in a free society, argues in support of a political mindset that refuses to honor the principles of democracy which keep it free. It’s as if you are writing your own-and democracy’s-obituary.

MICHAEL WERTZ

Springdale

Editorial, Pages 21 on 11/29/2013

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