LETTERS

Unbefitting of ‘ladies’

Recently while at the mall to assist my granddaughter in shopping for her homecoming frock, I was appalled at what we found in the dressing rooms.

Evidently, several girls had selected the largest room and tried on clothes together, discarding each dress to the floor to be stepped on or, actually, stomped on. We alerted the sales clerk and assisted her in trying to salvage what we could of these once-lovely dresses.

The delicate material on many dresses had been snagged beyond repair by sequins from other dresses. One dress seemed to have been purposely ripped. The worst vandalism was that some young female had “kissed” down one side of a white dress with very vivid lipstick, permanently destroying the dress.

I can only hope that some mother or father reads this, perhaps even some of the guilty girls and, instead of laughing about their criminal behavior, they think twice the next time.

If not, I am certain that some of them will end up living at the county’s or state’s expense sometime in the near future.

LINDA A. CALDWELL North Little Rock

Driver still a danger

I believe the Benton parolee (why?) who was charged with her 11th DWI should never, ever be allowed to drive again.

Once before, she was released under the Emergency Powers Act, which allows release of nonviolent prisoners. Drunken driving is a potentially deadly accident waiting to happen. That sounds pretty violent to me.

How many dead children, mothers, grandfathers, etc., does it take before drunken drivers are recognized as being extremely dangerous people? Get her off the streets!

VICKI BETTIS Little Rock

Curse of the helmets

Re the Razorback game against Rutgers: How can you explain blowing a 17-point lead well into the 3rd quarter? How can you explain two interceptions dropped that would have sealed the game? It’s easy-the curse of the white helmets.

Coach B, please get rid of the white helmets.

It was a great game to watch. Playing an extremely talented Rutgers team at their place with our freshmen dotted in the lineup. A game on paper that the Razorbacks should have lost by at least two touchdowns. What a refreshing change from last year. What a great future the Razorback program is building … but those white helmets.

You don’t see LSU wearing white helmets, or Alabama. For that matter, you don’t see them in crazy uniforms. It’s all about tradition at these schools.

So, Coach, please, at least get rid of the white helmets. They are a curse.

RAY DARDENNE Stuttgart

Right side of history

I was intrigued by the news about Wal-Mart offering equal health benefits to same-sex couples. As someone who has many friends near to the issue, I was quick to do some research on the topic.

One of my friends, as did a few of my other classmates, brought up the point that same-sex marriage is not recognized here in Arkansas and to distribute equal benefits among same-sex couples would be at a cost for the companies.

After some digging and a little help from a Supreme Court ruling, I was ableto find some information that might clarify the situation for some misinformed readers. Thanks to the Obama administration, the Labor Department announced that same-sex couples can now receive equal marriage benefits from their employers regardless of the status of same-sex-marriage legality in the state that they occupy.

Wal-Mart made a bold move here, and now its employees in same-sex couples in all states will be able to receive benefits that they are entitled to from their employment package. While it is just a small step, I can only hope that others will fall into line and be on the right side of history.

B.J. MATTHEWS Conway

Social media perilous

Social media has a negative impact on the mental health of teenagers. Teenagers are spending more time on social-media sites and less time having intentional, face-to-face interactions. Their social world is becoming dictated by how many followers they receive, how many likes their photos get, how many people retweet them, etc. Teens’ sense of self-worth is becoming centered around the false reality of virtual popularity.

This past January, a 14-year-old girl in Italy committed suicide due to abusive comments her “friends” wrote on Facebook. This girl decided life wasn’t worth living. When did social media gain so much power? Our societal dependence on social media is not only teaching the next generation a false sense of achievement and success, but is also causing teens to wrap their social lives around their “popularity” or lack thereof on social-media sites.Ironically, teens are beginning to think that those who do not engage in social media are unsocial.

Society’s future leaders are believing the lie that character is built by who can take the best pictures on Instagram, or who can get the most Facebook friends. Where does virtual “reality” stop and intentional relationships begin?

MALLORY LUNDY Conway

Politeness works, too

I agree with Chuck Reaves and Peggy Wolfe: Telemarketing calls are annoying and disruptive. I simply interrupt the telemarketer, and say, “I am on a do-not-call list, please remove my phone number from your database.” Then I hang up. No further discussion nor dialogue is required. This works for me.

The Federal Trade Commission Do Not Call registry phone number is (888) 382-1222, and I believe phone number information must be updated every five years.

The address to remove your name from junk-mail lists is: Mail Preference Service, c/o The Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 9008, Farmington, N.Y. 11735. Please keep in mind, though, that your name and address will be dispersed to catalog and junk-mail distributors whenever you order a catalog product, so you will again start receiving junk mail.

Telemarketers are earning a paycheck and they possibly find their jobs annoying, too. They are human beings and I believe all people deserve Golden Rule etiquette.

GAYLE VYROSTEK Fayetteville