LETTERS

A tribute to our lard

Recently at UAMS, I sat in a waiting room where two elderly farmers were talking about how things have changed down on the farm since they were youngsters.

One farmer mentioned that, these days, when he butchers a hog, what to do with the lard is a major problem as there is virtually no market for lard any more when people with health concerns no longer want to use it.

What a remarkable coincidence it was for me to find, two days later, a feature article on cooking with home-rendered lard leading off the food section of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette!

At least in some circles, people are apparently turning away from the notion that lard should be shunned as something harmful to one’s health.

The article in the paper was about the use of lard in cooking, but the farmers who were in the waiting room with me also talked about the former use of lard as a spread on such traditional Southern foods as biscuits and cornbread.

RICHARD FROTHINGHAM Little Rock

Takes precious space

I recently lost my mother; she was 87, a nice long life.

Her obituary was short and sweet. I am amazed at the length of some of the obits I see in this paper. One day there was one that was over two columns long. First of all, if people knew the departed, they would know all that stuff. Second, if they didn’t know them, they don’t care.

People, your loved ones were special, but save us the print space.

JIMMY L. MARTIN Conway

Must trim emissions

Richard Weaver complains that Brenda Looper doesn’t print many letters from “global-warming deniers” with “pesky little facts and figures disputing [global warming].”

Are those pesky facts and figures myth or reality? One myth Weaver mentions is that the planet has not warmed for 17 years. There is much variation in weather over the short term, but the planet is progressively warming. This past decade is the warmest we have seen in 130 years. Check the Goddard Institute of Space Sciences and NOAA’s National Climate Data Center. Much of the heat has gone into warming the oceans and melting arctic ice and glaciers. Besides other well-known climate disruptions, ocean acidification is endangering ocean life and precious freshwater resources are drying up.

But there is some good news. Renewables and nuclear are the fastest-growing energy sectors; renewables are becoming cost-competitive with fossil fuels and in some countries are already on a par. Part of this competitiveness, according to HSBC Global Research, is because wind and solar photovoltaic energy production do not require a lot of water.

Whether or not we believe that global warming is human-caused, carbon emissions must be decreased. The burning of fossil fuels increases the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, and it wouldn’t hurt to increase energy-efficiency and invest in renewables,which would stimulate our economy as well as reduce emissions.

It could also prevent that head-banging concussion should we someday realize that the scientists knew what they were talking about.

SHELLEY BUONAIUTO Fayetteville

Didn’t have to occur

Why do people have animals, particularly dogs, that they just throw into the backyard and ignore?

A dog was rescued recently from an uncaring “owner” after being found wandering the streets of the neighborhood looking for food and help. The owner said she didn’t want the dog any more and asked the rescuer to do something with it.

The dog was taken to the vet in preparation for finding a loving home, but alas, too late.

The vet said the dog had suffered such neglect that it now was in kidney failure, had pneumonia, fluid around the heart and lungs and, even with extreme treatment, would probably not make it past six weeks. The dog was immediately put down.

This was a wonderful, sweet Labrador mix that only needed love and care. Shame, shame, shame on this “owner.” And you know who you are.

BILL RATCLIFF Little Rock

Insuring our demise

I’ve never endorsed the idea of shared risk that insurance companies espouse as validity and necessity for existence of that industry. I favor the concept that it’s simply a means to gather large sums of interest-free money for the purpose of investing.

It is what it is and thanks to what has grown to be apparent mass public insecurity and unwillingness to conduct human lives within the inevitable realm of normal life and death, we’re now stuck with mandated offerings to the gods of insurance via government decree. Pay up or we’ll come and get it, so says the law.

Thousands of dollars I’ve tossed into the black hole of mandatory vehicle insurance over the years might have allowed me to retire in style, had I invested it wisely. One should cringe at the reality that his daily toils are sorely sapped by premiums for vehicle, life, homeowner, health, and perhaps even other manner of insurance hyped as necessary by insurance companies cheered on by the inevitable corps of lawyers.

One must wonder if his toils and efforts aren’t simply dedicated to the benefit of insurance and government. Sapped out of middle class into poverty via edict.

I’m old enough to remember when upholding individual freedom was the mission of just about every citizen of this country. We fought two major wars and a couple of others not called wars to this mission.

I remember freedom, and this isn’t it. Shame on us for killing it.

JIMMIE R. TREWITT Ward