LETTERS

On myth versus truth

Let me try to help Phyllis Farish. In her letter she asks: “How can there be a myth without a truth?” Logically of course, there is always a “truth,” e.g., that the myth is false. The existence of Superman from the planet Krypton is a myth. That neither Superman nor Krypton exists is the corresponding truth. More relevant to the context of her query, the book of Genesis in the Bible is, I believe, virtually 100 percent myth, and is contradicted by abundant scientific evidence. From Exodus onward, biblical scholars and archaeologists are gradually teasing out what truths there are in the text, and there are some.

When Ms. Farish says “You can’t tell me how old the earth is or how it came into being,” I believe that is false. Indeed I can: The earth is about 4 billion years old, and came into being by gravitational accretion of material left over from the formation of the sun. Any student of astronomy knows this. Please take a science class.

MICHAEL LIEBER

Fayetteville

Plays games too well

I’m sure Mark Pryor is a good person. But Mark is a career politician and he plays the game too well. That is a big piece of our problem in Washington. I believe he has had a hand in the deterioration of this country and has been there too long; that’s one strike I have against him.

Strike 2, the “Affordable” Care Act. Normally a politician should not be trash-canned for one bill. Usually they can tell you a good reason for voting against or for it. But this one was widely debated and discussed before it was crammed through Congress with not one Republican vote.

Thousands of Arkansans contacted his office, including myself, begging him not to support it. The polls showed and still do that the vast majority of Arkansans did not and do not want this legislation. I was taught in civics class that a democracy was a representative form of government; Mark is supposed to be representing the desires of his voters in his district. He apparently chose to represent his party and the Obama administration instead of Arkansas. In my mind he resigned his office that day.

Tom Cotton is relatively new to politics and has a good set of core values. Recently a lady wrote a letter stating that Tom would not look out for veterans. I am a Gulf War veteran and I can’t believe anyone would have such a biased, poisoned mind as to believe that. Tom is not only a veteran, he was infantry-that means boots on the front line. It doesn’t get any more dangerous, and he served in a very active combat zone. He knows what it is to be in combat; I think he will represent us well. Get real! We need a lot of changes in Washington; we can do our part this fall.

G.W. WEEKS

Centerton

Should raise standard

It seems to me the easiest way to assure there is enough money in the lottery coffers to fund scholarships is to raise the scholarship requirements. A grade-point average of 2.8 or even 3.0 and an ACT score of 22 might be more realistic than the low GPA of 2.5 (which is just a C average) and ACT of 19. After all, a lottery scholarship is to reward those students who work hard and earn better-than-average grades and test scores, isn’t it?

JOY STEFAN

Hot Springs Village

Welcome memories

Thanks to Rex Nelson for a great column about long-ago Lum and Abner radio shows.

Growing up in the late ’30s and ’40s, I vividly remember the wonderful episodes of the two in their Jot ’Em Down Store in Pine Ridge. I remember Cedric Wehunt done by Abner and other characters, Dick Huddleston, who was a real person. When Abner did his “huh,” my dad would fall over laughing.

Thanks again to Rex for bringing back memories of the show!

ROBERT WHITE

Little Rock

Not helping America

Paul Ryan apparently likes to shoot off his mouth about inner-city kids learning the value of work. I wonder if Paul is creating jobs. Not all kids in the inner city are lazy.

I have never lived in the inner city. I did not grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth. I grew up working with my hands, not having someone do the manual labor so I would not get my nails dirty. I think if Paul knew hard work, I guarantee he would not do it.

I suggest Paul visit the backwoods of Virginia, Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama or Louisiana and see the poor whites and blacks wishing for jobs. I do hope Paul realizes that American jobs are being shipped overseas. Sitting in an easy chair on the Hill shooting your mouth off is not putting jobs in America.

Guess I will have to continue helping to pay Paul’s salary for doing nothing.

JULIA RANDLE

Jacksonville

Global climate truths

I appreciate Dr. Charles Lamb’s comments on anthropogenic global warming. It seems anthropogenic warming always goes with global income redistribution. We will definitely see the truth in the coming years.

Will the anthropogenic people flip once again to support this as a cause for global cooling? See the 1970s. Do anthropogenic causes trap heat or block heat? Do the planets on either side of the Earth change temperatures? Why? Is this settled science? Why would many current computer models of Earth’s temperatures start at the year 1850? What was the Little Ice Age?

We cannot predict future global climate based on weather conditions at one spot on the globe. Observation may be more accurate than prediction, assuming it is done without an agenda. Agenda and science don’t go well together.

MIKE BROWN

Redfield