LETTERS

Slighting Oklahoma?

I seldom read John Brummett’s column since he filled the spot vacated by Gene Lyons. An occasional charitable effort is made until I encounter one of his litany of well worn characterizations, such as ultra-conservative or Tea Party extremist, encouraging me to read other parts of the paper.

However my interest in the election to replace the “nominally Democratic” state Sen. Paul Bookout, who wasn’t too good at bookkeeping, led me to read Mr. Brummett’s spin on the election results. I can only say that I was pleasantly surprised at the judgment of the good people of Jonesboro.

But reading on, I noted a reference to my home state in “rabid Oklabama insurgence.” I’m not quite sure if that was a reference to two states (Oklahoma and Alabama), or a derogatory slant on the political direction in Oklahoma that has little respect for the occupant of the White House.

Either way, Oklahoma was named in the language of the esteemed Choctaw Indian tribe; its name actually means “red men” (Is it possible they could have been politically prescient?).

For the record and Mr. Brummett’s education, I believe Oklahoma is a land of morally honest, hardworking citizens who are fortunate to be represented in Washington by the likes of Tom Coburn and others who are forging against the tide to right the ship of government control.

As to Mr. John Cooper who won the election, I must schedule a trip to acquaint myself with this “Tea Party extremist” who was supported by “a gaggle of black-helicopter observers.” A hearty congratulations to all.

ELDON JANZEN

Fayetteville

Way to aid the jobless

On the problem of financing unemployment insurance, why not implement an additional sales tax on products imported from countries whose wages are lower than U.S. minimum wage?

W.C. GAYLORD

Compton

Not just on Democrats

Some readers seem to think that the professional hate-speech writers hate Barack Obama because he is of mixed race. These same writers hated every single thing about Bill Clinton.

I believe they are not racist-they hate all Democrats. Some might think hate is too strong of a word. Have you read their writings? No need: Democrats are wrong, Republicans are right.

One of the haters, the one I call Vanilla Extreme, wrote that Obama’s administration “has poured trillions of dollars into the pockets of the nation’s richest financiers.” Really? He just randomly gave away trillions? I think somebody needs to put his vanilla-soaked head under a tarp.

Then he continues his rant with “arguably no president is more responsible for the richest 1 percent getting richer.” Really? A Democrat who has been consistently asking for the rich to pay more?

I do not know where he was going with his Bernie Madoff lines.

I do not really care who is president, as long as they do not start wars. I think the worst president of this century is Bush 2; the worst of last century was LBJ.

No need for wars in Iraq or Vietnam. Both parties make mistakes. At that level of power, mistakes cost lives.

JEFF LAHA

Little Rock

Saw that feline before

Recent news of an endangered wildcat was of great interest to me.

In the early ’60s, I was working on the King Ranch in Texas for an oil industry service company. One morning a deer crossed in front of my car at point-blank range. To the left of my car, I saw a cloud of dust. There was an over sized cat. The deer had used my car to cut the cat off in a race.

My first thought of a bobcat was off because we were out of range for bobcats. This was apparently a jaguarundi cat. It was thrilling to see.

SAMMY WATERS

Magnolia

Not all is awful at UA

Re the struggle going on between the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the state’s flagship newspaper and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, the state’s flagship university: Enough of these petty politics.

I believe subscribers are tired of reading the same old derogatory news. We got the message the first time you wrote it and the only new news that has come out is that there was an audit that proved absolutely nothing sensational.

It seems to me the Democrat-Gazette is going out of its way to burn the university and Chancellor David Gearhart, and now some of our legislators are getting in on the act.

I was raised in West Memphis, as was one of our legislators. I knew his mama very well and I’m sure she did not raise him to be rude and disrespectful of the chancellor. Shame on him.

Why don’t we see praise and good news about an Arkansas university from an Arkansas newspaper? What about the high quality of education,professors, staff and students that grace the campus? This is all happening under the guidance and leadership of Chancellor Gearhart.

Running a university is not easy. It is hard work and there will be great achievements as well as mistakes. My advice to the Democrat-Gazette and the Legislature is to lighten up. Be encouraging and helpful. The chancellor, his staff and the Board of Trustees are doing a very good job. I’m a proud Arkansan and graduate of the U of A.

BOYCE W. BILLINGSLEY

Bentonville

Paradise on decline?

Trying to conquer the respiratory crud that makes it impossible to simultaneously sleep and breathe, I’ve spent several nights walking country roads to work off panic attacks.

As I gaze at the moon and stars, I am astonished that in such an old, vast universe, I am alive on this paradise of a planet.

Then daylight comes, and the daily newspaper. There is news of drug wars, tribal wars, religious wars, ideological wars, territorial wars, oil wars, precious-metal/mineral wars, class wars. And oil spills, chemical spills, toxic-waste dumping, air pollution, forest destruction, species decimation/extinction.

My Christmas cards still hang; most express desires for peace and hope. In the cold stillness of winter moonlight, I wonder if we can curb our pernicious greed and abuse of power, or if will we trash our stunning paradise so badly that it dies long before our sun does.

BETTY HUNT

North Little Rock