LETTERS

Losing great resource

I agree with Marsha Heien’s letter about helping veterans, but my efforts to correct the situation have failed miserably. As a past guest writer to this publication, I suggested a solution. Hoping to stir interest, I sent a copy to each member of Congress, followed up with a second letter and then a third to members of the veterans committees of each house.

Out of the hundreds of letters I sent, I have received maybe 25 responses, of which perhaps three actually addressed my concerns. It is apparent to me that most of my letters were assigned to low-level employees whose answers were cobbled together by the use of stock paragraphs.

This treatment of veterans confuses me. At the conclusion of my Army service in World War II, a benevolent government paid for me to go to law school. As a practicing attorney I am sure I have paid several times in taxes the amount I would have earned as a non-attorney.

I believe that by mistreating its veterans, this country is failing to utilize one of its greatest resources. If you doubt any of the above, simply make copies of this letter and send them to congresspersons of your choice and see what responses you get.

Here is a bit of poetry of unknown origin which summarizes this mess: “God and the soldier we all adore, in time of trouble and not before, the trouble over and all things righted, God is forgotten and the soldier slighted.” KEN FORRESTER

Maumelle

Unemployment line

Mr. Jeff Long fired the Razorback women’s coach after their first-round loss in the SEC tournament. I hope by the time this letter prints, Long has also fired Mike Anderson.

What has he done in three years for the millions he’s paid? I think to keep him on the job after firing the girls’ coach looks very discriminatory. I’m an ex-Hog fan of over 50 years.

BILL NELSON

Tucker

Waiting for benefits

I risked my life to serve my country 45 years ago. But it seems my country (aka VBA, Veterans Benefits Administration) has bailed out on me.

As a result of the consequences of my service here and in Vietnam, I have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Due to my deteriorating physical condition, I am unable to leave my home and travel even to church or the grocery store. Even though I applied for service-connected benefits over seven years ago, it seems the VBA has dragged its feet, and failed to grant my benefits. Without the benefits, I am unable to get a vehicle in which I can travel.

My elected representatives have been aware of my situation for over six years. I am just another home bound prisoner waiting on the VBA to free me.

ROBERT JINES

Pea Ridge

Makes your hair twirl

Since we are past the most recent comic saga, I feel compelled to join the discussion of cellulose viability.

Since the subject vacillates between tiresome and dubious, I would like to offer the writers to the Voices page some synonyms for the word “curl” that might make the topic less disengaging: spiral, loop, contort, wrinkle, undulate, frizzy, looping, meander, arced, convoluted, twirl and looped.

For now I’m going to get comfortable and loop up with a good book.

BARRY TATE

Houston

Political ads worthless

I would like to second the comments of Jerry Jones regarding the current glut of worthless political ads. I would not want to vote for any politician that thinks anyone with any intelligence would base their voting decision on these mindless attempts to slander their opponent.

KEN QUICK

Benton

Lucky she’s in GOP

In reference to Mr. Scott Vaughn’s letter in which he refers to Condoleezza Rice as a “washed-up political blowhard”: For Mr. Vaughn’s sake, I am glad that Condoleezza Rice is a conservative and is not viewed as a liberal or a Democrat. If she was, I’m sure he would be catching all sorts of flak for making racist and chauvinistic remarks.

DON CLEEK JR.

Arkadelphia

Mere naïve illusions

Crone, hag, witch: just three of the delightful words we use for older women. What do we all call older men? I remember using “silver fox” in jest to refer to my freshman biology professor.

Though the recent “cougar” phenomenon has made it acceptable for younger men to pursue especially sexy middle-aged women, we as a society generally place less value on women as they age and lose their beauty, while men are often seen as gaining value.

Rush Limbaugh asks if America wants to “see” this woman (Hillary Clinton) age in office. Notice the emphasis on how she looks. No one would have asked this about Ronald Reagan. And at 73 he reportedly was starting to lose his memory, a relevant trait to office.

The one question Reagan was asked about his age in a debate against a much-younger Mondale hardly compares to what has already been said about Hillary’s age prior to her even being nominated for office.

Only solipsistic men could fail to understand that society views aging women differently from aging men. Talk about naïve illusions. Your editorial seems to suggest that young women are also not appropriate for office if they have kids, though young men with children are OK, I guess. Pray tell, at what age is a woman acceptable for office, boys?

What can you expect from someone like Paul Greenberg who once referred to research chemist turned British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as a housewife?

KATHY CURTIN

Fayetteville

What election’s about

The election in November is not about who totes their Bible during TV ads, or who served in the military and is entitled to be a senator.

It isn’t even about Sen. Mark Pryor (although he did vote for the Obamacare bill), James Lee Witt, Patrick Henry Hays, or Congressman Tom Cotton. I believe it is about Obamacare, our defunct foreign policy, the reduction of our military to pre-World War II levels, or the possibility that President Barack Obama could appoint a Supreme Court justice.

If you are happy with the way things are and you want Sen. Harry Reid to continue as majority leader and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi to continue as minority leader-then by all means vote for Senator Pryor, Mr. Witt, and Mr. Hays.

RUSS BAILEY

Little Rock

Hillary missed train

I think the coyness of Hillary Clinton in announcing her political aspirations hearkens back to one of what I believe to be the Democratic Party’s basic principles: to tell the public only what you wish them to know and then only when you wish them to know it.

If she is waiting for the most opportune time, well, that train has already departed the station. I think that would have been prior to the congressional Benghazi hearings.

DON SHORT

Farmington