Voter apathy
I'm wondering how many of the people complaining about LGBT rights, city over state and federal rights, and most important, women's rights, took the time to vote in the last election. Apathy is a wonderful thing if you're on the winning end, but if your party loses because you didn't take the time to vote, then you need to shut up or start now to make sure your vote, not just your mouth, is heard in the next election. We are not a Christian state or country. We are a country of many beliefs, only one of which is Christian.
FRAN MONTGOMERY
North Little Rock
Puzzle print
Thanks to Susan Butler, I now know it's not my aging eyes (or my glasses) that give me such a problem with the New York Times crossword--it's the tiny size of the puzzle. I do all three puzzles in the Sunday paper, and the New York Times puzzle gives me a headache. I consistently put answers in wrong-numbered spaces because I can't read the numbers. I've been tempted to get a pair of those magnifying glasses "As Seen on TV," just to do that one puzzle. C'mon. A large percentage of people who do those puzzles are folks of a certain age. Have a heart.
ANN KABANUCK
Springdale
Too-loud soundtrack
The TV movies and programs have music so loud on some of them that you cannot hear what the people are saying. Why is this? Don't they want us to hear what is being said?
JESSIE REED ODOM
Conway
Paper delivery
I want to praise our newspaper delivery person Pat Koenig for delivering our newspaper on Sunday, March 1st. With the roads so snow covered and many businesses closed, I was happy and surprised to see that the paper was delivered.
MADELYN SPILLER
Rogers
Museums need visitors
The brass at the Arkansas Arts Center may be right that they need more room, but the arts center and other Little Rock area museums have a bigger problem: public apathy.
The only time they have much of a crowd is at special events, such as the monthly 2nd Friday Art Night and the Museum of Discovery's $1 admission on the first Sunday of the month. I don't know about during the week, but on the weekend attendance seems very sparse.
The main problem is permanent exhibits that never change, are boring and don't have a tie to current events. Plus they have temporary exhibits that hang around more than three or four months. Does the arts center really have to keep boring Paul Signac artwork up for nearly a year?
The Old Statehouse Museum's exhibit on famous Arkansans in Hollywood has been around for 15 months. The Indian and knife exhibits at Historic Arkansas Museum have never been changed.
When they don't have anything new, the only way they get people to come to the museums is for things like free beer, free wine, music and snacks at the 2nd Friday art nights.
The leaders of the arts center and museums need to realize frequent changes and special events, even co-sponsoring 5K races and fund-raisers, are needed to keep people interested in what they offer.
And the state needs a museum of contemporary Arkansas and U.S. cultural history since World War II, along with the museums and arts center sharing their exhibits temporarily around the state. Why should North Little Rock's Laman Library pay to put on an out-of-state exhibit for 60 to 90 days when local museums have exhibits in storage?
KEITH WEBER
Jacksonville
Could be red herring
The Pentagon announces in detail its plans to attack ISIS. The military experts of the Senate go ballistic in their denunciation of the Pentagon's behavior. Do Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham not realize that saying you are going to do something and actually doing it are not the same thing?
It seems like the Allies in World War II spent a considerable amount of effort and treasure to convince the Germans that the invasion of France was planned for well north of the actual plan. Did it occur to the senators or the many media pundits that maybe the Pentagon pursued the same strategy here?
The Pentagon may have caused ISIS to spend some resources in preparation, just in case. But since the announcement may be a red herring, ISIS learned nothing. Looks like a win-win announcement.
Am I missing something here?
LEN WHITE
Fayetteville
Football makes sense
Every NCAA Division One school needs to have a football program. By having a football program, the school brings in more revenue, not only for the program but for other sports and for the school as a whole.
Everyone loves football, and by having a football team, the student body will have more spirit. This spirit will spread throughout the school and the city where the school is located. I know of many people who have made the comment, "Football is what brings the spirit to campus."
Although having a college football team is expensive, the program brings in a huge amount of money, the enrollment for the school is higher, and the school spirit and support--not only for football, but for other sports too--will be greater. And here in Arkansas, the U of A would have more in state competition. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock needs a football program.
BREANNE ILKUF
Little Rock
Editorial on 03/03/2015