Letters

Pilgrims in our nation

Pilgrim: a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons. This succinct definition of the word pilgrim makes one wonder if our president ever looks at a dictionary to see what a word means. Comments about the Syrian refugees being "pilgrims" doesn't wash.

Are they perhaps going to be welcomed with open arms to come here and promote their Muslim beliefs? It seems anything that embraces Christianity is constantly under attack. What gives?

We might also wish to see what our beloved "pilgrims" accomplished. They took land from the Indians, extorted and then murdered them. I believe some of the pilgrim descendants were slave traders, segregationists, and treated African people shabbily for a few hundred years. So, can we look forward to this new wave of "pilgrims" following these examples with the Christians as they strive to create Mecca West?

We still have the porous southern borders awash with illegals crossing over. How come the president doesn't call them "pilgrims?"

He promised to change America when he ascended to the presidency and it is working well. I feel less safe every year because of his feckless policies and executive orders. I wonder what he calls people who come here legally and follow the rules. It tries one's patience with the continuing bombardment of unadulterated drivel. I suppose I am part of the problem since the manifest on the early pilgrim ships had some Spencers aboard.

As for the word "pilgrim," John Wayne had a way of using it effectively.

ROBERT A. SPENCER

North Little Rock

Braver than we think

Land of the free, home of the brave? Not so much, if you are Asa Hutchinson, Mike Masterson or about any Republican facing the Syrian refugee crisis. This was the same fearmongering that kept the U.S. from accepting German Jews coming to America in the late 1930s when Hitler was willing to let them go.

I think we should be more afraid of American terrorists who killed moviegoers in Colorado, kids in Connecticut and a Bible study group in South Carolina.

We are a braver, stronger country than many believe. Let's show ISIS we can protect at least some of these refugees of terror.

ED PARKS

Rogers

Boots on the ground

Fareed Zacharia said that ISIS loves the Fox network because they keep advocating American boots on the ground. Their ground, under their conditions. Some fighting with Amer

ican weapons.

Some of us believe that if we do put more soldiers in Syria and Iraq, they will be slaughtered, and the real idiots responsible for ISIS are the Bush-Cheney team, the former Shia president of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki, and the man who laid off Saddam's soldiers.

Now they have purpose, money and guns.

STEVE WHEELER

North Little Rock

Choices in how to die

I sincerely believe that all death-row inmates deserve a choice in how they will die. They should be given the choice of the electric chair, hanging, a firing squad, the gas chamber or lethal drugs. If they refuse all of the above, the governor should then determine which of the five would be used. There should be no legal appeal, and one thing is certain--they will die.

These clowns make a mockery of our judicial system, which doesn't seems too hard to do. One question: Did they give their victims a choice? Enough is enough.

JOE RUPP

Hot Springs Village

Civil, compassionate

There is much discussion and controversy over whether to allow Syrian refugees to relocate in the United States. After reading the steps involved in the vetting process at whitehouse.gov, I am convinced that the process is incredibly thorough and individuals and families should be admitted.

The vetting process begins when a refugee reports to the United Nations Refugee Agency in the country where he/she currently is. Here identifying documents are collected and an initial assessment is made. Biometric iris scans are done, and an interview performed. If a refugee passes this stage, the application moves forward. Applicants are then received by the Refugee Support Center where further documents are collected and security checks conducted. The Department of Homeland Security performs an enhanced review of Syrian cases. Fingerprints are screened against databases in the U.S. and other countries. If not already halted, this is the end for cases with any security concerns. Next comes a medical assessment and cultural orientation and finally resettlement locations are determined. Travel is then booked to the U.S. On arrival each person is then screened by U.S. Customs.

Finally the refugee must apply for a green card within one year and is once again put through another security check. The entire process takes between one and two years to complete.

Let us not repeat earlier mistakes made by our country such as when 120,000 Japanese Americans were put in relocation centers, or when 900 Jews were denied entry in 1939. Let us not allow ignorance and bigotry to cloud our decisions. Nearly half of the population of Syria is currently displaced. They want what we want--a safe shelter where they can live and raise their children. Let us all be civil and compassionate and welcome Syrian refugees to our nation.

PATRICIA PHILLIPS

Little Rock

Manage time better

I don't blame the coach for going for a field goal instead of a touchdown in the last minute of the MSU game. A field-goal attempt is a high percentage play and successful most of the time.

I do blame the coach for lousy clock management. If Arkansas had three timeouts instead of two, it could have forced MSU to punt from its own end zone after the quarterback had taken a knee three times. We would have got the ball on the MSU side of the field with about 25 seconds left in the game; one 20-yard completion and we would have been in field-goal range again. It is absolutely essential to save your timeouts until the final minute in a close game.

The New York Giants have lost two games this year because of poor clock management, once to the Cowboys and once to the Patriots.

GARY LEMON

Cabot

Extremism all around

With all the extremism in the world, I have come to the conclusion that religion is an STD--a Sect-ually Transmitted Delusion.

If offense is taken ...

SALLYE MARTIN

Fayetteville

Editorial on 11/28/2015

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