Commentators miss mark on two Olympians
I find two errors, or lack of the full story, in two of your wire copies on the last page of the Tuesday Sports pages.
First, in the Mark Purdy commentary, his total omission of the story of the super Olympian Michael Phelps is poor. Michael is without a doubt in my opinion the greatest athlete of the modern era. He went zooming by a 2,168-year-old record that I doubt will be beaten by anyone alive today. In keeping with column's theme, I'd award Phelps the Diamond Duct Tape. On a side note, it was Phelps who inspired Katie Ledecky.
Second, the New York Times' commentary called Usain Bolt the "greatest of all time." That's a laugh. True, he is the fastest of the last three Olympics. But his persona off the track is faster than his feet. I would have you consider Jesse Owens. He beat all of the competition using primitive equipment, running on cinder/sand tracks and running against handheld stopwatches. I think Jesse should be a national idol for the persecution he withstood at the 1936 Olympics. I would challenge Usain to wear the same equipment as Owens and race under the same conditions. I don't think he would be as fast. And finally, Jesse's persona off the track would leave Usain in his dust.
David Vining
Springdale
Who's looking out for those of limited means?
The July 12 letter by Glannis Mason of Fayetteville ["Social Security 'raise' not enough to live on"] is 100 percent correct. Not mentioned was government excessive spending, politicians and such obtaining raises, and others on that money wagon. Some of us were born with common metal spoons in our mouths and they are starting to rust. Those with very low income and others as well are living on very hard times.
But once in a while, we get a 1 to 3 percent raise on Social Security. Ha! Just enough to put down on a Lexus.
The government spends millions to help and rebuild lives overseas, but what about us, the very people who are born, lived and died for our government? As Glannis, I do believe the "higher" people are letting us out on the streets to die due to the obvious higher costs of living. When we die, are we assuming the funds we were to receive are now in other officials' pockets for golf and other travel?
Will someone stand up for us?
Charles E. James
Siloam Springs
Newspaper needs
to be more fair, balanced
Count me in with Don Landrum of Fayetteville calling attention to your outrageous editorial content of Thursday, Aug. 18. This example was only the latest of constant pounding of the Republican nominee and soft-pedaling of the Democrat nominee's many problems.
Do you realize you must be offending at least half of your readers with the relentless criticism of everything Trump and, in turn, only gauzy and sympathetic portraits of Hillary and her family?
Unfortunately, the biased coverage is not limited to the editorial page. Your news coverage is often tainted with a slant and even a bit of snarkiness -- no doubt the result of your news sourcing from the New York Times, the Washington Post and Bloomberg News. Those organizations are widely known to be very liberal and wildly anti-Trump and usually anti-Republican Party.
Please introduce more fairness and intellectual honest in your pages as the election season progresses. Presently, there is a vindictiveness in your content that is unseemly and offensive and needs to be cleaned up if you are to retain any
credibility.
Susan Ferraro
Bella Vista
Commentary on 08/27/2016