Child’s play

A political alphabet for young readers

A is for Arkansas, that dear old state of ours, where the politicians play all day and the land is filled with flowers.

B is for Bravery, which is needed to stand up against knavery.

C is for Crime, and this seems to be its time.

D is for Delta and Development, which need to go together like a horse and its tether.

E is for Effort, which is a safe bet if a state is to be a success.

F is for Fear, the only thing standing in the way of a state at bay.

G is for the Good and Great, which we must never separate.

H is for Hope, the thing with feathers that never settles.

I is for Intelligence, which should not be confused with belligerence.

J is for Jealousy, an unworthy emotion that always causes a commotion.

K is for Knowledge, even if you never get to college.

L is for Love, which conquers all no matter how tall.

M is for Money, which not only talks but shouts, and never ever pouts.

N is for Normalcy, which Warren G. Harding celebrated but never calibrated.

O is for Open, like all doors in this land of opportunity and not a fit subject for contumely.

P is for Pride, which goeth before a fall however steep the leap.

Q is for Questionable, like our president's income-tax forms no matter how many times he claims they represent the norms.

R is for Race, the unmentionable subject in polite society that invites notoriety.

S is for Sight, which needs to be kept sharp when politicians claim to be just angels playing on their harp.

T is for Taxes, the price of both civilization and its deterioration.

U is for the United States of America, long may it thrive and never take a dive.

V is for Values, Victory and Virtue, none of which should we ever eschew.

W is for Bishop Woosley, the director of the Arkansas Lottery, whose statements almost always makes some of us woozy.

X is for X-Ray Vision, which no one needs to in order to see through some of our politicians' contrition.

Y is for Youth, who at times can be mighty uncouth.

Z is for Zebra, a species admired in Pine Bluff when it isn't proving just one big bluff.

And this concludes our tome with a great big groan.

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Paul Greenberg is the Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer and columnist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

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