The gift you're given
If there ever was a need for peace and brotherhood, by way of celebrating Christmas and its promise, this is the year. With turmoil around the globe, the threat of impending conflict and a general malaise in our country, 2017 is a year to remember, in a less than desirable sense.
I urge all to celebrate the season with nostalgia, by way of memory. Many of us can remember our childhood and what Christmas meant to us. Let us celebrate that feeling again. If there is a person you have had words with, be the first to make peace, and I guarantee you will feel better.
The true meaning of Christmas does not exist in your getting the gift you so desperately wanted, but rather the gift you already have been given, that of the Christ child. Even if you are not a believer, and I have known a few, you must certainly grasp the concept of peace and good will to all. If there is anything the United States is known for, it is the acceptance of all nationalities, gifts to the needy, and a place for everyone, especially at this time of the year.
Accept the gifts you have, which, when you consider them, are many. The greatest of these gifts is life itself and in that, you have been blessed. God put you here on earth for a purpose, and part of that purpose is to pass along the gift of good will toward others. Merry Christmas!
GEORGE WILKEN
Little Rock
What I want this year
My Christmas wishes: 1. That we could have government dedicated to the betterment of life for all our citizens. 2. That party and gaining political power would become a secondary consideration in all things. 3. That Americans would consider truth and fact-finding as necessary before spreading lies to support their "gut feelings" and anger through willful ignorance. 4. That we could find men of great integrity and morals to serve as models at all levels of government. 5. That people, religious or not, could learn to respect one another and not to confer on others who think differently as being without morals or reason. 6. That we could agree that everyone does not need extra-large magazines and bump stocks for their guns. 7. That we were more empathetic and caring of others. 8. and on and on and on ...
JACK ARNOLD
Mountain Home
Pickup service unruly
I will no longer be grocery shopping at Wal-Mart. I am moving my grocery needs to Harps or somewhere else because the "pickup" service is out of control.
I love to shop for food. I consider myself somewhat of a "foodie," but nowadays, I can't get through the store due to the pickup shopping carts. What used to take me 30 minutes or so now takes me an hour-plus. I can't get down an aisle without being delayed by three or more Wal-Mart employees filling pickup carts. I want to see, pick up, and smell my produce. I can no longer do that as the minions are everywhere for lazy people who don't want to walk through the store.
Also, most of my grocery shopping is on the weekends as I work through the week. If I want to purchase any alcohol products, I'm held up another 10-plus minutes because Wal-Mart has high school kids at the registers who have to "signal" for an adult who is already overwhelmed doing the same thing for every other checker, and come finish the transaction. I'm all for the convenience of pickup service if that's what someone needs, but it has taken over the stores and makes it too stressful to shop there, kind of like "Black Friday" every trip.
Wal-Mart should consider having designated "pickup" units other than the regular stores for this service. Wal-Mart needs to remember that the people walking through the door and shopping are the people who put them where they are today, and most of us who cook want to be able to move freely and shop through the store. You can fulfill both needs, just not in the same location at the same time as it is now. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that feels this way.
BILL THOMPSON
Springdale
Learn place in history
During this Christmas time, Christians need to learn their place in history. God gave his only begotten son so those that had forgotten God may come to know him. The Ten Commandments have nothing to do with Christianity. They are Old Testament. They are commandments given to Moses. They are commandments given to a specific people. I am Roman. As a Roman I go by the teaching and examples of Jesus Christ. By Roman I mean people of the Roman Empire. Those that forgot God.
Placing the Ten Commandments on the Capitol grounds will not get anyone any closer to God. Nor is it of Christian teaching. Jason Rapert to my knowledge is not a Jew. He needs to learn his place in history.
BARRY EMIGH
Hot Springs
Taking a step too far
I thought I had heard it all, but the Republican Congress trying to discredit and demonize Bob Mueller and his investigation on Russia's interference in the 2016 election is a step too far.
Mueller is a Republican and a patriot. He was an officer in the Marines and, in Vietnam, led a rifle platoon. He was head of the FBI for 12 years, appointed by a Republican (George W. Bush).
I believe his investigation is apolitical, totally fact-driven and anyone that has a problem with his investigation is apparently scared of the facts.
HOWDY FRISBY
North Little Rock
Editorial on 12/20/2017