Congress should put nation, not party, first
The United States had an unemployment rate of nearly 10 percent when President Obama first took office. He wanted to start an infrastructure program that would create desperately needed jobs in the construction industry. The Republicans in office at that time fought him. Some because they just did not want to spend the money and add to the national debt and some because they simply would do whatever it took to hinder his presidency.
Eight years later the United States has an unemployment rate of about 4.7 percent and many economists feel we are at full employment. The Jan. 22 Democrat-Gazette reported many contractors in Texas are turning down jobs because they cannot find enough workers to complete the work.
Our new president has promised to build a wall to keep out undocumented workers. Considering that we have such a lack of construction workers, it would appear he will very likely have to use undocumented workers to build a wall to keep out undocumented workers. It looks like we have the makings of an actual Catch 22. It would be funny if it were not so serious.
My bigger concern is that our new president is putting the United States’ reputation at great risk. We have, over the past 70 years and after long and very difficult negotiations, made many agreements with other nations. They have covered many different subjects such as defense, economics and the environment. Now, our new president is threatening to scrap many of these agreements. He says, in many cases, it is to “get a better deal.” In so doing, he is destroying the reputation our country has earned ever since World War II. In the future, nations negotiating with us will have every right to say that we are not a reliable partner. They can say “The United States can change administrations every four years and just look what your country did back in 2017. We cannot depend on the U.S. to honor any agreement it makes beyond the current administration.”
My hope and my prayer is that our representatives and our senators will find the political courage to place their concerns for their fellow human beings and the reputation of the United States of America before their personal political ambitions and their allegiance to their party and their party leaders.
RONALD OLSON
Bella Vista
Newspaper neglected the ‘greater positive truth’
On Thursday, Feb. 2, I was privileged to be in the John Brown University Cathedral with two of my grown children. I was overwhelmed and inspired by the enthusiastic welcome given to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and by the Biblical and unifying message he delivered. To the majority of us attending it was a positive, loving experience.
When I opened up my newspaper the next morning, I was dismayed to read and see where you had placed your focus. Both the headline and picture accompanying a more balanced article put the spotlight on a small protest group. They didn’t agree with Huckabee’s support of our president and surmised from his Twitter messages that he promoted all sorts of cruel, unloving attitudes.
JBU President Chip Pollard and former university president John E. Brown III, in their welcoming introductions, did an excellent job of refuting wrong perceptions by recounting the character, convictions and accomplishments of this remarkable Christian leader.
You have tremendous power as you not only report news, but also influence the effect it will have on your readers. When you so blatantly emphasize the negative to the neglect of a greater positive truth, we all lose the intended blessing.
JOALLEN MOOSE
Siloam Springs