Letters to the editor

Panhandlers are manipulating people

Has anyone noticed the number of panhandlers standing on corners?

I noticed a huge increase right before Christmas last year. It seemed like there was one on every corner. Though their numbers have decreased a little, I still see one or two as I travel from Springdale to Fayetteville every day.

I don't feel compelled to give them any money to ease my conscience. Instead, I have come to resent their presence. The reason is because reports by the news media show many of them are not poor or homeless, but make good incomes off the goodness of others. They stand on corners with their signs asking for handouts. They take advantage of the compassion of others with signs that say homeless, will work for food, stranded, hungry, have a wife, and sometimes they have a dog sitting next to them. Then at the bottom of their sign it says, "God Bless You."

Am I my brothers' keeper? Yes, I believe I am, but these manipulators make it difficult to give to those who are truly in need. I have been stopped crossing Wal-Mart parking lots, filling my tank at gas stations and walking down streets. Many times I strike up conversations with panhandlers to learn that they don't want the gas or food they are asking for, but cash. I have said "Follow me over to the gas station at the end of the parking lot and I'll get you some gas." They say OK, then don't show up at the pump.

Some have said they are traveling across the country with family and ran out of money and are stranded. What responsible person goes from point A to point B with a family without enough resources to get them there? I wouldn't dream of doing this to my family or expect others to pay my way. While pumping gas one time, a panhandler came up to me asking for gas money. I told him to bring his car over and I would get him some gas. I filled his tank and afterwards he asked if I had a twenty for some food. I replied that he would have to get that from someone else.

What has happened to self-respect and character? Why do some think they can take advantage of the goodness of others? The current unemployment rate in Arkansas is about 5.7 percent. In Fayetteville and Springdale, it's 3.8 percent. In Northwest Arkansas there are jobs available for those who want to work them. I certainly would take a job to feed my family and provide shelter for them before begging on a street corner.

Recently in the news, Fort Smith is looking at putting in place city ordinances that will prevent panhandlers from standing near busy intersections and street corners. Perhaps it's time Northwest Arkansas did the same.

Terry Stewart

Springdale

Voter identification needed to protect elections

I have to disagree with your editorial position on the voter identification amendment. We need this and have for many years. If everybody was honest, maybe we would not need it, but as you know there are many who are not.

I served on the Benton County Quorum Court for three terms from 1993 through 1998. In my first term, the Clintons got this thing called "motor voter registration" through Congress. The gist of the act was you could register at the revenue office. Our county clerk was explaining how this worked and I asked her "How are you going to be sure they are citizens?" She answered that a part of the new laws says they can't be asked if they are citizens. This is the reason people are voting when they are not citizens.

Today, I had the car serviced and guess what I had to show before they would take my check: my driver's license. The only folks who don't want people to show IDs are Democrats and folks like the rest of us have no problem showing IDs. This idea that people are trying to hold down the poor folks from voting is pure hog wash. I have heard this for years and I'm sick to death of bull like this.

I also have had the newspaper for close to 50 years and any more I know the names of the folks in the letters to the editor that I know not to waste my time reading. When I see the name, I know where they stand on a subject.

J.R. Moser

Cave Springs

Commentary on 02/26/2017

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