Letters

It's for peace of mind

In reference to Larry D. Bintliff's letter, I don't believe that more guns will make me more safe. I believe that one gun will make me more safe if I have it when I need it. I can't see how legally carrying a weapon and driving 80 mph are even remotely connected. I carry a weapon to protect myself and my family against people who couldn't care less about the law. Like almost all permit holders, I have never had to use my weapon and hope I never do. I carry for my peace of mind.

I'm sure you pass by dozens of people every day who have a concealed weapon and you never know it. If you don't like guns, don't carry a gun, but don't demean me for exercising my legal right. To say the NRA is not interested in safety, rights, and people's lives is absolutely ludicrous. That is what they fight for every day. They defend my right to defend myself, and they do an outstanding job.

Many lives have been saved by honest citizens with concealed weapons, and I think many more lives could have been saved if a concealed-carry holder had been present. Contact your legislators if you don't like the law, but don't condemn honest citizens for exercising their legal rights.

FRANK COLLINS

Paragould

Democracy's assault

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge was interviewed on CNN discussing the latest information in regards to James Comey and President Trump. While agreeing with Trump's reasons for firing Comey, she was asked her opinion of James Clapper's statement that our democratic institutions were under assault, and she disagreed.

Really? James Clapper--U.S. Air Force, 1963-1995, Lieutenant General; Director of National Intelligence, 2010-2017; Under Secretary Of Defense for Intelligence 2007-2010; National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, 2001-2006; Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency 1991-1995; Vietnam War, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars, two Air Medals and a long list of medals and awards.

Party over country, Ms. Rutledge?

EDITH SEAMAN

Lakeview

Can't prove lie's truth

The Trump-Russian collusion investigations remind me of the old drunk on a cold night who was being watched looking around a streetlight. Finally the watchful man went out and asked the drunk what he was searching for, and the drunk said "my pocket watch."

After about a hour the watchful man asked the drunk, "are you sure you lost it here?"

"Oh, no, I lost it in that dark alley, but the light here is much better."

Is that not what's going on? Seems to me the investigations are not looking where the crimes are and where the evidence is, but where crimes would fit their political agendas.

FLOYD HOPSON

Hazen

Obama's real legacy

Those who would bemoan a Trump presidency might do well to consult their mirror. Absent the assault upon the American way of life under the Obama administration a Trump presidency could never have been possible. Furthermore, the utter repudiation of the last eight years surpasses Trump's victory with record numbers of non-Democrat governors and legislators elected nationwide.

I believe being blindsided by record debt, lawlessness, racial divide, disregard for the unborn, and a failed health-care system only affordable to those who don't pay has left Main Street America dazed, confused, and disenfranchised. Hardworking, God-fearing, taxpaying Americans have seen the enemy and it isn't us. For better or for worse, Trump's presidency is Obama's legacy.

KIM GARTMAN

Sheridan

A deplorable sighting

I came face-to-face with a deplorable recently, an old man checking out at the doctor's office ahead of me. He quizzed the clerk, who had dark skin, about her ethnicity. She looked him in the eyes and firmly said his inquiry was not appropriate, then completed his paperwork and said have a nice day.

It is inappropriate to say which one is a real, or better, American. But I choose her. I told her that man was who elected our president. She smiled but did not comment.

Based on what I hear and read, many Trump voters are having buyer's remorse. A lot of politicians and business leaders say they just voted for the Republican agenda of tax cuts and deregulation. They would be happy to be done with Trump and get on with the tax- and regulation-cutting in Congress.

Maybe so. It seems rich people who believe the role of government is to help them get richer are the heart and soul of the Republican Party. No apologies necessary.

But the otherwise virtuous rich also helped energize the anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, homophobic, fear and hate-mongering, pseudo-Christian core of the fetid right wing which appears to be the guts of today's Republican Party.

I imagine a few right-wingers now claim they didn't really like Trump, they just voted against Crooked (Lock her up!) Hillary, which helps prove my point.

The virtuous rich did a masterful job of selling the patented Republican Big Lie about their opponent, reportedly with a little help from Russia.

HOWELL MEDDERS

Fayetteville

Of speed and comfort

Larry Bintliff's letter implies that raising the speed limit will result in a corresponding increase in the speed of those exceeding it. This is incorrect.

The reality is most people will drive a speed they are comfortable with, regardless of posted speeds. Speed studies have shown that raising the speed limits did not result in an overall increase in speed. The law passed to raise speed limits in Arkansas directs the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department to conduct speed studies to determine if the limit can be raised. Typically, the 85th percentile rule governs such changes. The speed limit will be set according to the speed at or below which 85 percent of vehicles are driving under free-flowing conditions.

It's not necessarily speed that kills, it's inappropriate speed that kills.

Driving too fast for conditions (weather, traffic, roadway design), or vehicle and driver capabilities are where most people get in trouble. Many such crashes happen far below interstate highway speeds. For those, an increase in the interstate speed will not matter.

There will always be some lunatic going 95 mph regardless of the posted speed; changed speed limits will not change their behavior. What they will do is reflect the speed most motorists feel is a safe speed for the highway. Interstate highways are designed and built for safe travel at a relatively high speed. Posted limits should reflect the engineering and construction that makes such speeds reasonable.

THOMAS A. BECKETT

Siloam Springs

Editorial on 05/22/2017

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