Odom has integrity, has served his community
I have known Conrad Odom his whole life and have been so happy to see him serve Fayetteville as a member of the Fayetteville City Board, the Fayetteville School Board and now as a Boy Scout leader for our youngest grandson. He has integrity and an abiding interest in children and he is also an experienced mediator.
Let’s have him use his skills to serve the children, teens and parents as a juvenile judge for Washington County.
MORRISS HENRY
Fayetteville
The numbers aren’t good on nation’s covid-19 front
Here is the latest covid-19 scorecard:
Covid-19 deaths as of Saturday, Oct. 24: 224,537. That’s equivalent to:
• Two times the U.S. deaths in World War I.
• Half the U.S. deaths in World War II.
• Four times the U.S. deaths in the Korean War.
• Four times the U.S. deaths in the Vietnam War.
• One times the U.S. deaths from the Spanish flu in 1918.
• 75 times the U.S. deaths from 9/11.
• 93 times the U.S. deaths at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
And we’re only halfway into the first year.
PETER TOOKER
Fayetteville
Feeling the power of casting a ballot
I felt powerful when I voted, like a rebel. I felt like a boss firing an employee who has severely damaged what I have worked to build. I felt like a responsible citizen who is gravely worried about the future of my country.
I voted. And then I cried.
MARIANNE BEASLEY
Fayetteville
‘Least of these’ should matter in casting ballot
Every two years we are told that the upcoming election is the most important of our lifetime. I do not think anyone doubts that the election in November is among the most consequential in American history. What we have to decide, though, is who we are placing first as we cast our votes.
I am a person of faith. I was raised in rural Arkansas and grew up going to church on Sundays before setting my own course in the Christian faith. As I have studied the Bible, in its many translations, the one thing that has always resonated with me is the charge to take care of those who have been cast out by society or left to fend for themselves. It’s stated fairly simply in the Gospel of Matthew: “’Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
When you go to vote this year, please think of those who are the least of our brothers and sisters. Think about the student in our public schools who does not know when they’ll eat their next meal. Think about the child, brought here seeking refuge from war or drugs or famine, and who has been left behind by our awful immigration system. Think about the thousands who have been thrown away into our jails because of addiction. Think about the friends and family members who have been disowned and lost all hope because of who they love. Think about the veterans who are fighting their own battles long after they’ve come home from war. None of these are people for whom the answer is more walls, fewer social programs or heightened division.
We can center the least among us in our politics. We must only ask ourselves which of the choices on our ballot will do the most good for the most people. This year, I think those choices are clearer and more important than ever.
WILL WATSON
Fayetteville
Ice storm, years since earn vote for Jordan
I support the campaign to re-elect Lioneld Jordan as Fayetteville’s mayor.
Mayor Jordan is deliberate, thoughtful and open to the ideas of others. He has guided Fayetteville with a soft hand, appropriate for a town like ours boasting an engaged and committed citizenry.
Candidly, Lioneld did not have my support when he first sought to be mayor. But he demonstrated his mettle the first month on the job, as he led us through the catastrophic ice storm of 2009, and ever since he has impressed with his steadfastness and dedication to our beloved city and its people.
I urge anyone reading this to vote. And, I encourage everyone who can to vote to re-elect Mayor Lioneld Jordan.
VINCENT CHADICK
Fayetteville
In 2020, U.S. doesn’t have real Republicans
Since there are no Republican or Democratic parties left in the USA — their principles abrogated — we can still address common sense.
Lady Liberty stands as the beacon to the world: How are we doing?
Steve Bannon, a nihilist, advocates abolishing a democratic republic. Stephen Miller, white supremacist, appears to advocate only whites should be new citizens. Thirteen-year-old little Lord Fauntleroy twits his way through the decisions for a country.
Tom Cotton, who I hesitate to call an actual U.S. senator, is campaigning on rhetoric, not action. Eleven years the red party has advocated a new health plan, better immigration policy, lower drug prices — no plan. He has allowed NATO, WHO and Asian alliances to be markedly impacted. Tom’s reticence to be a real senator has cost thousands of citizens their virus lives. He allowed Fauntleroy to impose tariffs costing farmers millions, then pretended to befriend and bail them out three times. Tom stood by while the White House took babies and children and left them to die in cages.
French Hill and Steve Womack are no better. Big talkers, little doers.
Then the red party took the lady’s torch and set her on fire with it.
As they say back home: How do you stop a dog from suckin’ eggs? Put cayenne pepper in a couple and set them out.
My family has been Republican since 1854 and Sen. Everett Dirksen of Illinois was my political godfather. Once upon a time there were real Republicans and senators.
BUD HANKS
Fayetteville
Lies are out there, but they’re about Trump
The question is, how smart are the American people? Maybe smart isn’t the correct word, but it appears we are being played as being gullable, naive or just plain stupid?
Trump has, according to the Washington Post, lied more than 20,000 times, right? Is that humanly possible? Did you ever notice that people will accuse you of something to hide the fact that they are doing the same thing? Let’s look at a few of the Dem’s talking points.
The suggestion that Trump’s remarks about Charlottesville did not deny white supremacy has been debunked and even CNN conceded that, yet Biden still touts the KKK coming out of the woods with their “veins bulging.” That’s not true, yet the press refuses to take “yes” for an answer. And incidently, the Proud Boys have members of many races; it is not a white supremacist group.
Joe Biden stood flat footed and proclaimed that not one life should have been lost to covid and apparently would not have been if he would have been in charge. He also said the American people didn’t have the right to know if he would pack the Supreme Court. Really?
He said he would ban fracking and now denies it: Is that a lie?
The press is left leaning: Most of President Trump’s press has been negative. Compare that to President Obama’s press. Are people that blind?
While editorial page editor Greg Harton tries to keep Northwest Arkansas letters fact checked, the statewide letters are wide open to any lie you want to tell against the president of the United States: No statement is too false. Just look at the letters published. I have emailed my concerns to Voices Page editor Brenda Looper; no response and the lies continue.
If you would notice, while the hate letters on our president are many, it is extremely rare that Biden is even mentioned, much less praised. Why not? List his many accomplishments in 47 years. We’re waiting.
Should we vote for a candidate because we think he will get the job done, or just because we hate his opponent? So the questions remains: Are the American people stupid enough to believe all the lies? Perhaps we will find out during November sometime.
G.W. WEEKS
Centerton