Progressives mislead,
beat up conservatives
Every day, it seems, I read progressive letters that use misleading and false information as an excuse to bash conservatives. Some examples:
The left accuses the right of banning history in schools. History is and will always be taught in our Arkansas schools, just not the false revisionist version that progressives like to deceive us with.
The right is accused of being transphobic because we don't think children are capable of making life-altering decisions about their bodies.
Progressives say conservatives are heartless haters of the poor because we think there should be standards when applying for and receiving Medicaid. Should we rather just approve anyone who wants Medicaid with no qualifying requirements?
The left wants abortion legal at any stage of pregnancy and accuses the right of misogyny to oppose anything less. It's not about a women's right to do what she wants with her body; it's another person's body growing within her that is the issue.
If truth were a left-wing value, there would be no left wing.
Michael Toppen
Bella Vista
Like nature? Make
your yard a "park"
One of my favorite pastimes is to be out in nature. I like to look at birds, caterpillars, butterflies, squirrels, all kinds of animals, flowers, fall colors, winter branches. I like to hear birds singing. Smell the earth after a rain. Nature is a source of great joy for me. Many others also feel this way. Children especially need to have time in nature. An occasional trip to a park is not enough. Our children are missing out!
We have the power to invite nature into our day-to-day lives. It is fun to garden, but not all of us are gifted gardeners. If you plant native trees, shrubs, flowers in your yard, you will be doing great good for yourself, your children and wildlife. If for you that would be an overwhelming job, not all is lost. An easy and fun experiment is to let some part of your yard go wild. Choose a private spot and just stop mowing. (You can retain a neat appearance by mowing the circumference.) See what happens. Take notes, draw pictures. This is a wonderful project for children.
At first there may not be much. Be patient. Interesting plants will begin to appear. The more patient you are, the more time you allow, the more interesting the plants will be. (You can smooth the way by pulling invasive grasses and plants.) Animals will follow the plants. See what animals show up in spring. Birds and butterflies are easiest to see. Watch succession unfold.
Whether you leave it wild, or prefer manicured, by making room for native plants, you will be inviting nature into your life. If your neighbors do the same, before long, you will be living in a park-like neighborhood. People pay lots of money to live near parks. It is possible for all of us to live surrounded by "parks," and share richer, more enjoyable lives with our families, friends and nature's many lovely, amazing creatures.
Joanie Patterson
Eureka Springs