Could use the advice
As primary voting starts, I'm mystified how anyone can think it's a good idea to vote for Donald Trump. I agree with recent letter-writer Gail Shields (Feb. 19), who referred to him in terms of the Emperor's New Clothes.
He's a mess. He's disrespected women, the disabled and all military members. As a woman and a retired Army soldier, I fall into two of those categories. His legal problems seem endless, and as the saying goes, where there's smoke, there's fire. If even only a portion of the allegations against him are true, his lack of morals and personal and business ethics, talk of revenge, and the need to put his own interests first make him the last person I want to lead our country.
I'm reminded of the good life advice my young son heard from his principal when he got in trouble in school. He told him to stop and think, and if he wouldn't want to explain something he did to his mom (me), then maybe he shouldn't do it. Donny could have used that advice. His poor mother is probably spinning in her grave.
JOYCE WILLIAMS
North Little Rock
Paying for education
My husband and I are so grateful for all the donations to the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids (PIAK) scholarship, and we were really delighted to hear that it has grown this year and can help more students like our great-granddaughter Angelina.
She has had some turbulence in her young life, and for that reason we are very protective. We not only provide care for her in a safe, loving environment in our home, we also want her to be safe and loved at school.
Last year, as she entered fifth grade, it was very important for us and for her to find a place where she could have her spiritual needs met along with her educational needs. Too often these days people have nothing to fall back on, but we wanted to ensure that she found that in God.
Now in her second year at Immaculate Conception, she's not only excited to have made new friends and joined choir last year, she tells us when a priest comes to visit with the class and what she learns from him, growing in her faith as she approaches confirmation.
I've worked to instill the importance of education in her, and I believe she's taken that to heart and is putting education first, making plans for her future at Mount St. Mary Academy. I tell her, "God willing, we'll see"--and remind her to keep her grades up.
Simply put, as financial providers for her, we could not afford these blessings for her without the assistance of this scholarship, which you've helped make possible.
Education is so vital. You cannot do anything in life without an education. To those who contribute to and prioritize education, particularly for others, God bless you, and thank you so much.
JO ROTH
Sherwood
Surely unintended ...
If frozen IVF embryos are now children, can we deduct them as dependents on our income taxes?
HOWARD GARRISON
Hot Springs Village
Arkansas musicians
I listen for "Arkansongs" every weekend morning. I add my thanks here to Stephen Koch (and team) for his wisdom, taste in music, and energy in searching through history for Arkansas musicians and their stories.
ROSLYN KNUTSON
Little Rock
This isn't our America
Donald Trump promises to make America great again, apparently by attacking the media, judiciary, intelligence agencies, science, and other democratic institutions. This will undermine public trust in these crucial pillars of democracy, and weakens the foundation of democracy itself.
By exploiting cultural, racial, and socioeconomic divides for political gain, Trump deepens existing rifts and fosters an environment of hostility and animosity. This creates a deeply divided society that is less capable of functioning effectively as a democracy.
Trump has propagated baseless claims of widespread voter fraud and sought to undermine confidence in the electoral process. Such rhetoric undermines the legitimacy of elections and weakens the democratic principle of peaceful transfer of power. Efforts to restrict voting rights under the guise of combating fraud also threaten the electoral system.
The MAGA universe has contributed to the normalization of disinformation, conspiracy theories, and "post-truth" politics, where objective facts are often dismissed in favor of partisan narratives, misinformation and "alternative facts." This erosion of truth and factual discourse undermines the public's ability to make informed decisions and weakens the credibility of democratic institutions.
Trump's behavior and rhetoric has set a precedent that undermines the values of accountability, transparency, and respect for the rule of law. He often displays authoritarian tendencies, such as his admiration for strongman leaders like Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-Un. These tendencies can pave the way for the concentration of power in the hands of a single leader or ruling party.
This is Trumpism. It represents a significant challenge to our democracy by undermining 250 years of democratic norms, institutions, and principles, and fostering polarization, division, and distrust within society.
Many Republican politicians and evangelical Christians embrace Trump's brand of populist nationalism, but I fail to see when America ever represented these values, and I fail to see how these values will ever make America great.
RICK ARMELLINI
Eureka Springs
Enraged, deranged
Donald Trump is an enraged, deranged orangutan in the present political jungle!
JIM RULE
Maumelle