LETTERS
Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Editorial/225610/
EU may herald U. S. future
In the summer of 1948, I went to London, England, to teach for a year. In the boarding house where I lived was a young man of about 25 from Australia who was making weekly trips to Brussels, Belgium.
Since I couldn’t imagine why he was doing that, I asked him about it. He told me he was working on the Common Market. Common Market ? I had never heard of it. He explained that it was a way of increasing business among the various countries of Europe.
I never heard of it again until it made the news in the late 1950 s, and since then it has developed into the European Union, which controls the people of most Europeans countries from the top down. It took about 50 years to develop the EU. Now we have the same thing being developed in the Western world. It is expected to be accomplished more quickly over here. In the mid-1990 s, Bill Clinton signed a bill promoting the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has [led to ] the Security and Prosperity Partnership for North America.... The above are a part of the plan by socialists to eventually control the whole world, causing us to lose our jobs. There will be no more free enterprise. Will we let it happen ?
MARGARET BROGLEY / Van Buren
Congress aids economy
With the exception of C-SPAN, PBS and a few others, our on-screen media tend to focus on a profit-driven flavor of the week or the latest sex scandal, cyclone or earthquake. If we are concerned about the economy, we have to filter continual barrages of statistics spun to serve the agenda of the spinner.
My take is that the U. S. economy is in bad shape. Fortunately, Congress is working heroically to rescue us from chaos. Trouble is, it is working on the back side of the wave.
To glimpse the congressional role, consider the ongoing struggles between Boeing and Northrop / EADS. These giant military contractors and their surrogates are at war with each other. Their dispute: whether to confirm or revoke the $ 40 billion Air Force super-tanker contract. Never mind how we’ll fuel, fill and fly the massive fleet. Each team has prominent congressional sponsors. Each will create large numbers of exceptionally well-paid jobs over the next several decades. Sprinkling and slathering these jobs across the landscape is only one example of the way Congress props up the economies of their 435 districts. Such jobs are prime ammunition used by congressmen to demonstrate their worthiness for reelection every two years. Multiply this example by dozens to appreciate even a bit of the taxpayer money that underpins and lubricates the national economy. Did someone mention smaller government ? Did anyone speak of stamping out lobbyists ? Earmarks ? Does the U. S. relish global competition ? Do we have a choice ? Did I mention that I’m an optimist ?
BILL MILLAGER / Rogers
Vote, but get facts first
Re Fred Lemon’s letter: I agree 100 percent with his comments about the Iraq war. President Bush had the approval of Congress, and the intelligence committees saw the same intelligence reports as he did. They approved the invasion of Iraq.
Saddam Hussein violated several United Nations agreements. He was a terrible killer. Do you remember the old TV series, “Dragnet” ? Jack Webb would say, “Just the facts,” when dealing with a case, so why can’t we stick to the facts that we already know ? When Bill Clinton was president, we were hit four times and he did nothing. Sudan reportedly offered Osama bin Laden to him two times. Yes, the rich got a reduction in taxes, but so what ? Every one got a reduction. How much does the average citizen pay ? How many average citizens employ hundreds or perhaps thousands like a lot of rich people do ? Many of them employ us “average citizens” so that we may have a job. How would you like to pay 35 percent federal tax, 7 percent Arkansas tax and 15 percent Social Security out of every dollar you make ? I am retired Air Force and a Vietnam veteran. I had to have a security clearance. I doubt that Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama could even get one. John McCain, I feel sure, already has top-secret clearance or above due to his prior position in the Navy. I hope people know that the president has the keys to the most powerful weapons arsenal on Earth. Whom do you trust with that authority ? Vote, but please investigate and get all the facts.
RON KOOIMAN / El Paso
Experience is a priority
Looking at the two candidates for Arkansas Court of Appeals in District 3, I see that Ron Williams is an accomplished attorney who has represented a wide variety of clients in a multitude of legal situations. He is an energetic, modest, selfeffacing, insightful man who does not make exaggerated claims about himself. Courtney Henry is not qualified to sit on the Court of Appeals, but could earn a Pulitzer Prize for résumé-padding. She says she’s researched and reviewed 1, 300 cases. She clerked on these cases and wants to jump from clerking to the second highest court in Arkansas. She says she’ll have a zero learning curve. Everybody has something to learn. Is she so smart and wise that she has nothing to learn ? “Proven performance” ? Doing legal research as instructed is her performance. “Impeccable integrity” ? Does making wildly exaggerated claims about one’s experience, wisdom and knowledge show integrity ? Henry’s performance is overwhelmingly a compendium of organizational memberships, former bosses’ names, licenses to practice law and obtaining a law degree. She extols non-partisanship, but has been part of the Clinton Democratic entourage from day one. Her funding comes mainly from partisan Democratic donors. Ron Williams values and respects his clients and their interests. He has not dumped them to campaign 24 / 7. He is obviously the better candidate for this very important position on the Arkansas Court of Appeals.
GERALD HOLLAND / Bella Vista
Things could be worse
Let’s give benefit of all doubt. Barack Obama really didn’t have a clue about “Rev. Wrong.” Never mind that the rafters were quaking with a rowdy amen crowd, eating it up Sunday after Sunday, and still Obama didn’t know in 20 years. Now he wants this most powerful position of any government. He wants to lead our country and the free world. How on Earth could he do that when he doesn’t even know what’s going on in his own church year after year ? Wake up, people. He’s either totally incompetent or he’s an outright liar. Would you still call either a change you can believe in ? On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best, I rate John McCain a 4, Billary about minus 4 and Wonderboy a definite minus 8. I think we’re all ready for changes in Washington, D. C., but I refuse to go in the minus column and make things even worse. You “Dims” —that’s right, I had it in print long before letter writer James Cook—can go in the hole if you don’t know any better, but we won’t let you drag the rest of us down with you. Last thought: Kudos to letter writer Fred Lemon. Boy, he sure got under a lot of thin skins. He needs to keep up the good work.
RONALD A. ARMSTRONG / North Little Rock
All people have a voice
Can an African American man have a voice in America ? Or must he remain relegated to second-class citizenship and voiceless ? The last few weeks [I have been ] observing Barack Obama explain his comments about “bitterness,” which became some big faux pas because it was spoken by an African American. He was then treated as an alien with no rights to freedom of expression. Locally, we read an editorial regarding Judge Wendell Griffen, a vindicated legal scholar verbally lynched by a nameless editorialist because he, too, dares to voice his opinions. The legal expertise of Griffen was never alluded to in the editorial endorsing juvenile Judge Rita Gruber, only an irrelevant tirade about a civil matter exculpated. Griffen deserved recognition of his legal accomplishments as well. He proved his case and won. It is apparent that this paper must be reminded that African Americans are no longer enslaved and we are free in every sense of our being. African Americans understand the motives of that editorial; in other words, “Sit your a-- down and shut up or we will take your job.” We will not be quiet, and we will not sit on election day, either. A change is coming, so get ready for it. This paper has no good intentions.
DEBORAH SPRINGER-SUTTLAR / Little Rock
Stop the flow of dollars
A Pine Bluff school secretary has been charged with stealing $ 884, 712 over the past seven years. Some Arkansans are outraged by the alleged theft of our tax dollars, but this is only peanuts compared to what our state is dishing out to illegal immigrants. These aliens are stealing jobs from citizens by working for lower wages, and their employers are breaking federal employment laws. Secure Arkansas is the source to learn what you can do to stop your dollars funding illegal immigrants. Secure Arkansas has finally gotten the attorney general’s approval of an initiative for citizens to vote to stop this state funding. The group needs your support. There must be some 60, 000 registered voters sign the petition before it can be on the November ballot. Volunteers are needed to collect signatures. Together we can slow the outflow of our tax dollars to these aliens. We can’t sit quietly and expect government to do our work. Businesses which are profiting from alien labor and church groups are gearing up to defeat this initiative.
JIM GLOVER / Heber Springs
Praise isn’t all accurate
Letter writer Daniel McFadden presents a glowing account of one John S. McCain III as the perfect candidate for president. He says McCain is “the most ardent defender and supporter of American veterans.” During his time in the Senate, McCain has voted against veterans’ health care six times, and he doesn’t care if the Iraq war lasts 100 years, or so he says. And he wants to create many more veterans by invading Iran. McFadden says he “does not line his pockets or those of his friends at the expense of the American people.” Surely he remembers that McCain was one of the Keating Five, who were responsible for the largest savings-and-loan swindle in U. S. history. (The public was bilked of about $ 1 billion. ) Finally, McFadden says that McCain advocates putting an end to runaway government spending and pork-barrel projects. This man wants to give us more of the last seven years; our economy is crumbling while we’re in a war of no end that is costing over $ 200 billion per year and has taken the life of over 4, 000 of our sons and daughters. Our national debt [is nearing ] $ 10 trillion and our accrued long-term debts now total in excess of $ 53 trillion. McFadden needs to get out and about more.
CLIFF CARSON / Hampton
Candidate is unsuitable
Several months ago, I and a few others raised the question of whether Barack Hussein Obama should be seriously considered for president of this country due to his affiliation with this Jeremiah Wright and his so-called church. Well, now that the truth has come right out of the horse’s mouth, so to speak, I find it amazing that the people in this country are still seriously supporting this man. Does the country really want a man who for the past 20 years has been advised and guided by a racist [who ] hates America and all those in it who aren’t of African decent ? Do you honestly think that washing his hands of Wright—only after his beliefs were made public, I might add—is what America needs in the White House ? I am afraid it is down to the best of the three evils here. But even I can see that this man is the last person the United States needs running the country. God bless America.
GENE CROSSWHITE / Farmington
Feedback : Policies will hurt most?
Now the economists are talking about the R word and the D wordrecession and depression. Many Americans have been struggling economically since President Bush took office. Their stagnant wages have not kept up with the hypergouging prices of gasoline, rising costs of health care and college tuition, and the increased cost of almost anything dependent on transportation and fuel prices. What happened to the right wing’s boasting about supply-side and taxes ? Give more money to the rich and they will grow the economy ? It’s the stupid economic ideology. Since the ideological right took the Republican Party over from common-sense conservatives and moderates, Wall Street, CEOs with connections and those with inherited money have been raking the money in at the expense of the rest of us. Presidential nominee-apparent Sen. John McCain’s announced tax policies will shortchange most average Americans once again.
LINDA WOODBURY / Hot Springs
Campaign shoud end
Sen. Hillary Clinton says she won’t drop out of the race for the Democratic nomination because she is not “a quitter.” It is now time for her to show some sense of responsibility and strength of character, to step aside for the sake of the Democratic Party and the future of this country. She should stop the increasingly nasty campaign against a fine candidate who could help bring about unity and change desperately needed in this country. Sen. Barack Obama keeps trying to take the high road, but it is a tough thing to do when your opponent keeps throwing mud. She should do the right thing: Quit now.
CARLA BERROYER / Hot Springs Village