LETTERS

LITTLE ROCK — Playing a boy’s game

To those of us with our priorities straight, LeBron James is not a big deal. He’s just another young man making his living by playing what is basically a boy’s game. I doubt that he has what it takes to become somebody really special like a Green Beret or a U.S. Navy SEAL.

DON SHORT Farmington

Honor fallen military

Once again I am upset that this paper relegated to the inside pages in the July 7 and July 15 editions the death of another young man from Arkansas in the service of our country.

You would think this paper, being the largest in circulation and readership in Arkansas, would respect and honor these brave men and women of our military who have given their all in a more honorable way.

Whether a person is a Democrat or Republican, for or against the wars, pro- or anti-Barack Obama, all that should matter is that these brave Americans answered the call of their country to defend us.

The death of Spc. Clayton D. Mc-Garrah and all others before him deserve to be front-page news. I don’t think the Postal Service raising rates or the queen at the United Nations has more relevance than his death or other deaths of those serving in the armed forces.

It is my hope that Walter E. Hussman’s company will rethink its position on where to place its acknowledgment of these soldiers’ ultimate sacrifice for you, me and our country.

May God bless America and all our brave men and women in uniform. For all who have given their lives before, may they rest in eternal peace.

FRITZ HOLY Texarkana

Remarks ‘ridiculous’

Re F.W. Ollayos’ letter concerning the construction of an Islamic mosque at Ground Zero: First I would like to make it clear that the proposed site of the mosque is two blocks down the street and not directly at the site.

Islam is a very peaceful religion. By opposing this, Ollayos seems to believe that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated by all Muslims rather than their radical fringe. That would be like opposing it if at the site of the Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland, where radical Catholics killed more than 20 people, they decided to build a cathedral. Of course, Ollayos wouldn’t be opposed to that because they are Christians, right? Or does he hate Catholics also?

Maybe instead of listening to the fear-mongering voices on FOX News, Ollayos could think it through for himself and do his own research. I hope he sees how ridiculous he sounded.

Oh, and President Obama’s middle name is Hussein. It is actually a very common name all over Africa and the Middle East among both Muslims and Christians. It is as common a name as John Smith is here.

CAMERON COKER Russellville

Emergencies abound

Blanche Lincoln doesn’t like John Boozman’s no vote. I guess she doesn’t know or didn’t even bother to ask him why he voted no on the unemployment extension. But then she probably doesn’t even care.

According to John, he’s not against the extension, just where the money is going to come from. To the Democrats this is another emergency, so they just add it to the running tab.

But wait a minute. Isn’t there still money left in that stimulus package? What’s wrong with John wanting to use that money instead of tacking another $34 billion to the debt?

TARP was an $700 billion emergency. The stimulus was a $787 billion emergency. It seems that everything else that comes up is an emergency. Would I want Blanche and the rest of the Democrats to tell me what doesn’t constitute an emergency? Sooner or later, emergencies have to be paid for.

So where will the money come from? I’m very tired of members of Congress, both parties, thinking that because they hold the office they have carte blanche with our money.

I may be picking on Democrats right now, but then right now they have the power to control the purse strings. I’ll pick on Republicans if they are in charge-if they do the same things.

ALLEN VEASMAN Dover

McDaniel will go far

Five cheers for Dustin McDaniel, the next president of the United States.

I have been wondering how to rob a bank on a Saturday night while no one is there. At first I had planned to “borrow” a truck with a big magnet, drop it through the roof and hook ’er up to it and go.

After McDaniel’s “gray area,” I’m going to type up a paper to give to the teller saying that I’m an “undocumented” account holder and have her sign it. The paper will say that as a member of the bank, she agrees to the terms which say that the unknown amount present will be repaid within 100 years and the interest will be set at 0.05 percent.

As for undocumented, I got that from another state politician.

You would think that McDaniel, as the attorney general, would know the law. They say bank robbery is against federal law. Does that mean I don’t stop for Little Rock police orstate police? That’s what the federal government says about Arizona.

VIRGLE D. WOODS Little Rock

Act was dangerous

Re the letter by Pamela Rush: Although I sympathize and agree with her concern for abused and abandoned domestic animals-I have four cats and a dog, all adopted from the shelters-and think that stopping on the interstate to try and help a stranded and helpless kitten was a brave and honorable thing to attempt, it was also foolhardy and dangerous to her and others.

She even wrote that hitting her brakes to stop nearly caused an accident. Sprinting across a highway of speeding vehicles could have gotten her injured or even killed, as the kitten eventually was, as well as potentially causing an accident that could have injured or killed others.

With all due respect, she should have a little more common sense should something like this ever happen again. Instead, after safely pulling off the road and stopping, she should use her cell phone to notify the state highway police.

RICHARD B. SCHREIBMAN Fayetteville