LETTERS

— Loss of jobs also important

The recent story about the light bulbs only discussed the labor costs of making the bulbs. What about the cost of more U.S. citizens not having jobs?

There was a type of bulb sold in the 1990s that was very energy conservative. It was simply three U-shaped tubes that must have been much easier and cheaper to make than the ones we have today.

I don’t know why the bulbs disappeared off the market. We had one that lasted 11 years, much longer than the ones you get today. Why not bring back that type of bulb?

Speaking of jobs, I am moving out of state because that is where I finally got a job. Will the last person leaving Arkansas please turn out the light?

EMILY K. HARRIS Rose Bud

Story left impression

I can honestly and happily say that there have been very few nights when something bothered me so badly that I had trouble sleeping. Last night was one of them.

Therefore, I’m up early this morning expressing my plea to the citizens and leaders of this great state to step up to the plate and get whatever financial backing is needed to get Grandma’s House, a group foster home, opened.

I trust the writer of your news story verified the details. Surely we can find some “bail-in” money for such a needed facility.

Here’s Gov. Mike Beebe and Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s opportunity to show their support for the future of the state, our children in need. Is there a fund-raising account set up to accept donations? How much is needed to get their license issued by the Department of Human Services?

KAREN SELLER Farmington

Obama still suspect

Re Meredith Oakley’s tirade defending Barack Obama as not being a Muslim: I am one of those stupid, dishonest people who strongly suspect Obama, who is proud of his Muslim heritage.

Any person serving as president of the United States of America should be beyond doubt, in my estimation, but letter writer Brenda Ball Tirrell of Hot Springs Village says that the First Amendment gives us the right to be a Muslim.

I believe Muslims hope to conquer the world; a good Muslim kills, a bad Muslim is blighted for being peaceful.

Oakley asserted that the conclusion to which some letter writers have jumped-that 3,000 or more Americans were killed in the attacks of 9/11-was untrue. Most of the victims were Americans, and one American was too many, most of us stupid, dishonest people think.

I strongly oppose building a Muslim center near the ruins of the old World Trade Center, destroyed by Muslim terrorists. It would be a slap in the face.

Is Walter E. Hussman a Muslim sympathizer also?

JAMES B. LOVETTE Little Rock

One man’s appraisal

The typical tea-party supporter is a white Protestant fundamentalist with a job and health coverage.

JOE KRENZ Little Rock

Group is not biased

I read the other day about “crooked” individuals running for Congress this time around. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington put Tim Griffin in that group. And before you start by saying it’s biased, understand that there were nine Republicans and three Democrats listed.

I discovered that not only did he replace Bud Cummins during the U.S. attorney scandal, but he was instrumental in getting him fired. He was handpicked by Karl Rove to replaceCummins, and Griffin’s office in the White House apparently provided the direction used in removing the U.S. attorneys.

People, do your research on this guy. Google Griffin and the voter scandal in Florida. Hit ask.com about Griffin and

the U.S. attorney scandal. You’ll be

amazed at what you’ll find.

RICHARD FRIDAY Cabot

Rebuild trade center

Nine years ago, a tragedy happened that shook America. The World Trade Center was attacked. Almost 3,000 people lost their lives. This will never heal or be forgotten.

Now the Muslims want to build a mosque near Ground Zero, where the World Trade Center stood. If I were a New York resident, I would protest.

They killed our people, yet they want to build a structure. Sounds like they want to gloat. If we destroyed a tower and killed their people and wanted to build a worship center, they would protest, too.

We need to pick up the pieces. Concentrate on building a new World Trade Center. The first floor should be a memorial with photos of the people who lost their lives. We shall overcome someday.

DONALD L. PUTMAN El Dorado

Partisans destructive

All you ignorant-yes, ignorant-Democrats and Republicans just keep telling yourselves that as soon as your party is in power, things will get better.

Don’t compromise or seek reason. Don’t look at the last 30 years. Ignore all facts and what your eyes and ears tell you. Don’t listen to that little bit of sanity in your mind that recognizes that you are being lied to by those you follow. Certainly do not look for ways to help each other, the middle class in general and our country.

Just destroy each other and our country while wallowing in undeserved righteousness as you do the bidding of your masters. Idiots.

LEON ANEMONE Cabot

Little progress made

There has been a lot of heated discussion lately concerning the proposed Islamic cultural center near the former World Trade Center site. Whichever way you may lean in that debate, I’m sure we can all agree that something even more unsettling is occurring at the actual Ground Zero site.

Roger Simon of politico.com reports that Scott Pelley of CBS’ “60 Minutes” pointed out in February that on the 10-year anniversary of Sept. 11, $7 billion will have been spent, but not one project will be finished; most of the buildings in the master plan are still in doubt; and at best a decade after the attack Ground Zero will still look like a major construction site.

Simon added: “By comparison, the Empire State Building, still the third tallest skyscraper in America at 1,454 feet, was built in one year. During the Great Depression.”

The sharp division we Americans feel over the “mosque” two blocks from Ground Zero is trivial when compared to the near standstill at the actual site.

JOSEPH GORDON Fayetteville

Elitism unacceptable

Being elite has become a condition deemed unacceptable, at least in public utterance, in both the right and left spheres of American sociopolitical thinking.

Editorial page editor Paul Greenberg accommodated this view in his recent column about what “our anointed” think of us. Surprisingly, these anointed, according to our esteemed inky wretch, are not obscenely compensated bank officials or CEOs of investment firms.

Instead, the elites Greenberg so slashingly ridicules are uppity politicos and pundits who reveal their contempt for ordinary Americans by spouting pretentious social analysis regarding the nature of American political behavior in economic hard times. You know, the sort of thing that is second-nature to “gliberals.”

One might assume, then, that a more acceptable brand of social analysis has been set forth by conservative paragon Dinesh D’Souza in a recent issue of Forbes wherein he describes our president as a Kenyan anti-imperialist “trapped in his father’s time machine” and ruling America “according to the dreams of a Luo tribesman of the 1950s.”

No condescension there. Rather, as that shining anti-elitist Newt Gingrich has reportedly noted, only “profound insight” into the reasons why the president should believe that hard-put Americans might find solace in religion or anti-immigrant feelings. Just the sort of thing you might expect from a Muslim.

TOM KENNEDY Fayetteville

Don’t use scapegoats

In economic hard times, people look for scapegoats, and the current scapegoat is Islam. Many letters show complete ignorance of history.

It’s untrue that Islamic countries never allow other religions. In the Middle Ages, the Muslim rulers of Spain tolerated both Jews and Christians. When the Catholic rulers Ferdinand and Isabella reconquered Spain, they were the intolerant ones, forcing Jews and Muslims to convert or leave and executing many. In later centuries, Islamic countries often provided a haven for Jews persecuted by Christians in Europe.

Many Islamic countries have Christian populations. Kuwait is 15 percent, Lebanon 39 percent and Syria 10 percent Christian. Many African countries and the “stans” ofthe former Soviet Union are mixed Christian and Muslim.

It’s completely illogical to blame 1 billion Muslims for the horrid actions of a few such as terrorist beheadings. This is like saying that Arkansans rape children and murder their own mothers for money just because a very few do such things. Dramatic incidents grab our attention; this is the fallacy of misleading vividness.

Also, backward Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia do not represent all Islamic countries, many of which have secular governments. Several have elected female heads of state, which is more than we have done.

Please research facts before making hateful statements.

CORALIE KOONCE Fayetteville

Best to fight at home

Barack Hussein Obama is forcing us to use our money for his killing by using our taxes for abortions. What have we let happen to ourselves? What else will we be forced into?

It will happen in our own courts. We are being forced to accept a religion that is bent on taking away our freedom of religion. Their jihadists and suicide killers have their religion interpreted correctly. They kill the infidel and any of their own who support them. These are afraid to convert. Let us set a day in the year for many of them to be baptized and protect them. Think of the apostle Paul.

We are fighting a war in the wrong place. There it is practically impossible to win. We would have a much better chance here. We should outlaw any religion that seeks to eliminate the rest by force and eliminate their own who convert to another religion. It is their law and it is their peaceful people who could but will not stop the others.

THOMAS W. KELLER Carlisle

Feedback Answer welcome

I’ve been having a problem with a PC and have always read the Schwabachs’ column anyway, so I thought I’d give it a shot. I asked them a question.

I don’t consider myself lax and did techie stuff for 10 years once, but there’s just things you’re not up on; like, your laptop issues are just not something you run into often, either.

Not only did they reply, but they went beyond it. I like people who do. I think it’s a quality that’s rarely found. “Not my problem” is said too often nowadays. When they care like the Schwabachs did, that says worlds for the caliber of the people you have. At least them.

I hope the paper makes sure they know how much they’re appreciated.

WILLIAM L. RAMSEY Sherwood

Cover fewer brats

Does anyone really care about the three spoiled, publicity-seeking Hollywood brats, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton? Why do they keep showing up as if the paper I have been reading for over 50 years was trying to compete with the gossipmonger publications?

I assume that the overwhelming majority of your readers are not in the twenty something age range, so why subject us older folks to such unimportant stories? If you want to highlight celebrities, make it those who do good deeds without expecting adoring crowds to love them for their humanity.

JANICE SANDERS North Little Rock

Editorial, Pages 15 on 09/28/2010

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