LETTERS

LITTLE ROCK — Posing two questions

We have many holidays during the year, including Christmas Day. How many do we address as Happy Holiday? None, right? So why are some nuts trying to change Merry Christmas to Happy Holiday? Our calendar says: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day,Memorial Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day and all the others, but no Happy Holiday.

’Nuff said.

Next question. Why are the members we have elected to Congress to keep our government working for the good of the country not getting the job done?

What they seem to be doing is like the kid with the bat telling the others, “Play ball by my rules or I’ll take my bat and go home.”

An example of Congress not getting something done is who was responsible for not providing adequate protection for U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya. They had requested additional security more than once, and from what I saw on television, it was obvious to an old World War II combat veteran that the assault that killed four Americans was likely a military operation.

I think that the members of Congress and the president should be ashamed of themselves for not getting their jobs done.

NELSON GATEWOOD

Highland

Who is remembered

Thomas Booth brought up an interesting point in his letter regarding the Sandy Hook shooting. Here’s some more food for thought that, in a way, ties in with his point.

Perhaps the media circus that occurs every time a shooting happens is part of the problem. The media covers a shooting for months and the gunman goes down in history to be remembered forever while the families and politicians are left to pick up the pieces and argue.

Remember Columbine? I was a child when it happened, but I know the names of the two gunmen: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

Virginia Tech? Seung-Hui Cho.

The Aurora shooting? James Holmes.

The Westroads Mall shooting in 2007? Robert Hawkins.

For each shooting, I know nothing of the victims’ names. Not a single one. I know none of their names, but I can name the gunmen at each massacre off the top of my head.

Why? The media coverage each news channel, newspaper and website gives to the massacre, that’s why.

They go on and on about the gunman, his methods, his plans and his reasoning, which gives the media outlets viewers. It makes the news outlets money.

For someone who wants to end it all but still be remembered, mass killings apparently are a good way to go. Kill a few people (relatively speaking) and have your name known and remembered for years to come.

Sounds like a good deal to me.

ERICH HARRISON LAH

Little Rock

Reject that renaming

The Little Rock Advertising and Promotion Commission has agreed to allow First Security Bank naming rights to the Riverfest Amphitheatre for 20 years for a fee of $750,000.

In my opinion, a facility in a city park should not be renamed for commercial purposes.

I ask that the Little Rock Board of Directors reject this proposal.

JAMES FORD

Little Rock

Irrelevant arguments

The National Rifle Association may be right that “the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” but that would be only after the gun violence has begun.

The discussion is how to stop the gun violence before it begins.

Apparently, the NRA is irrelevant to that discussion.

LEN WHITE

Fayetteville

GOP will be blamed

Here is my take on the situation in D.C.: No matter whether we go over the cliff or not, the Republicans will be blamed by Obummer and his cohorts as well as the lame stream media.

That being the case, since there are apparently enough people in this country whose votes can/ have been bought for goodies, I feel that there is not a great possibility of there ever being another GOP president elected.

The GOP should go after the Senate and House seats since that is where the power is, then when they have a majority, they can cut the spending where it needs to be cut, and not from Social Security and Medicare that have been earned.

The first law I think they should pass would be the 28th Amendment that has been all over the Internet. The second would be to make welfare into workfare with drug tests to be passed. The last would be to stop any and all benefits for any illegals and their “anchor babies.” I believe the 14th Amendment was passed to make sure that children born to slaves were citizens, and for no other purpose.

Hispanics and blacks have proved that they will vote Democratic, so the GOP will not be losing anything by ticking them off. And I think it will show the intelligent half of the voters that the GOP is doing what is best for this country and not just for a voting bloc.

KIPP WOODBURY

Mountain Home

Improves his chances

I read the objective, impartial John Brummett’s column each week, hoping someday to find some issue that we might agree on.

I just read his column on Dustin McDaniel’s extramarital affair and, once again, must disagree with Brummett’s opinion that a “dalliance” has damaged the attorney general’s chances to be our next governor.

I think McDaniel’s affair has probably improved his candidacy. An extramarital affair is apparently always a resume-enhancer for Democratic Party candidates.

If McDaniel could just convince Jesse Jackson to spend a weekend with him in prayer and counseling, after which he could announce he has been forgiven, this would solidify the attorney general’s base and greatly improve his chances at the governorship.

JULIAN ABRAM

Fayetteville

A commonality here

Paul Davis was right on track in his letter on the gun issue until he played the God card.

Davis surely knows that the “God” thing has caused more wars in history than anything else. Simple ideological differences, whether it’s Middle Eastern, Asian or European. There’s great difference in those beliefs. Considering that the U.S.A. is the melting pot of the world, what sense would it make to put one belief over another just because you believe that way? The answer is none, no sense at all other than trying to stir up something here.

As far as the guns go, he’s absolutely right. Drunk drivers and auto wrecks kill more than guns. Besides, the common thing between all the above is . . . people. It takes someone to get behind the wheel, hold the knife, swing the bat and yes, pull the trigger.

Let’s ban people, too, while we’re at it.

DARON McCLAIN

Benton