LETTERS

LITTLE ROCK — Success is not assured

Once I was a young married woman, at home with two babies. Then I became a young divorced woman working minimum-wage jobs and coping with perpetually bounced minimal child-support checks.

Eventually I became a successful small typesetter, working out of my home. After 15 years of 60-hour weeks and perpetual scrimping, finally ready to open an actual shop, hire another typesetter, and lease a second piece of equipment, guess what? Desktop publishing happened. At the age of 48, I took a $50-an-hour pay cut, began working as a part-time clerk-typist for local government, and went back to school.

Paul Greenberg, Bradley Gitz, Charles Krauthammer and their ilk seem to be apoplectic because Elizabeth Warren and President Barack Obama have pointed out that talent, hard work and smarts aren’t enough to guarantee success. I can testify firsthand that Warren and Obama are absolutely right. There are two things, called luck and opportunities, that are beyond our control.

To those who are enraged because it has been suggested to them that our structure of government has been instrumental in their wealth and achievement, I can only say this: Go and set up your company in a chaotic, unstable place such as Sudan, Syria, Somalia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Russia, Afghanistan or Colombia. Then let me know just how far you got on nothing but talent, hard work and smarts.

ANN LINK

Little Rock

Let us make a choice

Alan Glenn of Hot Springs does not understand why motorcycle riders are not forced to wear helmets by the government, then in the same breath says “we as a country are giving away all of our civil liberties and are now living in what can be described as a police state.”

Judy Karnes of Springdale really feels bad for the guy who hit a motorcyclist, but if that motorcyclist had just worn more safety gear it would have been okay, she believes: “When this poor man got on his motorcycle that morning he knew he was taking a risk, and when he didn’t put on that helmet, he took an even bigger risk—and now the man who hit him is to blame?”

I would say yes, the man who hit him is to blame. The man who hit him violated the right of way of the motorcycle.

I drive a small economy car to work each day; it does not offer the protection that I have when I drive my Chevy truck. So, by Karnes’ line of reasoning, when someone in a Hummer runs over my little economy car and leaves me a quadriplegic, this makes it my fault because I should have been driving my Chevy, which offers more protection—I knew I was taking a risk when I got in my little car.

When you start taking choice away from the people and start making more laws that seem to make it safer for me, where does it end?

RANDY MITCHELL

Hamburg

Cartoon was insulting

As an Eagle Scout, Scout leader and a Christian, I am very disappointed in the decision to print the cartoon captioned “The Demerit Badge.” The cartoon shows a young Scout with a badge banning homosexuals and what seems to me to be his unhappiness about it. This is totally wrong, in my opinion.

The Scout oath starts off: “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country . . .” A Scout’s duty to God is to respect his holy name and word. God calls the sin of homosexual acts an abomination.

As a longtime subscriber to the newspaper, I find this cartoon insulting to the outstanding, moral organization of the Boy Scouts of America. Yes, America, where we print “In God We Trust” on our money and whose people pledge allegiance to our flag by saying, “one nation under God.”

BOB DAUGHERTY

Gravel Ridge

More detail called for

Re Madeline Will’s recent story concerning the hamburger tax: I think it should have gone into more detail on what is covered in the preparedfood tax under Arkansas statutes. There are a lot of things that are not bought in restaurants that are covered by this tax. Everybody should read the prepared-food statutes and learn what they are paying this tax on.

GEORGE McWILLIAMS

El Dorado

Should pay own way

Poor Michelle Obama—she has been to New Orleans several times and never visited the French Quarter and wants to vacation there. She also wants to visit a lot of places in the U.S. the first family still have not visited.

That is really sad.

There are a lot of places in the U.S. I have not been, but I sure do not think the taxpayers need to pay for me to do it.

I have been to a lot of places in the U.S., but when I went, I had saved money so I could go.

CLARA ERICKSON

Bryant

Are principles same?

The election in November is much more than debates between Democrats and Republicans, or as we now like to say liberals, progressives and conservatives. We can argue the talking points of each depending on our ideological leanings. But, as I see it, there is one major question we all need to answer.

Before the Constitutional Convention and the adoption of the Constitution, our nation always debated the issues of the day. Going back to the American Revolution, there were divisions over what was best for America. Now we are faced with issues I’m sure our founding fathers could have never imagined. However, the challenges aren’t really that different. We will be deciding in November if we still believe in the principles set forth at the nation’s birth.

What were some of those principles? Among them are the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; and government power is not only limited, but also divided, protecting the misuse of any branch of government.

The election will reveal if the American people still believe in the principles on which this nation was founded or if we have evolved into a nation whose principles and values are far different from those initially set forth. Again, it is not a Democratic or Republican issue—it is an American issue.

Thankfully, we still have the choice to make. What does “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” really mean? What is your answer? Mine is personal freedom and liberty.

ILA CAMPBELL

Sheridan

Not from her pockets

I recently received a letter from the first lady wanting money for the president’s campaign. I am 72 years old and on a very limited income. I don’t know how I am even going to fill my propane tank for winter, but a very rich man is wanting money from me? Will someone please explain that to me?

In all of my 72 years, I have never received such a request. Is he that desperate for money? I am not even a registered voter and have never been one. Even if I was, I wouldn’t vote for a man who wants money from poor people so that he can keep his. He has, in my view, driven this country into poverty while he flies all over the U.S. at taxpayer expense, then he wants money from poor people so he can get elected again? I think not—at least not from my empty pockets.

ZETTY RAY

Lowell

Contentment in state

Sour grapes fairly oozed and dripped from the page as Ed Dugan wrote to let us know, should we care, that he plans to exit our backward, small-minded, limited-groceries, classless, “good-ol’-boy” environs, the sooner the better.

We come from classier digs ourselves—some of the same states, in fact. But we must have gleaned the best from all because not only are we content here, but great folks can be found anywhere. Culture abounds in Arkansas if you only look. Philanthropy is rampant and oh, we received live lobsters from Maine only last week.

It is Dugan’s choice to ignore God and his church, but why be upset because there are many of us who do love God? Dugan may not care anything about him, but God knows and cares for him.

KATIE KEITH

Searcy