LETTERS

LITTLE ROCK — Poets and political heroes

A road could have diverged in a columnist’s head, but Paul Greenberg, ever sure of where he was going, took off down the path of political hero worship and feigned justice in the case of John Hinckley. It seems to me he’s claiming Hinckley’s motive was primarily to eliminate a “great president” rather than to impress Jodie Foster. That’s not changing the motive of a mentally ill man to suit the theme of one’s column, is it? (That was sarcasm, in case you did not recognize it.)

I remember times when the psychiatric staff at St. Elizabeth’s cleared Hinckley to visit his family, but the government and Ronald Reagan’s family objected, and visits were denied wholly or partially. That makes Greenberg’s statements about the Soviet mental health system seem especially ludicrous because Hinckley was in a psychiatric facility, received treatment, but, I believe, was kept confined because of political pressure.

When I read that Hinckley wished that he could be known for something else, I recalled a letter written to an advice columnist by a woman who had taken part in a porn movie in her early 20s. A few years later, she met the love of her life, married and settled down, but if a man gave her a long second look, she wondered if he had seen the film.

Newspapers do have advice columnists, but not usually poets. I guess Greenberg just could not resist the whole World War II-Hitler connection. Is he sure he never wished he could be known as a Rush Limbaugh in print?

GARY SCHMEDEMANN Russellville

It took a strong effort

Now we know where our legislators likely are getting their campaign funds. The trucking industry reneged on the diesel-fuel tax support even though we gave them an exemption. Who knew lobbying efforts were so strong in Arkansas?

NEALUS WHEELER Mountain Home

Reason to be careful

Thank you for the observation about rabies in a recent editorial. We are hearing more stories than normal this year about wild animals, obviously ill, that are coming into contact with our dogs, cats and livestock.

However, it seems important to say that we do not have the raccoon variant of rabies in Arkansas, so we know that these raccoons were suffering from one of several other possible serious illnesses. The symptom described as shaking of the head back and forth is characteristic of distemper, a common raccoon disease that can make them do things that could resemble rabies.

It might be important to add that urban raccoons, who have learned to live with and around people and feed on our trash, pet food, etc., are often seen during the day and it doesn’t indicate that they are sick or unusual.

The message of the editorial, though, was correct nonetheless—“Be careful out there.”

It is very important that we teach our children not to play with wild animals, and not to touch them, even if they are dead. It is also very important to make sure that our pets are up-to-date on their vaccines for rabies and other diseases.

SUSAN WEINSTEIN

Little Rock

Susan Weinstein, D.V.M., is state public health veterinarian with the Arkansas Department of Health.

More light on subject

Kudos to Neita Phillips of Jacksonville for pointing out that drivers should always have their lights on when it’s raining.

My other pet peeve is when they drive with six lights on constantly. They have the normal two headlights, two “fog” or “accent” lights (which are as bright or brighter than the headlights), then two amber-colored “parking” lights. This is too much.

Learn how to adjust them or turn them off. They blind oncoming traffic, especially on residential streets in close quarters.

JO PAULUS

Little Rock

A true power struggle

It’s the same old story again: state bureaucrats wanting to keep their power over businesses at the expense of economic development.

This time it’s the Arkansas Public Service Commission that appears to fear losing control as Entergy moves forward with its plan to join Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO).

The real focus should be on the savings that this move is going to bring to Entergy Arkansas and its customers. There may be quibbling about the degree of savings, but it seems like nearly everyone agrees that some level of savings will result from Entergy joining MISO.

The fact that this means an exit from the system agreement is even bigger news for electrical customers. I would hate to think that we’ll be denied those savings because government and consultants are arguing about their levels of control.

We’ve been hearing for years that Entergy Arkansas needs to get out of the system agreement. Now that the company has outlined a plan and is trying to do it, they are being slowed down by bureaucrats.

These commissioners were appointed by the governor to look out for our interests, and I hope they do just that.

ERIN BEACHAM

Little Rock

Word on the streets

In keeping with all that Bill Clinton has done to help, honor and generally do good for the great state of Arkansas and in the interest of fairness and balance, I suggest that several new streets be named in and out of the new Clinton Airport: Monica Way to connect to Impeachment Circle which, in turn, will connect to Lewinsky Boulevard.

Sounds fair and balanced to me.

JOHN DAVIS

Searcy

Our duty is to protect

To all clergy, lay persons and anyone else who lives or believes in the U.S., the Declaration of Independence states, “. . . that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government . . . We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America . . . appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions . . . And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

If you believe as I do, that these truths are self-evident and that the creator guided the hands that wrote them—not only the Declaration but also the Constitution, as many of the same men had a hand in writing and signing both—then it is as much your responsibility to protect them both in their original form as it is your responsibility to protect the original doctrine which you profess.

Speak up. Do not let this country become socialist. It was not the creator’s intent.

A.J. HANSON

North Little Rock

Bullying a real danger

Being a little smaller in stature when I was young, I was a target for bullying. In grade school, sometimes when I walked the four blocks home some of my schoolmates harassed me, forcing me to take an alternate route. In the second and fourth grades, two different bullies sitting at the desk in front of me got angry, turned around and stuck their sharpened pencils in my eye. Luckily, both times the pencil missed my eyeball, but easily could have put my eye out. I reported the incidents, but nothing was done. Bullying also took place all through middle and senior high.

I try not to dwell on the past, but nevertheless the pain sticks in our minds and many times determines the type of adults we will become. I hope I have become a well-adjusted person and matured into a sane human being. I know there are thousands of victims of bullying just as I am.

When many bullies grow up, they stop the physical abuse but continue with mental abuse. When I was in the Air Force, a sergeant ordered me to pick up cigarette butts and I refused to do it since I didn’t smoke. He glared at me and finally stated that I could do another detail. I finally stood up for myself, and it felt good.

After the Columbine and Virginia Tech massacres, I called a few high schools to see if they would like to have someone speak out against bullying. All declined. Just like 40 years ago, no one wants to listen—no one seems to care.

Then another massacre happens and everyone wonders why.

TOM KNIGHT

Little Rock

Can’t be embarrassed

The Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission unanimously approved changing the name of Adams Field to “Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field.”

For those of you either too young to remember or forgetful, you may want to consider the character of the person honored.

Bill Clinton, former governor of Arkansas and president of the United States, is an adulterer and perjurer. He abused the office of the president by engaging in sexual activity with a young female intern over whom he exercised authority, and he lied in testimony to a grand jury.

Clearly, the character and integrity of people being honored by naming a public facility for them are not considered by the commissioners. This says something about the character of the commissioners.

This is further proof that some people cannot be embarrassed.

BILL BURNS

Cabot

A big squeeze, again

Well, it is vise time again. The public is being squeezed again by higher gas prices. Deja vu.

President Barack Obama just doesn’t get it—we must do all we can to be less dependent on Arab countries. If he does not sign the Canadian pipeline bill, he will not get my vote and thousands of others. If gasoline is $5 to $6 a gallon, things will not look good at election time. The American people are tired of this political fighting. Let us work together on this. I am sick and tired of it!

WAYNE M. EAVES

Batesville

Feedback

Purely economics

When Sally L. Swanson bemoans the fact that Bobby Petrino makes more money than doctors at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and other professors, she overlooks one important fact.

Thousands of people pay millions of dollars to see Petrino’s students perform. No one pays to see the students of other professors perform.

The coaches are not paid with taxpayer money. They are paid with athletic department proceeds and from donations to the Razorback Foundation.

It’s not a matter of relative contributions to society. It’s purely economics.

BUD CARTER Little Rock

Unbuckle that belt

As a regular reader/scanner of the Voices page, I wonder sometimes why such a high percentage of the letters deal with religion. Virtually all are of the Christian variety.

Then I remember that this is Arkansas, one of the buckles of the Bible Belt, to coin a phrase. I do wish that so many would not get on Al’s Case, though he probably enjoys it immensely.

GLEN EMMONS Hot Springs Village