LETTERS

Something mysterious

The same day Pat Deming’s letter about religious crazies was published, there also appeared a religious-laden column by a prominent Voices page columnist, and yet another editorial tribute to the priest who was the principal of the Catholic boys school. Certainly, he was a good man. There is much love in the Catholic Church as well as other religious groups.

I grew up with the old-time religion that makes you love everybody. (However, respect is more scientific.)

There must be something mysterious about these mountains such as Mount Sinai where God supposedly spoke to Moses. Same setting, different theme for the Sacred Black Hills, Medicine Hat, etc. Nearer my God to thee? No light from below, only darkness and heat.

Biblically and humanly, if God had stopped after the fifth day when he declared that everything looked good, would we even need a seventh day?

For nondiscerning minds, I wrote that God and nature are inseparable, not identical.

DON RICHARDSON

Ash Flat

Perhaps overlooked

Philip Warner said he did not remember reading in the Bible where it says that God allows people in and out of power as he sees fit.

I’m not exactly a Bible-thumper, and I personally feel that many right-wingers are a little self-indulgent when it comes to invoking God’s name. However, maybe Mr. Warner could check out this verse, for one: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

Seems like that’s pretty clear to me.

JESSE PROFFITT

Little Rock

Speak out for the boy

Can we get back to the issue at hand and remove our egos? That would be the death of a child who might be alive right now if the Department of Human Services had done its job. Subsequent letters attacking those who ask for substance from the department and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette ring so hollow and shallow as one imagines the 5-year-old child who was found with a maggot-filled soiled diaper two weeks after a report had been made concerning him.

The department’s mission is to protect children. Expecting it to do it, and expressing outrage when dead children can’t speak for themselves any more, is what a decent human should do.

LISA MORGAN

Alexander

Big change is coming

Don’t you see it coming? I see it like a tornado cruising down Interstate 30. It will be in your neighborhood soon. Take cover, my friends! Enjoy your Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations this year. Enjoy being able to go anywhere you want to go at any time. Enjoy “In God We Trust.” Enjoy all of your freedoms while you can.

Do you feel all of this slipping away? Well?

ROBERT SHURBET

Little Rock

Necessary precaution

Recently I visited a store and came upon a lady carrying a small dog in her arms that had on a bonnet and a dress. I could not believe what I was seeing, so I found the manager and he said that if someone told them at the entrance that the dog was needed for a medical reason, he couldn’t question the person. I called the Health Department and was told if the manager let the person in with a dog, there was nothing they could do.

I might understand if the dog had some kind of identification that showed he was needed for medical use, as seeing-eye dogs are, but just to take someone’s word is not enough for me. I have metal in my knees and carry a card saying that I set off an alarm when I go through a metal detector. When people need to park in handicapped parking, their permits have to be visible. Last but not least, some people are allergic to animals, and some are deathly scared of them; for one of those kinds of people to have walked up on one of those animals like I did, it would have been a disaster.

I think stores should adopt the policy that no animals are allowed inside unless they can be identified as medically necessary, with papers or tags.

BILLIE JOHNSTON

North Little Rock

Doctor deserves more

Re Andy Davis’ story, “ARcare doctor on top in pay”: I feel the story was somewhat short-sighted in that Dr. Steven Collier actually runs about two dozen clinics.

Without ARcare, I believe the city of Augusta would be in dire straits, not only because of its many employees, but because of its other contributions as well. ARcare has established a wellness center that has a workout room, plus facilities for area functions, such as the annual Chamber meeting. The new ARcare Center for Education & Wellness is for children 6 weeks to 4 years old, and has full day-care and education programs. School aged children are cared for year ’round so their parents are able to work. A pediatric center is also located there. All of this is in addition to a clinic that treats the entire community.

I think Dr. Collier’s salary needs to be increased based on his contributions to our community and others. Reps. Mark McElroy and Kim Hammer obviously did not have the above facts when commenting on his income.

Thank you, Dr. Collier, for being there for Augusta, McCrory and the state of Arkansas.

JERRY A. KING

Augusta

Doesn’t seem sporting

So in Sunday’s paper under the headline “Sportsmen of the Week” we had the photo of a dead mountain lion and two dead hogs.

Sporting? I think not. Seems more like killing for the sake of killing. Definitely got too many wild hogs, especially down here. Doesn’t seem real sporting though. And an endangered species?

Please spare us these photos. But at least have the good sense not to call it sporting.

STEVE A. JONES

El Dorado

Fingers in everything

All week I’ve been turning clocks back one hour. I hate it. Why does the federal government get involved in the time of day? God made the world on standard time, and if he’d wanted daylight saving time he’d a-put it in the Bible.

Which leads to another issue that the government is into that I dislike, and that’s the conflict over another language for Americans. I believe that if English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it’s good enough for me.

WILLIAM C. KRAMER

North Little Rock

Should beg elsewhere

Just in time for Halloween, Iraqi Prime Minister and Iranian lapdog Nouri al-Maliki came to America to beg for military aid.

After 4,500 of our brave soldiers gave their lives in Iraq, after 40,000 more were wounded and after we spent close to $1 trillion, al-Maliki still wants more from us. If President Barack Obama has any sense of right and wrong, or at least any sense of outrage, then he needs to give al-Maliki a swift kick and tell him to go beg somewhere else.

SCOTT T. VAUGHN

North Little Rock

Editorial, Pages 19 on 11/09/2013

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