Our brother's keeper
Three people were killed Monday morning when an 18-wheeler veered across the centerline and struck a car head-on. Mr. UR America and his two children, ages 12 and 9, were killed instantly. The driver of the truck, Jim Bob, said that he was almost home from a 72-hour haul when the accident occurred. He could not explain why the truck crossed the centerline.
Mr. America is survived by his wife Susan and two other children, an infant and a toddler. Mrs. America questioned how the big-rig driver could have been on the road for 72 hours.
The driver said that he was sorry, but that his company expects him to deliver on schedule and that he had not maxed out the 82 hours the regulations allow. XYZ Trucking said their responsibility is to the stockholders and had not broken any rules since Congress repealed regulatory restraints on the hours a driver may work in a week.
Congress accepted no blame as they were following the voters' wishes to deregulate. Newspaper editorialists who supported candidates favoring deregulation refused to comment and voters said that they expected companies and drivers to use good sense and felt no remorse. At the funeral, the pastor said it was God's will.
But the question for each of us is: Are we our brother's keeper or is everyone just responsible for himself? How will you respond to God on Judgment Day?
ED HUDNALL
Bryant
Would be more kind
I've read in this paper before about heathens trying to kill the deer in Two Rivers Park. On a recent Friday, I found myself awake and unable to sleep, so I went to the big city for breakfast. I decided to drive through the park before it was good daylight.
Folks, I believe those heathens were trying to do the city a favor. The deer herd at that hour looked like one of those zombie movies, all shadows, things only barely visible when they moved. Deer. Deer everywhere. And that was the ones that I could see.
What Little Rock needs is the help of those heathens. Let them kill a large number of these fine beasts before they start to die of starvation; worse than that will be the massive migration across busy roads.
And please do not go all goofy and try to palm our guilt off by donating the meat to the needy. I didn't do a study, but I am confident a lot of those folks do not care for venison.
There should be an auction of the venison to the highest bidders. I would think the more upscale restaurants would jump at the chance to serve up the beasts to folks with more money than sense. More pedestrian meat could then be purchased for those in need, the more prosperous citizens could then plunk down vast sums (and even tell others of their charity) for the venison sold by the restaurants. The good ol' boys would eat it up too--the chance to gut something, I mean.
Cruel? No way. Cruel is loving something to death.
CARL E. BUCHANAN
Scott
No double standards
Your paper labels the actions in Greece as anarchy. When crowds do the same or worse in Ferguson, Mo., it's a demonstration.
You are correct in that a violent action against the government is anarchy. Please, no double standards. It is what it is.
GENE FUHRMAN
Hot Springs Village
On driver education
Growing up in different states, I never had a problem with the way people operated their vehicles on the road … till I came to Arkansas. I have noticed copious things wrong with Arkansans’ driving, such as failing to use blinkers, trouble merging on a highway properly, going under the speed limit on highways, and simply the inability to drive.
To start off, I believe Arkansas drivers can’t drive well because the driver’s license test is a cake-walk. It seems the driving test only consists of four right turns in small neighborhoods, not on intersections. Of course everyone who takes the test will pass because it’s not fully testing their skills to drive on busy streets with real road situations such as right-of-way, merging properly, and the need to use blinkers when getting over. Since the driving test is so easy, I believe it deprives drivers of the skills they need to interact with other cars on the road.
Next I noticed some Arkansans won’t use their blinkers, or will simply turn them on at the last minute when they are already turning. Furthermore I noticed some people drive way below the speed limit, asking for an accident, as well as improperly merging onto the highway, causing collisions.
I feel as though the state should implement new driving techniques, and collect data to figure out how to test drivers better. Noticing signs early will help improve driving.
LAILA DUMAS
Little Rock
Theory hard to grasp
Apparently Ruud DuVall thinks our federal deficit of more than $17 trillion is no big deal. No problem. To support his position, he frequently uses the argument that in 1945 the U.S. debt was 120 percent of the gross domestic product and compares that to the current debt, which is just equal with the GDP.
Obviously, in order to win World War II and save the world for democracy, our government was justified in borrowing and going deeply in debt to build arsenals, tanks, airplanes and ships, provide for millions of servicemen and women, and pour billions in aid to our allies England, France, Russia, and many others.
I understand his theory, but how can he compare today’s federal need to borrow and comparable debt burden with that of WWII? Does he approve our government’s uncontrolled spending and spiraling debt, believing somehow the GDP will magically increase and everything will be OK?
JACK MURPHY
Little Rock
The humidor’s empty
Hands up—this is a stick-up! Where are your cigars?
ALFRED W. KAHLER
Alexander
Editorial on 12/17/2014