LETTERS

Make our roads safer

The number of car accidents and car-related deaths in Arkansas may have gradually decreased since 2010, but compared with the national average of 1.10, the number of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles driven in Arkansas has stayed at 1.67. There were 25 fatal crash summaries reported just in the past month.

Though some of the responsibility for this undoubtedly belongs to Arkansas’ drivers, proper measures can be taken by the state and its citizens to combat this issue.

Perhaps the simplest solution is to improve driver’s ed programs. Making tests more arduous and inviting public speakers to explain the dangers of distracted driving would be virtually no cost to the state, and state-funded education has proven to reduce the number of car accidents within the first six months of driving, the time of greatest risk. While repairing roads and installing signs would help, I believe education is the key to safe driving.

Ultimately, the goal is to educate inexperienced drivers and teach them defensive-driving skills while explaining the consequences of driving under the influence. But, in order to do this, local government officials and their constituents must be willing to take the initiative and work together to make the roads of Arkansas a safer place for drivers.

KYLE ADKINS Benton

Not right kind of curl

I’d like to add my name to the list of readers who are disappointed with the quality of your print paper.

I thought the poor quality might be due to the changing weather we have experienced day to day. The corners do curl up and fold wrong many, many times.

DAN STOCKMAN Siloam Springs

Some spending to cut

OK, all you Tea Party people/Republicans always screaming about saving money: Propose a bill to eliminate the lieutenant governor’s office, and save the people of Arkansas several hundred thousand dollars.

Put up or shut up.

DAN McELHANNON Okolona

The informality of life

We’ve all experienced this: You walk into a store, “Hi, guys.” Into an office, “Hi, guys.” Into a restaurant, “Hi, guys.” With a group of women, “Hi, guys.” Or by yourself, “Hi, guys.”

First, I’m not a guy (okay, “Hi, gals!” doesn’t always work). But you can’t lump me into “guys” as if I’m on my way from being a woman to becoming a man.

Second, I probably don’t know you and you probably don’t know me-how presumptuous to greet me so informally. I’m a customer, a client, a patient. I’d prefer, “Good morning/ afternoon miss/ma’am.” (Although “ma’am” makes me feel old.)

And third, I have a name. Perhaps greet me with “Hi, my name is …” and I’ll respond in kind. Or just look me in the eye, acknowledge me, and say “Hello!” We don’t have to get personal; I don’t have to know your name and you don’t have to know mine. But we can acknowledge each other, and inherent in that is a certain amount of respect.

I was raised to show respect, not shirk the responsibility by informalizing everyone. We’ve become too casual, and the resulting lack of respect has led to contempt, boldness, coarseness, discourtesy, dishonor, flippancy, hardihood, impertinence, impiety, impoliteness, impudence, incivility, insolence, irreverence, sacrilege, unmannerliness.

Instead of accepting these synonyms as our way of life, how about living and promoting the antonyms: courtesy, humility, manners, politeness, reverence, civility, esteem, honor, regard?

I don’t know, guys-whadya think?

CONNIE DOYLE Fayetteville

Foxhole philosophy Re Bernard A. Frazer’s query about if, in a raging battle, you would rather share a foxhole with John Brummett or Tom Cotton: I think the seriousness and relevance of this “easy question” ranks right up there with the George W. Bush era’s, “Who would you like to have a beer with?” And the Clintonian question, “Who would you want to chase chicks with?” I think that Cap’n Tom might refuse to “share,” which sounds suspiciously like redistribution or socialism, since I would be a taker of space rather than a maker. He could even lecture me about digging my own foxhole and not becoming dependent.

If Frazer was thinking about having to listen to either liberal or conservative foxhole pillow talk, that one’s a more difficult question.

TOM FORGEY Magnolia

Country before party I was asked by black students years ago if we would ever have a black president. I said “Yes, but it won’t be Jesse Jackson!” In my wildest dreams I could never have imagined a black president who could have made a bigger mess. I believe Barack Obama should be an embarrassment to all black people. I don’t think he represents them in the least.

As a teacher who is fairly knowledgeable of the Constitution, I have never known of a president who has ignored the Constitution more. I am now 87, so I have seen a few.

To be fair, other presidents have ignored our laws. Franklin Roosevelt sought to pack the Supreme Court with his appointees by raising its membership to 15 who would approve his laws (the court had just declared the National Industrial Recovery Act unconstitutional and he was angry). He failed when Congress overruled him as it should have done.

Obama has changed his own health law, which he has no authority to do. Only Congress can make or repeal laws. And yet, he threatened in his State of the Union address that if Congress does not do what he wants, he will issue executive orders and do it anyway. He already added labor board appointees while the Senate was in session.

My concern is that Senate members of his own party will do nothing to stop this usurpation of power and block any attempts to make corrections. I don’t believe most Democrats support such efforts. It seems Sen.

Harry Reid refuses to allow objections, so our president stumbles from one blunder to another. I don’t know about most Democrats, but for me, my country comes before any party.

MARION HICKINGBOTTOM Searcy

Deletions to consider Three comics that I would like deleted from my paper are Wumo, Lio and John Brummett. Not necessarily in that order.

FLOYD E. FRY Star City