Step in to help, please
It is really sad that someone would shoot a poor woman's dog apparently out of sheer meanness. The dog's leg will be stiff for the rest of his life. The vet who treated the dog said the leg needs to be X-rayed, but the lady does not have the money.
I think that someone in Little Rock or North Little Rock needs to show a bit of kindness and offer to pay for the X-ray. If not an individual, then maybe a Little Rock or North Little Rock animal clinic could offer to X-ray the dog for free.
PAT R. OAKES
Little Rock
Great danger for river
I found a must-read in the July issue of Reader's Digest. "A poison runs through it" by Eric Waggoner concerns the Elk River that supplies water for the town of Charleston, W.Va., and shows what can and most likely will befall our Buffalo River.
So far Cargill's whole hog intrusion is indicative of a fait accompli. I may not live to see it, but I can envision skull-and-crossbones signs the length of this river warning us of the toxicity of the water. I believe a grave mistake was made to fully entrust those responsible for this tragedy whose vision indicates willful blindness. The public's antipathy toward this bizarre pig factory exploitation is immeasurable. Passivity does nothing.
Does our state have any elected person in a meaningful capacity to provide a voice to all those outraged, thus reversing this blatant rape/abuse of our natural resources? Kudos to our voice in the wilderness, Mike Masterson. The Buffalo, being a national treasure with recognition of its looming probability of being defiled, should and would become a national disgrace not unlike the tragedy in Charleston. If our dismay were more widely known I feel national disgust would follow.
My heart goes out to all you folks in the Mount Judea area and all others up and down the Buffalo whose lives have or will soon be negatively affected. I strongly believe it should now be incumbent upon Cargill to afford us a redaction and justify why this operation should continue in this precarious location. May I encourage all of you caring folks to avail yourselves to the aforementioned article. You will, I'm sure, be further enlightened about the wanton abuse of our land, oft-times by the moneyed.
AARON R. STRATMAN
Bella Vista
The wall of separation
Ms. Phyllis Farish tells us how she knows that America is a Christian nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles. She provides us with her reasons. In reason No, 6, she states, "The pledge to our flag has the words 'one nation under God'."
However, the "under God" part does not date from the founding fathers. That was added in 1954, during the Eisenhower presidency.
Actually, we are not a Christian nation, but a nation which has lots of Christians in it, many people with other religious beliefs, and secularists. We also should remember that there is such a thing as separation of church and state, which aims at not having a specific state religion.
VIVIAN MICHAELS
Bella Vista
His wisdom confirmed
Enough hogwash comments about Judge Chris Piazza's ruling on same-sex marriage. On June 25th the first federal appeals court ruling came down on this issue. By a 2-1 opinion, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals (not the most liberal court) upheld a lower federal court opinion, finding the Utah ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. In their ruling, the appeals court states the following:
"We hold that the 14th Amendment protects the fundamental right to marry, establish a family, raise children, and enjoy the full protection of a state's marital laws. A state may not deny the issuance of marriage license to two persons, or refuse to recognize their marriage, based solely upon the sex of the persons in the marriage union."
This opinion of the 10th Circuit is not only in line with the ruling of Judge Piazza, but it confirms every state and federal court which has ruled on same-sex marriage. Naturally, there will be other circuit court rulings and the matter will likely reach the U.S. Supreme Court in the coming months. But for now, I believe the wisdom of the ruling made by Judge Piazza is confirmed.
Reactionary letter-writers and state elected officials should now give Judge Piazza a break. His ruling was not some abomination. His ruling was, indeed, within the mainstream of judicial thinking expressed by every court which has looked recently at same-sex marriage laws across the country.
Until a ruling comes down from the U.S. Supreme Court, character attacks on Judge Piazza should come to a halt. The man did his job, and he did it well.
SAM ALBRIGHT
Hot Springs
Address the violence
With the recent gun violence in the news, we need to ask: "Why are our kids choosing to kill others and themselves in as public a manner as possible?" I believe it is critical to determine the root cause of why this is happening before reacting with new legislation that may not address the real issues. It seems to me that we as a culture have turned away from healthy personal relationships and good old-fashioned values that teach us how to treat others, avoid selfishness, communicate personally, and deal with life's disappointments.
Our society has 24-hour access to unfiltered information, news and entertainment on a worldwide scale. Anyone who is lonely, upset, rejected or depressed can instantly and anonymously connect to a network of support that may have a value system far outside the norms of what our society considers positive and acceptable. In the past, the scope of influences upon impressionable young minds was limited. Now the influences are available from a wide array of regional, national and international sources. Don't get me wrong--I believe in free speech, tolerance and self-expression. But the level to which this is often elevated can be extreme and unhealthy.
Proverbs says "Raise a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." And there is an old African proverb that says "It takes a whole village to raise a child." Regardless of our religious or political leanings, we must find common ground when addressing the issue of violence in our culture. The proper upbringing of our children is one of the most important things we can do to address this. And ultimately it is on our own shoulders.
DWIGHT NEWMAN
Harrison
Editorial on 07/01/2014