An existential threat
At last, a letter from Al Case with which I wholly agree! At least he recognized what I believe to be the existential threat to Western civilization from militant Islam.
From the Battle of Yarmuk in 636 to the siege of Vienna in 1683, it seems the Islamic world spent over a thousand years trying to destroy our civilization and all it stood for and to enslave our ancestors to sharia. The reason they stepped back for almost three centuries was because the West had become so strong and they so relatively weak. Having had our self-confidence and strength progressively sapped by political correctness, it seems that from 1979 on Islamists have ever more boldly worked toward those same ends they pursued before.
I believe to save our civilization and our freedoms we must push back on political correctness, which means ousting from power the Democratic party, especially Hillary Clinton, whose unsecure private emails it turns out contained Ambassador Chris Stevens' travel plans in Libya.
We are in a fight for our lives, and dare not be led by appeasers, socialists, or anti-Americans as we have lately been.
KARL T. KIMBALL
Little Rock
Not necessarily bad
Is an agreement with Iran to restrain its nuclear options dangerous "appeasement," as though Iran is somehow like Nazi Germany, and 2015 is 1938?
In his book, The Arrogance of Power, former (and now deceased) Arkansas Sen. J. William Fulbright defined his title as follows: "... the tendency of great nations to equate power with virtue, and major responsibilities with a universal mission."
"It is a curiosity of human nature that lack of self-assurance seems to breed an exaggerated sense of power and mission," he wrote. "When a nation is very powerful but lacking in self-confidence, it is likely to behave in a manner dangerous to itself and to others ... it begins to confuse great power with unlimited power ... it can admit of no error; it must win every argument, no matter how trivial. For lack of an appreciation of how truly powerful it is, the nation begins to lose wisdom and perspective and, with them, the strength and understanding that it takes to be magnanimous to smaller and weaker nations."
Or take the words of Winston Churchill speaking before the House of Commons in 1950: "Appeasement in itself may be good or bad according to the circumstances ... Appeasement from strength is magnanimous and noble and might be the surest and perhaps the only path to world peace."
So appeasement or whatever, the issue is an agreement, not a morality play. We get something we want, they get something they want.
JOE NEAL
Fayetteville
A successful formula
I am a member of the "Greatest Generation." Our formula for success was very simple: education, job, marriage, children. As parents we assured that our children followed that same formula in the order indicated.
When and if we return to that formula, I believe most of our problems will disappear.
LAWRENCE H. ALLEN
Highland
Constancy in character
While I wish Mr. Paul Greenberg well, I am saddened to see him go. I came to this state from the blighted rust belt the same year he began his tenure with this paper, and over the years I have appreciated some of his qualities, which have remained constant, and qualities which I fear are scarce on the ground these days.
To begin with, he writes well. Hemingway once noted that his goal every day was to write one true sentence, and Montaigne once apologized for a lengthy essay because he had not the time to revise it properly. Mr. Greenberg walks the same side of the street. He and I are of a generation that learned to write with pencils, pens, and manual typewriters. It is a slow and labor-intensive process which tends to encourage deliberation and clarity of thought. He realizes that economy of style does not mean paucity of thought. It often runs otherwise: excessive verbiage as a mask for little thought.
Secondly, he understands that civic engagement is necessary for democracy, and that civic engagement requires civility. Nothing is gained by demonizing those with whom we differ. A culture that can only talk past each other, or shout at each other, and not talk with each other sooner or later falls into chaos, and you end up with an Iraq or a Syria. Mr. Greenberg always writes as a gentleman, with charity, and in the hope of knowledge.
Finally, he realizes that for all our faults God shall "mend thine every flaw," as our great national hymn puts it, that this country remains, to borrow from Lincoln, mankind's "last, best hope," and that if we put aside our malice and exercise a little charity towards all, we can make that hope endure. Mr. Greenberg has faithfully done his part.
STEWART DIPPEL
Clarksville
Survival of mankind
Abortion, homosexuality, transgender, selling body parts of aborted fetuses. An interesting future for the survival of humankind, don't you think?
No guns, no cops, disregard for authority and lawlessness which will all lead to total chaos and death. This, too, is an interesting future for the survival of mankind. Don't you think?
A global-warming scheme that takes the money for food out of people's pocketbooks. An interesting future for the survival of mankind. Don't you think?
These are the things that the liberal/progressive movement promotes. As for me, I know which choice I'll make. What about you? Think about it.
PAM MONTGOMERY
Conway
Opportunities ahead
Now that TLC has canceled the Duggars' 19 Kids and Counting, I suppose this leaves them free to join other reality shows, like Dancing with the Stars, America's Next Top Model or MTV's Parental Control.
Or perhaps, in the case of Comrade Josh Duggar, an invitation to join the cast of Naked and Afraid may very well appear quite soon in his email inbox.
RICHARD S. DRAKE
Fayetteville
Editorial on 08/01/2015