No breach of protocol
Wow! Tom Cotton hasn't seen such a barrage of "incoming" since his last tour in Afghanistan. Seven, count 'em, seven letters from folks on a recent Voices page, wringing their hands in grievous distress over what I believe to be a falsely perceived breach of protocol by Tom.
Suppose any of them voted for Senator Cotton? Suppose any of them are offended by President Barack Obama's apparently unconstitutional acts? Any agreement with Iran is a treaty requiring consent of two-thirds of the Senate. No problem, Obama has his "pen and phone" and doesn't need the U.S. Congress.
Keep up the good work, Senator Cotton.
BILL CURTIS
Hot Springs Village
Doesn't speak for all
You send a person to Washington, D.C., to represent your state, and then in no time he thinks himself to be a spokesman for all the country. Yep, it must be something in the air, or in the water, in D.C.
I'd like to remind our junior Sen. Tom Cotton that, although he won his election by a majority of those votes cast in Arkansas, he didn't get all of the votes. And, consequently, he should be mindful that he has the responsibility of representing all of the state.
For a Harvard graduate, he doesn't seem to be very wise. His words are articulate, but seem to only mask his disdain for our president. His recent letter, cosigned by 46 other like-minded Republican senators, falls into lockstep with the GOP mantra of not respecting President Barack Obama, and attempts to smear the president's (and other UN Security Council countries') attempt to stop Iran from furthering its nuclear ambitions.
As a citizen of Arkansas and the United States of America, I totally disagree with his action. What good will come from his letter? If the negotiations fail, what would his suggestion be to stop Iran's nuclear ambitions? Another stupid war in the Middle East? Remember, the sanctions have brought Iran to the negotiating table. Why miss this opportunity?
As Tuesday's editorial softly criticized by adding a quote from Republican and co-signer Sen. John McCain: "I think we probably should have had more discussion about it."
VIC JACUZZI
Little Rock
Intellectual snobbery
I believe the letter from Ashton Miller III was classic intellectual snobbery. He says, in effect, that the University of Arkansas should only be for the elite who can afford it without a handout, and the riffraff (those who need financial aid) are watering down its education and prestige.
Well, as one of the riffraff, pardon me for living. I thought U of A, as a state university, was open to all, even those of us who are obviously below his class.
By the way, the university presence in Jonesboro is not U of A; it is Arkansas State University.
LES ABERNATHY
Jonesboro
Ditch time changes
I hope our representatives read the Voices page, and I also hope they will vote to eliminate Daylight Saving Time.
I am retired, but many of my friends and family are still working and all of them are in favor of keeping Standard Time. That extra hour of rest and sleep help the working men and women of our state.
BARBARA WALLS
Bald Knob
Well, for more money
Re the editorial concerning Senate Bill 366: Saying teachers will work harder or teach more effectively for more money is like saying a soldier will march straighter and shoot more accurately for more money. Or perhaps a nurse will treat more patients or give medicine more effectively for more money. Or even an editorialist will write more imaginatively or cognitively for more money.
Looks like it's time someone got a pay raise.
DANNY DUREY
Warren
The Negative Nellies
I've noticed we've had several letters concerning the Senate letter to Iran drafted by Sen. Tom Cotton. Those letters are mostly negative and even one seems to claim it's driven by racism. Really? Letters saying that's not the senator's job, apparently not aware that Sen. Cotton serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Why would the Senate have such a committee? Could it be that binding agreements with foreign countries are supposed to be treaties that are ratified by the U.S. Senate? Maybe the letter was written because we have a president that has chosen to bypass Congress on seemingly anything and everything.
Unprecedented, you say? Absolutely, no president should act without the consent of Congress on these matters. However, our secretary of state says it is not a treaty they are trying to negotiate, but an unbinding agreement. Unbinding, as in not legally bound. Really? I recall that Iran has always cheated on binding treaties, so what makes you think they will adhere to an unbinding agreement? If you people believe they will, I have some oceanfront property in Centerton, Ark., I would like to sell you.
The truth of the matter is that those letters, and letters written bashing our new governor and new legislators are most likely from people that never voted for Tom Cotton, and they will criticize every vote he casts. Just sour grapes over the butt-whipping they took in the last election.
My question is this: Would you like some bread and cheese to go with your whine?
G.W. WEEKS
Centerton
Simply need to listen
When the president announced his terrorism war plans, my first thought was that for every terrorist killed, there would be maybe 25 young people being trained to hate and to kill. Where would it end? What should our focus be? What can we do?
I began to ponder the matter. I like to ponder, so I stuck with this thought for weeks, reading and talking with a few people and staring into space a lot. Big ideas of big interventions shrank immediately in light of history.
Considering we're all made of the same universal stuff, it would seem we would respect each other for "being." Of course we don't. The word respect stood out and grew.
How best to teach respect? Listening came to mind. How very warm we feel when someone listens to us. By now I was on a small-scale, local basis.
What if each of us took our immediate circle of family and friends and began listening to them: listening without interruption; listening without comment, only a nod now and then; listening without a need to respond; listening without forming judgments or solutions or advice.
Such listening is empowering. It is cleansing. It can also be contagious. It is difficult to give.
Make the effort and smile as you keep trying.
JUDITH BAUM
North Little Rock
Editorial on 03/23/2015