Not worthy, not hired
Legislators are not hired. Legislators are elected and should be aware of what the job pays and what commitment is involved before running for the office. A recent editorial stated: "If the state is going to attract the best people to these jobs--some of whom won't be bums, and the public won't want to throw out--then the state is going to have to pay better."
Evidently some cheaply hired bums slipped in with past elections.
Teachers and politicians should swap salaries. Most teachers I am acquainted with don't make the kind of money our legislators will. I am so angry!
ROBERT W. SWANN
North Little Rock
A challenge extended
The cartoonists of Wumo, like many other comedians and/or satirists, often express their freedom to display their artistic talents even at the expense of offending and hurting many people undeservedly. After all, they have the constitutional right to do so. It seems such writers almost always select Christians as their choice of religions to display their talents; for example, a photo of a crucifix in a jar of urine displayed as "art" in the Smithsonian, etc.
But I double-dog dare--no, I triple-dog dare the Wumo cartoonists to draw a cartoon showing the prophet Mohammad, including showing his face, in some similar satirical manner. If they don't have the guts to do it, then they should cease drawing such depictions offending Christians or any other religions. After all, how much guts does it take to bully someone that you know is taught not to strike back?
I mean no offense to the followers of Islam, or of any other religions, by this challenge to the authors of Wumo.
JERRY POTTER
Hot Springs
Reasons to dislike it
I noticed I didn't like Wumo when it had a cartoon of a snowstorm and maybe a hint of faces shown. The caption read: When albinos play in the snow. What if it was midnight and African Americans were outside? Would that be funny?
MELBA SHARP
Little Rock
Leader boldly steps up
Sen. Tom Cotton was not politically correct with his Iran letter, and I believe that is a blessing for Arkansas voters. In a dysfunctional Congress that has single-digit approval ratings, and a petulant president with a pen and phone bypasses congressional policy, the voters and the president needed a reminder that Congress does have a role. It's refreshing to see a leader stand out while other members of Congress hide in the weeds trying to determine their politically correct position.
Senator Cotton, stay politically incorrect and be bold. Your next test will be when the president tries to end-run Congress and defer the nuke Iran issue to the UN. Senator Cotton, you may be a freshman senator, but you are bringing back bold leadership to Arkansas.
MORRIS POLSTON
Hot Springs Village
Just fiddling around
After reading a letter from Justin Jones on the Voices page of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, I would like to nominate him for the Arkansas Optimist Club's Optimist-of-the-Year award based upon his senatorial reminder No. 4 for Sen. Tom Cotton: You should not send brazen warning letters to volatile countries, especially when that country might consider dismantling its nuclear program. That ranks with this list of other things that might happen: 1. Hillary Clinton might actually admit that she has been wrong about something. 2. State Sen. Jason Rapert might switch to the Democratic Party because the Republican Party is not liberal enough for him. 3. John Brummett might become a Baptist minister.
Mr. Jones referred to Senator Cotton as an adolescent senator. Others have suggested that his one term as a congressman doesn't adequately qualify him to make major decisions. We should pay close attention to these concerns. Look at what happened when another adolescent senator was elected president of the United States.
Our leaders should work together and avoid war with Iran if possible. Senator Cotton's position seems more realistic than the president's because Iran continues to work toward developing nuclear weapons despite sanctions placed upon it. It also does not allow inspections necessary to assure that it honors agreements. Why, without sanctions, would we expect that Iran would now honor any such commitments?
Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Will President Barack Obama be allowed to fiddle while Iran becomes armed with nuclear weapons?
FRANK MITCHELL
Vilonia
Beyond words to wise
Dear Tom: Congratulations! With only a few months in the office of senator from the state of Arkansas, you have proven my suspicions correct. I must confess that I did not vote for you and I did not expect that you would represent my interests very well. In that, you have so far been spectacularly successful.
It appears, from the divided letters that I have observed, that you still hold about the same lead in voters that you did in the election. Consequently, you probably are convinced that you are invincible and that those who do not agree with you can, as you said of the Guantanamo detainees, "rot in hell" (although you are politically observant enough not to say so).
I suspect that you are beyond any words to the wise, believing, as I think you do, that you are among the wisest of men, having been a United States Army captain, a Harvard graduate and all. However, I must caution my fellow voters in the good state of Arkansas to be careful. Men of any rank, stature, or office who take it upon themselves, so early in their careers, to publicly admonish their peers, the president and foreign leaders, and relish the spotlight as you appear to do, have motives in mind that transcend their immediate circumstance. Such ulterior motives rarely benefit those who put such men in office.
Arrogance, unchecked, begets power; power, when personified, begets tyranny.
JERRY ROBERTSON
Van Buren
Editorial on 03/31/2015