Letters

Haven't earned trust

Well, now we have another agreement with an Iranian government that spits on the paper which agreements are written on, and everyone is euphoric. Especially recent guest writer Brandon Fureigh. He called it "a historic framework agreement that would cut off Iran's paths to the bomb." Wow!

"I believe it is 'peace for our time.' Go home and get a nice, quiet sleep."--Neville Chamberlain, in front of No. 10 Downing Street, London, after his arrival home from the notorious Munich Conference of 1938.

Mr. Fureigh serves as the chief strategy officer for the Truman National Security Project. He seems to want to preach to, or lecture to, or maybe even shame Sen. Tom Cotton and the other members of Congress who dare to maintain a healthy distrust of the Iranian government and its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons.

Maybe Senator Cotton's intransigence is because he actually spent a couple of tours of duty in the Middle East as an infantry officer fighting the kinds of hate-filled people Mr. Fureigh now says we can trust.

Maybe it's because Senator Cotton also knows that appeasement, even couched in the strongest terms, doesn't work. Just ask Neville Chamberlain.

RON EVANS

Blytheville

That ground is high

In his campaign announcement, does former Gov. Mike Huckabee's "higher ground" refer to his $3 million home in his new hometown of Blue Mountain Beach, Florida?

It seems rather meretricious to link verbally the city of Hope, Arkansas, to his brand of "hope" and "higher ground" when he is no longer a resident of our state.

Just wondering ...

SUZANN W. BARR

Little Rock

Has image problem

The year 2008 was pivotal in presidential politics as two well-known Arkansans made their decisions in running for president.

Those two are Hillary Rodham Clinton and Mike Huckabee. Yet those two were in the running for their party's nomination for president and are at it again for 2016.

As for Mike Huckabee, he has said a lot of things that are going on with this country through radio and TV talk shows, and because of them he was made famous.

But the Clintons and the Clinton moneymaking machine are well-known, especially for their work on establishing the Clinton Foundation.

But Hillary Clinton does have an image problem, not just because of the emails she deleted, but also the foundation she and President Bill Clinton established.

Even Mike Huckabee would agree on that.

JOHN HUERTA

Warren

Military retiree taxes

I got a glimpse of Gov. Asa Hutchinson on TV at the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington. Seeing the governor's picture reminded me, for some reason, of Richard Burns' letter in which he alleged that the governor single-handedly blocked legislation to exempt military retired pay from taxation.

Presently, 23 states do not tax military retired pay, and that will increase to 24 states in 2016 when Missouri's law goes into effect.

I believe several things are overlooked regarding this subject. Among military retirees are doctors, lawyers, nurses, engineers and numerous others with unique management and technical skills, all of which would be a valuable asset to the state. And almost all of the retirees must continue employment to provide an adequate living for their families. All of their new civilian jobs' income would be fully taxable by the state, as well as their dividends, interests and capital gains. I also believe an increase in the number of military retirees would be the equivalent of bringing a new industry into the state.

I believe ways can be found to support this legislation.

It is time to get it done--as indicated in an earlier editorial by the Democrat-Gazette.

RUSS BAILEY

Little Rock

Should walk the talk

I attended the Bentonville Film Festival last week. What a wonderful event celebrating women! Before they showed the feature film, they showed multiple clips promoting equality and diversity, highlighting equality for girls/women. One even featured a woman who plays ice hockey with men.

I found this so ironic, considering that the same town hosting this event that is telling girls that they can do anything, that girls are as capable as boys, is also home to a lacrosse league that has barred our 10-year-old daughter from continuing to play on the boys' team. Many of the vendors sponsoring this fantastic event also sponsor NWA Lacrosse.

I believe if this community and its leaders are truly as committed to diversity and equality as this event would lead us to believe, then they need to make their actions reflect their words and push this organization to do the right thing and allow our daughter back on the team.

My daughter was only 10 years old the first time she was told she couldn't do something because she was a girl. How we react as a community will frame how she views herself and her abilities for the rest of her life.

KRISTY LEMMON

Bella Vista

Where did he get it?

In the letter from Eugene Buchanan, he says, referring to police body cameras, that "thousands of policemen are working on ways to defeat the purpose of body cameras."

It is easy for someone to come up with a statement that has no basis in reality. Just listen to Hillary Clinton. But he doesn't indicate from where his information came that this is taking place. The local beer bar? A friend in the local jail? And what are the police specifically doing to defeat the purpose? Gorilla tape over the camera lens? Pointing the camera toward your shirt instead of toward the poor citizen? Brilliant!

What a bunch of B.S. (big silly).

LARRY GENTRY

Benton

Editorial on 05/10/2015

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