Letters

Relief's on the horizon

Recently, I was asked how I felt about the current political rhetoric. I answered with a story that is mainly true as Mark Twain might have said.

In the 1940s when an air conditioner was a free, hand-held, fan-shaped cardboard with words advertising the county seat funeral homes, our church's annual summertime revival meeting with attendees testifying each night before the preaching was at the final night. For 21 consecutive nights this good lady had brought her son, age 8, sometimes against his will. She began her testimony. The revival had been a spiritual success. The lady stood to testify, but could not because she said she was so "choked up inside with happy emotions" and she could not continue. She sat down. The moderator asked her son if he'd like to say a few words. The faithful 8-year-old stood and said: "I feel like my mom, I've got a belly full of this myself."

Today, the youth's assessment of this protracted revival meeting coincides with my opinion about the current and lengthy political season. Some relief comes with the end of the national conventions but too many superfluous gushes are ahead before Nov. 8.

WILLIAM C. KRAMER

North Little Rock

What are real enemies

Bobby Gene Willis of Dardanelle is way off the mark when he writes, "the Black Lives Matter movement is nothing but a black hate group just like the KKK ... their aim is nothing short of a full race war!"

I believe Black Lives Matter is not a hate group. It is not in any way comparable to the KKK. There are no innocent white citizens being lynched or dragged through the streets in chains behind pickups. There are no white churches or schools being burned to the ground. This is not the Black Power movement of the 1960s that advocated armed insurrection against the government.

Black Lives Matter is a social movement that seeks an end to violence against and among young black males, a population that is being marginalized and incarcerated at an alarming rate. Let's be honest about the problem--it isn't unarmed whites who are being shot with such frequency by police around the country.

The opposite of Black Lives Matter is not white lives don't matter; it is black lives don't matter. If you believe that black lives don't matter, then you are a racist. Anger, ignorance and fear are the enemies we should guard against, not people whose skin is darker than our own.

DAVID ELI COCKCROFT

Little Rock

Roads overcrowded

Re Mr. Howell Medders' comment about our roads: The problem with our roads today is they are very overcrowded with too many cars and trucks.

It seem our most fearless leaders in Washington, D.C., have seen to that in the last 50 years. What fools we have.

DAN WORTHAM

North Little Rock

Need more like him

I received my paper on a recent morning as usual, but I was surprised. Mr. Bradley R. Gitz has written a damn good column about what's wrong with race relations around our country! Finally someone has the guts to tell it like it is.

It restores my faith in writers. It seems some can tell it like it is. God bless Mr. Gitz. We need more like him. Kudos.

H.L. SNIPES

Mabelvale

Problem with racism

The other day I read a column by Bradley Gitz and comments from a fellow in Searcy with amazement. Gitz implies that there's no such thing as racism and white privilege, while this other fellow implies that all the crimes committed in Little Rock are by black people, which justifies racial profiling.

I believe Donald Trump being the Republican nominee for president stands as direct proof that racism still exists in a strong way. When someone seeks the highest office in our land, that person should be automatically disqualified for racist views by a large segment of our society. His supporters say he doesn't mean that, he'll be good for the economy, or that Hillary is a crook. Now make no mistake about it, if he was anti-European American, he likely would not be on the ballot.

Anyone who thinks racial profiling is acceptable, has racist views and is in law enforcement should pursue another line of work today. If Americans seriously want to get past racism, they must first own it and stop pretending it isn't happening, and then tear down all the monuments, schools and buildings dedicated to the former slave owners. I have neighbors who fly the Confederate flag even though they are aware that it's a sign of division and bad memories for others.

The true problem with racism is defined in the old saying that some folks will catch the flu if it gives those not like them a cold.

KENNETH McELROY

Lonoke

Who should be lauded

Among the latest editorials concerning the matters of the Little Rock School District was one by a nameless person discussing the legacy of Baker Kurrus. Since said person did not attach his name to the piece, I'll just call him Brutus.

Brutus seems to be giving a soliloquy wherein he is either trying to ease his conscience or convince the crowd that the right thing has been done by replacing Kurrus with Michael Poore, or maybe both. He gives Kurrus some credit. He was an honorable man, but he was just too ambitious taking a stand against charter schools.

Among the inaccuracies in Brutus' speech is praise for Kurrus for replacing the staff at Baseline, when it was that staff that deserves the credit for getting Baseline off the priority list, not Jonathan Crossley and the current staff.

Now Kurrus has been kicked to the curb as well, albeit with a few more accolades than the old Baseline staff received.

Well, Brutus. It seems it's not that you loved Kurrus and the Little Rock School District less, but that you loved the Walton Foundation and charter schools more.

SHARRA HAMPTON

Little Rock

Editorial on 08/01/2016

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