Still time for change
Time is running short. If only a third political party would show up, we could have a choice of candidates to vote for other than Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, or Mickey Mouse. Of course, the candidates would have to have the best interests of our country, and the citizens of our wonderful country.
It's not too late--yet!
JANE WALKER
Cabot
Understand concept
In regard to James Britt's letter, I applaud his comments regarding the use of single stalls and gender-neutral bathrooms.
I also would like to correct a misunderstanding of gender and sexual orientation. Mr. Britt speaks of "use of public restrooms by people of different sexual orientation," but it seems his intent is to speak about the controversy regarding transgender individuals using bathrooms that do not match their birth anatomy. "Sexual orientation" is a term that is properly used to designate one's preference in terms of sexual desire, not one's gender identification or anatomy.
A transgender woman may prefer (an inadequate term for sexual orientation, but our language is limited) to have romantic and sexual relationships with women, with men, with either, or not at all.
Gender identification and sexual orientation are separate, albeit related, issues. Understanding that concept is critical to appropriate discussion.
STEPHEN C. SORSBY
Alexander
Fakes galore indeed
Well, Paul Greenberg may have to turn in that Pulitzer Prize for quoting Randy Newman in his "Fakes galore" column without any attribution and for making it sound like his song "Kingfish" was written by someone else back in 1932.
Huey P. Long co-wrote "Every Man a King," but Paul quoted Newman's "Kingfish." Shame on him. I believe he owes Randy Newman an apology, a prominently placed attribution, and possibly a royalty if he is going to publish his words without his permission.
PHILIP WARNER
Garfield
Nothing off the table
While spending endless hours in a waiting room at UAMS I've now read multiple anti-medical marijuana editorials printed in the course of a couple of weeks. It must be nice to have your own bully pulpit. Please excuse my tardiness in responding. I volunteer as a cancer patient advocate and I've been kind of busy.
You seem to be under the impression that cannabis is only used for nausea. You mention the synthetic cannabis anti-nausea drug, Marinol, that makes money for a big drug company. I've worked with cancer patients who take it by the handful with no effect in stopping nausea. Smoking real cannabis does. It also stimulates their appetite, improves mental attitude and relieves pain better than constipation-causing addictive opiates. Cannabis contains a component, CBD (cannibidiol), that's been shown effective for the treatment of childhood epileptic seizure syndromes. An CBD/THC oral spray drug called Sativex is currently on fast-track status with the FDA for the treatment of multiple sclerosis tremors. CBD also shows efficacy against colon cancer. Sativex might also prove effective against my patient's colon cancer, but until medical cannabis is legalized, research is stymied.
Cannabis has never killed anyone, unlike our sacred poisons tobacco, alcohol, and pharmaceutical drugs. When you're as ill as my current patient, yours is the only opinion that matters and nothing should be off the table.
Vote for medical cannabis via the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act (AMCA). The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment (AMMA) proposal will create a monopoly for eight people and put medical cannabis under the supervision of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board instead of the Health Department. Readers, please educate yourselves beyond reading hysterical editorials from this newspaper.
MIKE TRIPP
Crystal Springs
Remembered, missed
Re Eat My Catfish: Oh, yes. We certainly do remember John Barleycorn's Vision.
Sigh ... if only we were seeing a return of that restaurant instead of the opening of yet another fried-catfish purveyor.
SUSAN KASPAR
North Little Rock
Wasn't editorializing
Two recent letters to the editor have accused the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette of editorializing in an article covering Donald Trump stating that Hillary Clinton essentially wanted to abolish the Second Amendment. Trump said that perhaps advocates of the Second Amendment--the right to bear arms--could do something about that, which seemed a thinly veiled call to assassinate Clinton. The news report said it was false that Clinton had called for abolishing the Second Amendment.
I believe that isn't editorializing. It is printing the truth. Clinton has repeatedly said she supports the Second Amendment. Failure to report Trump's falsehood would have been poor journalism as it would have led millions of people--including potentially unstable gun-rights advocates--to believe that Clinton was in favor of taking away their guns. Abolishing the Second Amendment couldn't be done anyhow without a constitutional amendment passed by a two-third margin in Congress or two-thirds of the states, and then ratified by three-fourths of the states.
Sorry, Trump supporters. Just because it doesn't look good when Trump tells a lie doesn't mean it should be allowed to pass without the record being set straight.
BECKY GILLETTE
Eureka Springs
Elect true American
I read Bradley Gitz's column on things he won't do. I agree with most of what he had to say. The one thing he won't do that I agree with most was not voting for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.
I plan to vote for Chris Keniston of the Veterans Party of America. This country needs a president that really cares about this nation. Chris Keniston is a vet, and I believe nobody cares more about this nation than a vet. I think neither Trump nor Clinton has ever done anything useful for this country, so, we (the citizens) need to elect a true American into the White House.
To find out what the Veterans Party of America stands for, check out their website.
MARK R. REED
Prescott
Editorial on 08/22/2016