The worth of our lives
I've struggled through yet another Paul Greenberg column attacking what he likes to call the "culture of death." I lay the paper aside with a sigh; it puts me in mind of my friend C.
We all knew C was one of the best of us--compassionate, kind, and courageous. She was a survivor of incest who had completed her master's degree in social work and married relatively late in life. When she became pregnant, we shared her joy, knowing how lucky this child would be.
But prenatal testing revealed that C's little boy had a devastating genetic abnormality. He would be deformed, have probable cardiac problems, seizures, and severe developmental disabilities; he would be in constant pain, and was unlikely to live longer than a handful of years. Heartbroken and sad, C chose to end her pregnancy. We all mourned with her, knowing that the beautiful baby girl she later had would never erase the memory of her dead son.
There are over 6,000 known genetic disorders; 3 to 4 percent of babies will be born with a disease or major birth defect. Sadly, some disorders such as C's cannot be diagnosed until the pregnancy is well advanced.
Our lives are the one thing we totally own. Whether we are a damaged fetus or an oldster slipping into end-stage dementia, the decision as to the worth of that life must sometimes be made by another. I applaud my friend for her courage in protecting her babe from years of suffering.
ANN LINK
Little Rock
Why wars were fought
By all accounts my father was a brilliant, loving, funny, multitalented man. But as a rule, I rarely saw those parts of him in the little time that I was with him. The man that I knew was bitter, angry, broken and a raging alcoholic. I remember the times that war-induced trauma memories fueled by alcohol would be so intense that I'd lock him in his room and hide his guns. I was 13.
He served in the U.S. Navy during War World II. He served during the Korean War as well. He was wounded in WWII. The after-effects of that service left him mentally unhealthy for the remainder of his life. He self-medicated with alcohol; he was violent and terribly abusive on multiple fronts. His behavior toward me profoundly impacted my life in horrific ways.
My dad served to fight the Nazis and to push back North Korea after it invaded South Korea. Yet here we are today. American Nazis marching in American streets. Behavior our White House has seemed to encourage by the hateful, bigoted rhetoric and silence of 45, and the appointment of known white supremacists to high-level White House positions. At the same time, 45 brashly threatens North Korea in ways that, if continued, will likely cause the deaths of millions of South and North Korean citizens.
My dad was lost to himself, his marriage, and to me and my brothers due to his service to oppose Nazis and to protect South Koreans. A price he and my family seem to have paid in vain in this Amerikkka.
RANDI M. ROMO
Little Rock
Those who back him
Have you ever wondered why Donald Trump's base support runs about 40 percent and never changes no matter what he does? Well, it should be clear now that we saw in Virginia who his hateful base really is.
KIRK DIXON
Little Rock
Citizens on the edge
To make himself popular with voters, Donald Trump promised to produce a plan within his first 30 days in office to dispatch ISIS very quickly. And to replace health care with "something wonderful." And fix the infrastructure. And reform taxation. Oh, and have a great relationship with Russia. Now he says he'll take care of the North Korea problem very quickly, "believe me."
To distract attention from whatever damaging news coverage, it seems Trump's pattern has always been to disrupt and confuse the news cycle. It was always just a matter of time before he started threatening war. And if that doesn't take pressure off him about "the Russia thing," it's logical to assume he might start one, hoping to benefit from our tradition of supporting the president during wartime. I believe he wouldn't be the first, after Republicans took us into Iraq under false pretenses, but let's remember that this is not normal.
Rex ex-Exxon Tillerson says "Americans should sleep well tonight," but then Trump retweets the U.S. Air Force's "#Fight Tonight," with photos of Pacific Command bombers in flight.
The Guam Department of Homeland Security just released a fact sheet titled "Preparing for an imminent missile threat," advising the residents of Guam "Do not look at the flash or fireball--it can blind you," and "Expect to stay inside for at least 24 hours."
Trump and Kim Jong Un are both inexperienced, spoiled, narcissistic, bad-tempered brats who each have nuclear weapons. What could possibly go wrong?
RALPH ELLIS
Fayetteville
Is it time to fret yet?
When he overestimated the number of people in the inauguration crowd, I put it down as braggadocio. When he denied having helped write his son's statement, I put it down as family loyalty. But when he told the Cabinet that he had had a call from the president of Mexico when he did not, I begin to wonder.
The media call him a liar, but I am now having second thoughts. He may be thinking he is telling the truth.
There is another explanation for all these events. He cannot tell what is real and what is not real. This is the definition of psychosis. Soon our country and the world will face North Korea and their nuclear rockets. We may be facing them with a psychotic president with nuclear codes.
I believe it is now a time to consider the definitions of "high crimes and misdemeanors."
GEORGE VAN O'BRIEN
McRae
Editorial on 08/16/2017