Prayer for happiness
Dear God, I look around and see so many people hurting one another and it makes my heart heavy and sad. What kind of a world are we creating for our children? Why must there be so much hatred and violence and inhumanity?
I pray for a way to walk through this world without drowning in sorrow and defeat. I pray for light to focus upon when all I hear and see is dark and bleak. Help me, God, to focus on the beauty and wonder the world has to offer. Help me recognize the good and the kind and the loving.
I pray to see beyond my sadness and despair to the miracles that occur every day and not let my disappointment overshadow my hope.
JEANNIE SMITH
North Little Rock
The blame is not his
There are presently three elected men in the Legislature who ran as Democrats. In a matter of weeks after being elected as Democrats, they declared themselves Republicans.
There is no doubt in my mind all three knew at the time that they intended to do that. I believe by the deception of omission they concealed their intent from the Democratic constituency that elected them. Why should the voters of either party trust them now?
Almost without exception they're quoted as saying they'd done it "after much prayer." Unless their real god is Ronald Reagan--does anyone think the God we were all taught about would OK deceiving the voters? Now they say they were not given chairmanships of committees for doing that.
How far are we supposed to trust men who'd deceive to get elected? And why are we supposed to believe they're being truthful about that? And why, if there's a scrap of integrity among the three of them, do they put the stink on God for what they've done?
Exit polls show that 81 percent of white evangelicals voted for Trump. I believe he is openly the most venal, narcissistic and hate-mongering person that Republicans could have scraped from the bottom of the septic tank.
Where is God's voice telling them to do that?
KARL HANSEN
Hensley
Overshadowing Nixon
Putin-gate is going to make Watergate seem like child's play. Hang on for the ride!
PATRICIA PHILLIPS
Little Rock
Great cartoon choices
Recently, I saw a letter expressing the opinion that the Democrat-Gazette was printing cartoons that, to him, were not in compliance with Arkansas' status of being a red, conservative state. That made me pause.
I have always thought that cartoonists were employed by all sorts of publications and their works were shared through arrangements with other news publications. I knew that a lot of cartoons in this paper were reprints from other publications, as I am sure this paper's cartoons are reprinted in other publications. I also know that for a cartoon to be entertaining, it must have an element of truth to it.
I further know that cartoonists make cartoons based on who or what is making the news. Of course, politicians would be at the top of that list as they are always saying or doing things that make the current news. The person also thought that Donald Trump was unfairly portrayed more often than others.
That assessment is strictly in the mind of the reader. All I can say is for him to get ready for at least four more years of nonstop Trump cartoons because there has never been a politician like Trump who considers it a good day to be the subject of the news, good or bad. I see nothing that indicates he will change his behavior.
I believe your current cartoon-selection experts are doing an excellent job of selecting the cartoons that are parodying the newsmakers. Keep it up.
SID JOHNSON
Fort Smith
Get your facts straight
I totally agree with Mr. Keith Payne's assessment that Mike Masterson has a flair for half-remembering those good old days. Remember, Mike, all those polite television Negroes that so often appeared on the small-town streets of Mayberry (or Harrison)? Not.
Yet I am disappointed by your recent folksy compromising and acceptance(s) of the tweeting behavior and the undemocratic policies of Donald Drumpft. Not a good fight and below your dignity. Keep up the good work, Mike, on the hog-manure crisis on the Buffalo River. It's a fight worth fighting.
As Keith Payne admonished, get your facts right so we may take your words seriously.
PHIL CORRELL
Little Rock
Shenanigans in D.C.
Thank you, 45, Flynn, Conway, Spicer, et al., for your recent shenanigans.
Now that the real Donald Trump apparently has been exposed, I can finally read the newspaper again.
And I just love his new game show--A Hypocrisy A Day. A true edge-of-your-seat nail-biter!
MICHAEL PREBLE
Hot Springs
Beer and lawmakers
I've heard it said more than once in different circumstances: "I've seen better heads on stale beer."
Could that be an applicable evaluation of Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and Elizabeth Warren?
JOHN E. HAIN JR.
Little Rock
Editorial on 02/18/2017