Brains washed, cheap!
Doesn't anyone understand what Donald Trump is doing? He's trying to destroy the very basic foundation of democracy, called the free press.
It's called "brainwashing," the very same thing North Korea has been doing to its people for 70 years. He wants the people to believe everything he says is the gospel and everything the media says is fake.
It seems he doesn't see himself as representing the country; he sees everything as me, myself and I. What's good for me? And what's good for him is making more money. He looks at Russia as a goldmine for future money-making deals for himself. That's all he cares about. Not our future, but his.
I believe our future is in the hands of an unstable, self-centered con artist.
VIC JOHNSON
Mount Ida
Cool it with the jokes
Shouldn't someone tell Craig O'Neill and Ned Perme that they are not funny? It wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that they are desperately trying to be. If you are going for laughs, you have to induce a smile, occasionally a chuckle, maybe even throw in a guffaw every great once in a while. If they were doing their "routines" to a live audience, they would be heckled. I don't expect Richard Pryor, but someone should hire these guys some comedy writers.
If they keep going for humor, maybe Craig could do Abbott and Costello's "Who's on first." Maybe Ned could shave his head to look like Curly of the Three Stooges. When he missed a weather prediction (as he often does), one of his cohorts could take two fingers, poke him in the eyes and say, "You numbskull."
Or they could just play it straight. Not once did I ever see Walter Cronkite look into the camera and say, "Did I tell you the one about the priest and the rabbi walking into a bar?"
GARY USELTON
Benton
Need common sense
The position of both Tom Cotton and John Boozman to repeal the ACA (Obamacare) now and replace later flies in the face of common sense. "Never jump until you have a place to land."
But then, common sense is a flower that doesn't grow in everyone's garden.
MARGARET HOLCOMB
Fayetteville
Planned Parenthood
If you believe you are opposed to the works of Planned Parenthood, please reconsider. It is one of the best uses of your tax dollars--healthier and better-educated people put less strain on any economy.
Shutting down Planned Parenthood would deny millions of patients access to cancer screenings, birth control, HIV testing, and parental education, among other important health concerns. Plus it is available to anyone.
There is no compassion whatsoever in a decision to end this critical funding, a teensy amount to the overall budget. So please take the time to let Senators Boozman and Cotton know that you support Planned Parenthood. It matters!
RHONDA PATTON
Roland
Health care cash cow
We attend health-care fundraisers a lot; then my family became one.
Let me be clear, the road to this was not simple. After a layoff from a Fortune 500 company, our family obtained insurance through the ACA (nonsubsidized). We stayed on it as a new job with a venture-capital firm did not provide health insurance in Arkansas.
Things were fine until cancer struck. We are parents in our 40s with three children. A health crisis, yep! That is when the bills started rolling in and took us way beyond our deductible in less than three months. The bills are still rolling in, and our lifetime savings for our soon-to-be college-age child has disappeared.
We have always paid for health care, so what I ask you to think about is, maybe instead of wasting more time on who should pay for health care, we should start to ask: How come it is so expensive? Who is reaping all the benefits?
Recently we have been asked to another fundraiser. I am embarrassed and despaired that when they pass the hat around I have nothing to give--I am dealing with the need for another fundraiser myself.
This country put a man on the moon--it's time it caught up to the rest of the industrialized countries with solid health-care platforms. The American dream is shattered by the greed of someone making money off your poor health. Be careful what you "wish" or vote for--you could be next.
TRICIA MOORE
Fayetteville
Random ponderings
As summer rolls into heat and humidity, I retreat indoors and I begin to ponder things.
We know about Donald Trump and women, but what about Trump and men? I ponder about his bromance with Putin. Is it "Vlad's" manly ability to ride a horse shirtless and not sunburn, or his ability to lie with such aplomb? We know it was Trump's honor to meet Putin, including their long intimate talks at the G-20 summit, and I ponder where this bromance will lead. Will Trump make a deal, or will Putin break his heart with that steely look and his even greater ability to sell snake oil?
I ponder about Putin and Obama. They seem to have taken up residency in Donald's head. Do they have a conversation?
Finally, I am wondering how Trump deciphers the First Amendment to the Constitution. He has free speech tweeted to perfection. That is, only for him. Free press has to be carefully monitored lest it be truly free.
August will be hot and humid, and I will continue to mull these thoughts over, including whether Eric Trump is in fact the smarter brother. I can hardly wait for September.
GWENNETH L. PRICE PICARD
Little Rock
The next logical step
The Affordable Care Act made it possible for millions of Americans to finally have health-care insurance. It was a remarkable achievement, though not a perfect one.
Isn't the next logical step to make repairs to the ACA and then bring the remaining uninsured Americans into the tent? For a rich and prosperous country like ours, it's the right thing to do.
BETTY HUNT
North Little Rock
Editorial on 07/21/2017