Classified information
In my opinion, most of the criticism of President Donald Trump is justified, but criticizing him for sharing intelligence with Russia is wrong.
Both Republican and Democrat presidents have in the past shared classified information with Russia if it was mutually beneficial to do so. Russia and the United States are both fighting ISIS, and the information shared related to ISIS activities. What's wrong with that?
Under U.S. law, presidents can declassify any information they so desire. Thus it would seem Trump committed no criminal act by doing so.
Having taken up for the president in regard to the above matter, I also agree that he should not continue to be president and will likely be replaced in favor of the vice president before the end of the year.
Columnist John Brummett is being unusually kind when he writes that Trump needs professional help. I, however, agree with him.
VERNON McDANIEL
Ozark
Anything may happen
Be careful what you wish for. The liberals were very unhappy with FBI Director James Comey and many demanded his firing. President Trump fired him, and then those same people were outraged.
Next there was a demand for a special counsel. Robert Mueller, former FBI director, has been named, and I predict they will not be satisfied regardless of his findings. The history of special counsels shows their findings often are different from what was expected. Patrick Fitzgerald was appointed to look into the Valerie Plame affair; it ended with the prosecution and conviction of "Scooter" Libby for perjury and obstruction. He found that although Ms. Plame had been an undercover agent in years past, she was no longer in that role, and her unmasking by Richard Armitage was not worthy of prosecution. Then there was a guy named Ken Starr who was assigned to look into a land deal here in Arkansas. His big discovery had to do with a stain on a blue dress and resulted in the impeachment of a president.
These special counsels have a way of branching outside the parameters envisioned. Comey's "notes" may be requested, and they could include discussions of Hillary's email and email system. It could even include having Susan Rice reveal which Americans caught up in "incidental collection" she had unmasked and why. The special counsel might look into DNC efforts to rig the primaries for Hillary; the IRS scandal of the Obama administration could rear its head.
The possibilities are endless.
PHIL PHILLIPS
Fayetteville
Peace among nations
With all of the terrorism, wars and hatred in our world, why can't we have peace? Respect our allies and not put up barriers to enter our country. I believe most of these allies come to America for freedom and, most of all, peace.
Right here in the United States we have bitterness and hatred. Hate groups and hate crimes. Do away with the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazis that promote hatred. God is of love and not hate. Jesus came to earth to die on a cross for mankind.
DONALD PUTMAN
El Dorado
A right to health care
I felt the need to respond to Mr. Ken Miller of Little Rock's response to Ruud DuVall's letter "Medical care's a right," stating he would have agreed with him 60 years earlier when "socialist" ideas were more appealing to him.
So his point (1) was that we'd have lower-quality health care via a government edict? I must point to both Medicare and the VA to prove this statement wrong, and as for (2) with lower quality through government-run health care, that's also a fallacy. Both Medicare and the VA are far more popular than via health insurance, which I might point out is not health care.
We cough up an additional $608 billion per year to ensure their profits whereas Medicare's overhead is around 3 percent. The majority of the pharmaceutical R&Ds are though government grants to universities, then handed off to the private sector for free, who then turn around and patent the discovery paid for by the people and charge us outrageous rates. Most of their costs are in advertising.
As for the capitalistic marketplace, in case you haven't noticed, it's become a monopoly that has captured not only the mythical "free market" but now the federal and most state governments as well.
As for the libertarian view that all will be right if we just let the corporations do as they darned well please that they'll do right by us and if not we can sue: Really? We can't sue if we're dead or broke. Does he then side with those who feel health care or a right to live is not a right but a privilege?
JUDITH ZITKO
Hot Springs Village
Sharing his offenses
Some people think that the many negative news stories about President Trump's activities, as shared on social media, are "biased." However, it is not social media's fault that Trump constantly acts in outrageous, controversial ways and that many people then share these activities.
I think the president should be advised to keep his mouth zipped and avoid calling our FBI director "a nut job," etc. But wait, he doesn't take advice and therein lies the problem.
Anyone who voted for or supported Trump is getting exactly what they deserve. Pointing this out on social media is similar to what you do when a puppy pees on the floor. We need to make Trump voters aware of how they have hurt our country by putting this boorish, inept reality-show host in the White House.
One doesn't enjoy treating a puppy in this fashion, but they have to learn so they won't ever do it again!
AIMEE CROCHET
West Fork
Editorial on 05/24/2017