Proper terminologies
Who in the world placed authority to determine the definition of abortion in the state Board of Health, which, in addition to MDs, is also composed of an optometrist, a veterinarian, an engineer, a chiropractor, a dentist and a pharmacist?
One of the members, Dr. Clark Fincher, wants to require women who are pregnant to be told that an abortion is the same as "killing her baby." Does he also propose to require that men having vasectomies be told the procedure will be killing millions of sperm, which are potential babies?
The good doctor from Searcy has decided that members should vote their consciences. Does he realize that in so voting, he is refusing a woman her constitutional right (see Roe v. Wade, sir) to make her own decisions about her body?
It is not in the best interest of a 13-year-old who has been impregnated by a family member to carry a pregnancy to full term. It is not in the best interest of a young mother of four who has just lost health insurance, or her husband lost a job, to carry another pregnancy to full term. There are numerous other instances in which a woman should not be reminded of the heartbreaking decision she is making.
To the male members of the Board of Health, I suggest that "termination of pregnancy" is a proper term.
LEE JONES
Little Rock
Support small farmers
We reap what we sow, and we must sit down at the banquet of results and consequences of our unwise farming practices. That time is now.
We have sown greed, and now we are reaping a diminished crop. No living organization can continually give without being restored; and so it is for our earth. Clean, nutrient-rich crops need wise land practices to ensure future clean, nutrient-rich crops.
Small family farmers love the land they work. As they till the land, they think about restoration. Unlike family farmers, industrial food systems' primary motivation is greed. Greed encourages deforestation, chemical fertilizers, and food waste, which amounts to about 4 percent of our greenhouse emissions. Besides reaping less food per hectare of land, these poor land practices increase the greenhouse emissions.
To make matters worse for small farmers, Trump has sided with big agriculture to withdraw the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Act's new rule. This rule would have stopped some of the predatory and retaliatory practices against small farmers.
We need federal and state policies to support our farmers, not to make farming more difficult.
PEG COFFEY
Fayetteville
Racial discord cause
In response to Laverne Welcher, yes, there are many reasons for racial discord in this country. I believe Maxine Waters is not one of them, but the likes of you are. The very idea that you would blame an African American congresswoman who is trying to save our country from a dangerous, ignorant narcissist like Donald Trump reeks of racism to me!
KATHY ATTWOOD
Eureka Springs
Stand up to the bully
Back in the 1950s, the Donald of the day was Joe McCarthy. He intimidated everyone into silence and no one had the backbone to stand up to him. When he was finally exposed as the bully he was, most of Congress was sorry it had not had the profiles in courage to speak out against him.
In Germany there was fear and silence in the 1930s and no one saw what that silence would bring them.
It seems French Hill, Tom Cotton and the rest of our delegation follow the crowd and brag on what a great president Trump is. They will one day be like the silent Congress of Joe McCarthy and wish they had had the backbone to speak up. Trump has intimidated judges, failed to pay what he owed to many small businesses, reportedly given classified information to Russians in the White House, possibly obstructed justice, embarrassed our country on the world stage, acted like a fifth-grade bully to our allies, lied so much he has conditioned people to it, and put us at risk of nuclear war with his name-calling. Yet French Hill, Tom Cotton and the rest of our delegation apparently still value their positions over the health and safety of our country.
The day is coming when the tide will turn; more brave people like John McCain, Jeff Flake and Bob Corker will speak out, and we will remind French, Tom and the others where they stood and where they put our country in relation to their positions.
KIRK DIXON
Little Rock
Off to Texas, I guess
Some states have an income tax and a property tax (e.g., Arkansas), and some states (e.g., Texas) only use a hefty property tax. Either way, the result is the same to the taxpayer.
Having returned to Arkansas last year after living in Texas for decades, I can state from experience that your home state will get the money to run the government one way or another.
I was amazed to read in Sunday's paper that my former congressman and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Kevin Brady, has now decided to allow property-tax deductions in the coming tax bill, but not state income-tax deductions. This means that citizens of states that exclusively use a property tax will have a much larger advantage in the tax bill, and whether intentional or not, the constituents of Kevin Brady will gain a big advantage over the citizens of states that use an income tax.
The citizens of Arkansas should demand a more balanced approach to national tax deductions. For example, the deduction could be a combination of property tax and income tax with some sort of cap on the deduction. This would remove the disadvantage for citizens of income-tax states while the cap would allow Congress to achieve the increase in revenue that they are looking for.
PAUL SWEPSTON
Hot Springs
The worth of his word
President Trump may be worth billions of dollars, but his "word" is worth nothing.
EUGENE D. BRAMBLETT
Camden
Editorial on 10/31/2017