Letters

The Bielema dilemma

As a former proud graduate of the University of Arkansas (before it needed a locator town in its address), I feel compelled to offer my input on the Bielema dilemma. If the sainted Frank Broyles had not schemed to dismantle the Southwest Conference in pursuit of the almighty dollar, things might not have reached the current condition of a ridiculous $15.4 million buyout for the obviously relaxed coach of the Hogs. The university might have remained a facility intended to function as an academic institution where some students played football, rather than attempting to become a minor-league stepping stone for NFL aspirants.

So is there any kind of buyout for the perpetrator of the current conundrum, Athletic Director Jeff Long? If not, why not let Long ease out the door in search of other opportunities, as it were? Maybe someone can then prevail upon my fellow North Little Rock High School alum, Jerry Jones, to step in as interim A.D. I hear Jones has some sort of experience in running a football team. Then he can select a fellow interim person as football coach and then re-assign Bret Bielema to duty as the special kicking coach, as a sort of cosmic karma reward for the way he denigrated the team's kicker.

Back in the days when college football was considered a sport and not a business, many would have risen to criticize Bielema for his asinine remarks about a young collegian who had failed to be perfect. Surely all football fans in Arkansas have come to the dawning realization that as poorly as recruiting goes for the Razorbacks, it will now become astonishingly difficult, as young athletes--and their parents--contemplate attendance at a college where the head football coach publicly mocks a player who comes up short.

Some might consider this behavior far more tasteless and unacceptable than that of previously ousted coaches Houston Nutt and Bobby Petrino.

JACK W. HILL

Bismarck

Much to admire there

The Thursday Voices page last week was one of your best. William G. Carlyle's letter re the poor state of music today is right on. l've quit listening to most current music--it sounds like street jive to me. Nothing in the current offerings would ever come close to "Delta Dawn" by Tanya Tucker, "Me and Bobbie McGee" by Kris Kristofferson (he wrote it), Judy Garland singing "The Man That Got Away," and hundreds more. Those were the good old days.

Then there is the priceless one-sentence letter of Mr. Carnation about a recent football game. Frank Broyles is laughing so hard the angels are concerned. Of all the letters, the ones I admire most are the one- or two-sentence ones. That requires real talent. The best one ever was the one-sentence advice from a lady in Morrilton to all the folks who apparently are not sure which sex they are. As best I recall, her advice was "you are what you are, get over it," or words to that effect.

But Mr. Carlyle is right on, and to encompass that much in one sentence is true talent. Right on!

WALTER SKELTON

Little Rock

Back Medicare for all

The recent proposal by Sen. Bernie Sanders to extend Medicare coverage to all citizens will surely be opposed by those who don't want higher taxes. Don't be fooled by these arguments--health-insurance costs to individuals and families are already sky-high; the "tax" we already pay is an insurance premium paid to private companies who are interested in profit. By removing the profit motive and paying a premium through a tax rather than a private payment, the estimated savings will be $3,850 for a non-co-payment policy and $4,900 for a policy with a traditional co-payment structure for individuals, according to a recent (2016) Kaiser Family Foundation study. In addition to this, if Medicare can negotiate prescription medication prices, the savings will be even greater.

Most readers here can verify that Medicare works well. It is the largest single provider of health insurance in our country. Overhead costs are low and the program could easily ramp up to meet the needs of every citizen. It's time to finally put the health insurance debate to rest. Support Medicare for all.

AJ ZOLTEN

Little Rock

Really missing Frank

Often you don't miss a person until they are gone. In the case of Frank Broyles, we have been missing his love of people, passion for football, and vision that brought us together for the pride of all Arkansans for some years now. Frank got his way with having a single-mascot team for Arkansas that didn't compete in-state because he promised and delivered a competitive brand of football that made us all proud to be Razorbacks.

We can't ask another human being to be Frank, but we do expect someone to love Arkansas, its people and deliver four quarters of exciting, competitive and scrappy football. That is who we are, or were. Bean-counter athletic directors, whose highest calling is maximizing revenue with high ticket prices, building expensive boxes, procuring inexperienced vendors, fiddling with jersey colors and extending a multimillion-dollar contract of a non-winning coach, miss the mark.

Arkansas football starts with a vision that includes pride in being part of the Razorback tradition. It includes W's and L's but far more than that. It's being part of something bigger than ourselves that represents our state nationally. If Jeff Long can't get us on track, we need a new A.D. Bret, you're not delivering.

As Frank would say: "Bret, we still love you, but will miss you." Jeff, sorry, but the way things are currently going, we may not miss you too much.

BOB HAYDEN

Little Rock

Acknowledge the evil

The word "live" spelled backwards becomes "evil." When we turn our backs on life in all its myriad forms, we invite evil into our lives.

In our country money has become our god, the god of prosperity. This god does not celebrate diversity; quite the contrary, it seeks to celebrate only wealth, greed, power, and control. I believe you can see this in the eyes of our president and those who support him. They stare back at us from empty sockets that reflect hate, fear and greed--all indications of that which the Buddhists call the Hungry Ghost realm, the land of cravings that can never be satisfied. The wasteland of life-destroying sameness and the cold, non-affirming lust for object possession, the land of evil.

Here is where we see the marginalization, the discrimination and torture of anyone who is not white and male, anyone who is not heterosexual and healthy, anyone who is not a fundamentalist Christian. Here is where we see the rape and pillage of our beloved planet and the cruelty exacted toward our four-legged brothers and sisters. Here is where we see the poor and vulnerable tossed out like so many pieces of garbage.

We must open ourselves to diversity both within and without. We must recognize our need to achieve success at the expense of all else. We must name this god we have created. We must acknowledge the evil within so that we may recognize it without and resist its attempts to destroy us.

KATHY MARTONE

Eureka Springs

Helping out evacuees

I have just returned from Houston, Texas, where I spent a week feeding the evacuees from Hurricane Harvey.

When a person serves during a major disaster there will always be at least one of three groups on site--Samaritan's Purse, Salvation Army or Southern Baptists. I believe the American Red Cross would be poorly equipped to serve a disaster without these organizations. I have never seen the freethinkers or any Muslim organization helping at a disaster site. However, I did see Christians feeding Muslims in Houston.

GERALD GRIFFIN

Benton

Editorial on 09/21/2017

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