Desecrating the flag
They would have disapproved, I feel sure--that long list of honorable citizen soldiers in my family: the three uncles who were naval ships' officers, the dentist grandfather who never went to the corner store without his VFW cap from the Spanish-American War, the father who watched his bombers strafed on the tarmac at Pearl Harbor. They wouldn't have been amused by football players taking the knee and refusing to salute the grand old flag, by Turks or Iranians burning it in the public square, or even worse, Americans doing the same.
But I say let them. Never is the power and passion of freedom more manifest than when we see Old Glory in flames or desecrated; never do we see so plainly how strong and fearless that country is which honors the right of every citizen to cry grievance without fear. Around the globe, many countries impose draconian sentences for flag desecration, some lasting years. But we need not. Our flag, whether in flames or tatters, serves as a noble reminder of our democracy and the freedoms it represents. Fly on, grand old flag!
ANN LINK
Little Rock
Why they hate him
I know there are some liberals out there who have quietly if grudgingly accepted the fact that Donald Trump is the president. My comments are not addressed to those mature adults. The following remarks are directed at those vocal and belligerent anti-Trump liberals who hold an intense personal hatred for the man. I mean those Trump-haters who literally would rather see America and her citizens come to harm than to see Donald Trump get credit for doing something good.
They can try to justify their irrational hatred by rattling off a list of talking points supplied by their mentors, the Democrat Party and the liberal media. But I believe there are actually only two reasons they hate Trump. First, they will never forgive him for defeating Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2016 election. Second, they hate him because he's doing a good job in office. America is far better off now than before he took office, and it drives them crazy.
Keep up the good work, Mr. President. We really are making America great again.
DOUG MORRIS
Austin
Possum Poot update
I walked into my favorite watering hole just as the debate/discussion/argument was ending. Elbert the eggplant farmer was in a heated whatever with Professor Phineas Phogbottom, a known evil librul of the worst sort.
Now, Elbert is one of us, a staunch member of God's Own Party (GOP) and not one to take slights easily. What I saw was worrisome. Elbert's trigger finger was moving towards the trigger of his semiautomatic .22-caliber squirrel rifle with a bump stock. (Elbert says he ain't missed a squirrel since the bump stock and could prune branches from a tree with it.) The last thing Elbert said as he saw me was, "I don't give a turnip what you say about that sweet young Russian girl and those men; it's still the National Rifle Association, not the National Russian Association!" With that, he turned and left muttering unprintable words. The professor smiled and went back to his cheap box chablis, chuckling to himself (he always loved to rile up the righteous around our town).
I sat down within earshot of the professor, hoping to hear something about his evil librul plans to come, but to no avail; the dirty, evil librul is too smart for that. Sassy Sue and Emma arrived and sat down with him, but all the talk was about mundane librul junk like health care (who needs it?) and kids and parents being torn apart at the border. (Tough; don't come here.) It took me a good six beers to feel good enough to leave.
Don't worry; we're still completely, perfectly righteous here, so come visit us in lovely downtown Possum Poot.
STEVE GIBSON
Little Rock
We can be truly great
Jefferson said, "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
Andrew Jackson said, "It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their own selfish purposes."
Washington said, "I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain the character of an honest man."
Robert E. Lee said, "I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself."
Ronald Reagan said, "We must never remain silent in the face of bigotry ... we have no place in America for haters--none whatsoever."
Dwight Eisenhower said, "The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible."
Lincoln said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." And "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Donald Trump said, "When you give a crazed, crying lowlife a break, and give her a job at the White House, I guess it just didn't work out. Good work by General Kelly for quickly firing that dog!"
At key moments in our history we have been lucky enough to be led by great men--men with character, honor and vision. They weren't perfect, but they pulled us together and appealed to the very best qualities in us.
When we are led by men or women like that again, we can be truly great (instead of being the butt of laughter from London to Beijing).
BARBARA TRUESDELL
Hot Springs Village
Advertising doctors
Doctors are now advertising their services in the Democrat-Gazette. I never thought I'd see the day. It won't be long till they will be plying their wares at shopping malls.
I can see it now ... someone with a rubber glove on says, "Listen up, folks. Give me $50, step into the booth here and in exactly 30 seconds you'll have yourself a prostate exam. If you have coupons it will only be $40." A psychiatrist may accost you as you walk out of a shoe store and mutter, "I can analyze you for $45. Bring a crazy pal with you and it's buy one, get one free."
Maybe they'll have auctions. "Anybody need a tonsillectomy? I've got a guy right here who can do it with one hand tied behind his back. Do I hear $10? All right, $10. Do I hear $15? All right, $15. Wow, a big spender just bid $25. Twenty-five, going once, going twice, sold to the man with the swollen neck."
A cosmetic surgeon might stand on a platform and say, "Would any of you ugly people like to become gorgeous? You, the lady with the big schnoz, I can lop that thing off of you, stick a cute little button nose on and you'll have to fight the guys off with a baseball bat."
GARY L. USELTON
Benton
Editorial on 08/20/2018