Give us all the facts
Oh, come on! That seems to be the reaction I often express while reading news or hearing national radio or television broadcasts. The latest was due to the Democrat-Gazette staff compilation on President Trump reversing a decision to fly flags at full staff at all federal buildings after the "brief" period of being at half-staff Saturday and Sunday in honor of the death of Sen. John McCain.
I, too, was incensed at the news of the short duration of the flag flying at half-staff, thinking that the bitterness between the president and the senator was the cause of the "slight." But, no; I was duped ... for a short while.
Recalling my Boy Scouts training on flag protocol, I reviewed the directive when the flags are to be lowered, for how long and for whom. I then understood that proper protocol for the late senator had been followed.
Quoting the directive: "The flag is to be flown at half-staff at all federal buildings, grounds and naval vessels in the Washington, D.C., area on the day and day after the death of a United States senator, representative, territorial delegate, or the resident commissioner from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico."
Look it up yourself: tinyurl.com/flagprotocol.
I relish the day when I trusted what I was being offered by the media and did not have to do research into whether a topic had been adequately covered or just partially so.
Who? What? When? Where? Why? That is what I was taught in English class on how to present news. Give the readers all of the facts, please.
WILLIAM HOYT
Russellville
Spectacularly petty
Our president has managed to reach a contemptible new low with his spectacularly petty reluctance to acknowledge the death of Sen. John McCain, an American hero and true patriot. Senator McCain made tremendous personal sacrifices while he was a prisoner-of-war during the Vietnam War.
Mr. Trump's disgraceful decision to not continue to fly the flag at half-staff over the White House, a longstanding tradition in this country, until he was pressured into doing so by the American Legion speaks volumes about his character.
In my opinion, Mr. Trump is unworthy to hold the office of the president of the United States, and his petulant action disrespects the memory of Senator McCain, as well as all of the veterans who are serving, or have served, to protect the values and privileges that some take for granted.
As a retired Navy veteran, I am very proud of Senator McCain's service both in the Navy and for his many years of service to our country in the Congress.
TOM DRAPER
Little Rock
Aim should be safety
Kay Hicks gets it wrong about red-light cameras. Traffic enforcement should always be about safety, and never about raising revenue. Many such programs do not identify the driver, but instead capture the license plate of the vehicle, and send a violation notice to the registered owner. That individual may not have been driving at the time, but will now be liable for a fine for a violation he did not commit. Thus, there are already due process and constitutional issues. Additionally, the forums to contest such tickets are often run by the agencies that stand to benefit from the collected fines, raising the issue of impartiality.
In the cities that have them, red-light cameras are often run by contractors who get a cut of the take. There is an incentive to raise as much revenue as possible to enhance their profitability, which is a conflict of interest.
As if that were not enough, in many cases, the yellow intervals are shortened, making the lights turn red sooner than if proper traffic engineering guidelines were followed, thus stacking the deck against motorists.
Everyone wants traffic safety. But if that is the goal, then drivers passing red lights need to be ticketed by an officer who has witnessed the violation, and the driver can invoke his Sixth Amendment right to confront his accuser if he so chooses. Tying enforcement to raising revenue only invites corruption, and will have a minimal effect on traffic safety.
THOMAS A. BECKETT
Siloam Springs
Editorial on 08/31/2018