Who is responsible?
The NRA did not aim the gun nor pull its trigger. The mass shooting in Florida began with a thought. The thought could have easily died, but it was continually fed by desire.
In order to accomplish the mass shooting, the thinker had to have a gun. Where and how did he get it? Did he pass a background check? Was it illegally transported across the border?
Ignoring red flags is also a thought. Why did so many in law enforcement decide to do nothing?
Now we see the gun-control advocates using people's hysteria, apparently to take guns from responsible citizens. Yes, people need assault weapons to defend themselves from assault weapons.
Investigate the facts of the Parkland shooting and then decide if the NRA is responsible.
DON CROWSON
Benton
New names called for
Should the state Legislature pass, and the governor sign, the legislative end run around the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality permit appeal filed by C&H Hog Farms, I would then suggest that the "Natural State" change its motto to "The Pig Manure State" (expletive modified), and that the Buffalo River should be changed to The First National Pig Manure Trough (expletive modified).
JOHN J. FRITZ
West Fork
On direct democracy
The direct democracy that Karl Kimball scorns is ancient, but works best in smaller communities such as yearly assemblies of the tribe in ancient times or New England town meetings. Even ancient Athens had its Council of 500 and some scholars argue that Athens evolved into a representative system.
American founders drew on Athens and the Roman republic as models of government. Yet both depended greatly on slave labor, and women were disenfranchised. Only about 10 percent of the people of ancient Athens were male citizens entitled to vote.
The same is true of our country's early days. Only free white males could vote, leaving out women, slaves, indentured servants, and other men without property. It is estimated that only 6 percent of the population could vote in 1790.
Our founding fathers were indeed brilliant, but they were also men of their time and social class. Fortunately they were wise enough to set up an amendment process by which the various disenfranchised finally won the vote. Following precedent, we could and should change or eliminate the electoral college in order to make our system more representative, not less.
Kimball, personalizing states, sees large states overpowering small ones. But with today's instant communications, when four out of 10 Americans have lived in two or more states, state boundaries have less meaning. Do we really need another layer of patriotic fervor?
Incidentally, direct democracy co-exists with our representative system in the form of initiative, referendum, and recall. (Arkansas has the first two on the state level.)
CORALIE KOONCE
Springdale
Announcement joy
I was so very pleased to see the full-page wedding announcement of Alexander Justiss and Matthew Jacob Strauss (what a handsome couple!) in Sunday's newspaper. There may have been more, but this is only the second same-gender wedding I have seen in this newspaper since it became legal in 2015. I hope to see many more in the future.
DAVID OLIN TULLIS
Little Rock
Crochety courtesies
The Grill Party, at the risk of being called crotchety (which it has been), would like to again point out some simple courtesies. Courtesies which the party believes, if adhered to, would alleviate some of the horrible stress and tension abounding in our world.
People in customer service, this one is for you. Please look directly at the person you are addressing. The party despairs when someone looks down, away, every direction but at the person to whom the conversation is directed, whether restaurant wait staff who mumble, store clerks who don't speak clearly, or other representatives of a business who seem to have forgotten that clear, direct, and proper communication is paramount. Be mindful of background noise and other distractions which may cause a problem.
The party went shopping for new shoes one day and was very disturbed to be ignored in the stores. Ignored by those who obviously draw a salary as they were standing behind the counter, or leaning on it, or on their phones, or doing anything but attending to customers. Store managers, please be aware of what your alleged employees are doing, or rather what they are not doing.
The party again points out the incredible simplicity of the car turn signal, the turn signal which continues to decline in use. Perhaps the Russians are behind this lack of utilization of such a beneficial device, their goal to overload the insurance and car repair systems.
The party points out these failings in courtesy to illustrate that such things would never occur at a tailgate. No, all who come by are welcomed, greeted, and offered sustenance. Perhaps that is the solution to the declining politeness and courtesy in society--more tailgating. Ah, but the party can but dream. As always--slow down and grill.
DAVID KELLEY
Fort Smith
Definitions for the age
Thumbing through the pages of Ambrose Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary rarely fails as a pick-me-up when days are dreary and caffeine fails. Besludged by both print and electronic political news this morning, I grabbed my trusty copy of Bierce's definitions for a moment of restorative laughter. Up popped these gems appropriate to the headlines:
"Politics, n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage."
"Vote, n. The instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country."
"President, n. The leading figure in a small group of men of whom, and of whom only, it is positively known that immense numbers of their countrymen did not want any of them for president."
"Conservative, n. A statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from the liberal, who wishes to replace them with others."
JANET HILL
Fairfield Bay
Editorial on 03/16/2018