Irony is in Aisle One
Perhaps columnist Paul Greenberg gets "editorial passes."
He enjoys using big words that serve to flaunt his Mensa mentality, Pulitzer prize, etc. However, referring to the Arkansas Board of Education, he applauds that board for a goal that is not set forth using "big, inflated phrases."
JOHN M. DOUGLAS
Bentonville
Conservation heritage
In response to Richard Mason's column of April 29, to quote Teddy Roosevelt: "The excellent people who ... consider sportsmen as enemies of wildlife are ignorant of the fact that in reality the genuine sportsman is, by all odds, the most important factor in keeping the larger and more valuable wild creatures from total extermination." Having been fortunate to hunt in several African countries, I will inform Mr. Mason that there are no water buffalo native to Africa. The cape buffalo is the bovine species of eastern and southern Africa.
The meat of every African animal I have harvested, with the exception of hyena, has been consumed by myself, members of the safari camp, or the indigenous population. I well remember that within an hour of taking a bull elephant in Zimbabwe, approximately 70 of the native people helped us cape and butcher the animal. They were thrilled to have the meat, a large portion of which was dried and made into biltong, which is similar to jerky. Hunting elephant is a time-consuming and arduous process that frequently involves many miles of walking and tracking each day. The true trophy hunter will look over many animals before finding an acceptable trophy.
I would hope that countries such as Zimbabwe and Tanzania do not follow the Kenyan example, which banned hunting in 1977. Since then, the Kenyan elephant population has plummeted due to excessive poaching and corrupt government management. The money provided by sport hunting pays for anti-poaching patrols, and gives the animals their best chance for survival.
Concerning black bear hunting, the bear population in Arkansas has reached huntable numbers due to concerted efforts by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and our elected officials. Once again, hunters have provided the necessary funds with their purchases of licenses and permits.
I am proud of the hunting and conservation heritage which Arkansas has provided me.
C.J. FULLER
Little Rock
Reflection of her boss
The White House Correspondents Dinner was missing a key player. Trump did not attend for the second year. It was still a celebration of the free press, and eventually there will be a president to attend with a sense of humor.
Michelle Wolf did exactly what was expected of her. She was funny and spoke truth to power. Wolf did not insult the looks of Sarah Sanders. She attacked the ethics and honesty of this smoky-eyed sycophant in pearls. If you have ever watched the White House press briefings, Sanders is, in my opinion, dishonest, boring, uninformed and the worst press secretary in modern history. The lies and the scowl on her face makes her "ugly." She is a perfect reflection of her boss. Michelle Wolf hit the nail on the head.
K.E. POLLOCK
Little Rock
What Mom would say
I hear a lot about Christian values. They are very different from what I grew up with. They made me think of my mom, who was one of the greatest women and best Christians that I have ever known. Mom lived to be 98 and stayed in her own home until she died. She became almost completely blind. As a result she frequently lost things. She said, "I just pray to the Lord to help me find them, and he always does."
Mom enjoyed her home with indoor plumbing. She would sit in the bathroom with the door open and talk from there. I must mention that Mom was a Democrat. You could sometimes see her shaking her head and hear her saying, "Oh, those Republicans."
Consequently, I think Mom would have a difficult time believing that we have a governor and a Legislature that is considering tax relief for upper-income people that would cost $180 million. Our medical school, UAMS, is not even a ranked school. Its funds have been cut. People have been laid off. Positions have been eliminated. Shame! It's where our doctors are educated. Arkansas has one of the most rapidly growing prison populations in the United States. We do not have pre-K for all children in Arkansas, even though our students scored below the national average. We have one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the United States.
In view of all of this, I think Mom might wonder why that money would not be used to solve some of the many problems that all the people in Arkansas face.
BONNIE COOK
Fayetteville
Wisdom of Roosevelt
The Trump administration's aversion to truth makes the following quote from Teddy Roosevelt's book The Strenuous Life relevant in today's political climate:
"[W]hile the remark of one of the founders of our government, that the whole art of politics consists in being honest, is an overstatement, it remains true that absolute honesty is what Cromwell would have called a 'fundamental' of healthy political life. We can afford to differ on the currency, the tariff, and foreign policy; but we cannot afford to differ on the question of honesty if we expect our republic permanently to endure. No community is healthy where it is ever necessary to distinguish one politician among his fellows because 'he is honest.' Honesty is not so much a credit as an absolute prerequisite to efficient service to the public. Unless a man is honest we have no right to keep him in public life, it matters not how brilliant his capacity, it hardly matters how great his power of doing good service on certain lines may be."
Semper Fi.
KENNETH R. WEBER
Bella Vista
Vicious, filthy insults
If you happened to see any coverage of the Correspondents Dinner in Washington recently without throwing up, then you know what President Donald Trump endures every day.
The vicious, filthy insults that were aimed at Sarah Huckabee Sanders bordered on psychotic. Yet she sat there, took the abuse, and didn't walk out.
The Trump-haters in that room remind me of a swarm of gnats around a dog's private parts in the hot summertime.
My sympathies to the dog; the gnats got what they deserved. So pet a dog. Spray a gnat.
BERNARD A. FRAZER
North Little Rock
Editorial on 05/06/2018