Not keeping promises
Donald Trump has announced the U.S. is withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal. When making this announcement, he crowed that "when I make a promise, I keep it."
I was in the rear of a store when this happened and overheard a lady near a TV holler, "Yeah, well, what about that promise you made to Melania when you married her?"
I would add to this lady's observation: What about the promises to Marla before that? Or Ivana before that?
RICHARD MOORE
Little Rock
Overcome calamities
Tragedy: How do we face it? Can we deal with it constructively? Terrorism: How can we cope with this insanity? Car wrecks? Plane crashes? Losing a loved one instantly? Murders, violence, school shootings, wars, misfortunes?
All the above calamities brought me to the conclusion that we are only human and moral beings who will all someday meet our destiny.
When the Oklahoma City bombing of the federal building occurred in 1995, I felt a deep remorse for all those people and especially for those children who died there. Then 9/11 occurred, where almost 3,000 people died when four planes hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and rural Pennsylvania. At seeing the destruction I wept like a child. Yes, it bothered me, although I knew no one personally--it hit me hard.
Why do such things occur? How can we be overcomers and face these calamities with confidence and hope that, through it all, we can, along with our nation, all become stronger and determined to build a better country, a better world, and strengthen our will that things will become all right in the future. That God has all things in control and that he knows and cares about us individually. He loves us and wants the best for us.
It is hard for us to grasp his purpose when tragedy strikes, but maybe God is trying to convey the message that we should not take too much stock in this world for there is yet another world far more precious than this one that the Christian needs to learn about, where true joy and happiness abound, where justice has been served, where there are no more tears, and our loved ones can live in peace. Where strife, heartache, remorse and discontent will be things of a distant past. Where all things will become new.
TOM KNIGHT
Little Rock
Their idea of morality
I find indescribable solace in the progressive movement's enigmatically delicate sense of morality. It appears to champion the position that the killing of babies is inherently acceptable so long as they are not waterboarded. In other words, praise Almighty God for his divinely induced involvement.
Pilate, please produce the ceremoniously appropriate props.
BOB HARRIS
Sherwood
On shaky foundation
Well, it seems that state senator and Holy Ghost Ministries founder Jason Rapert has gotten a second chance to erect a Ten Commandments monument on state Capitol grounds. Moses, like Rapert, had his first set destroyed too. After coming down from Mount Sinai and seeing all the Israelites partying around Aaron's golden calf, he hurled his God-hewn tablets at the pagan idol and destroyed it. Where and how Moses got the other set of sacred tablets, like Reverent Rapert's, is hotly debated.
Wading through Exodus looking for just 10 "commandments" is exhausting, especially when they are upstaged by other thou shalts, lightning, thunder, trumpet blasts, and smoking mountains. And they are neither presented in a well-explained, definitive list nor complete at a 10th law. Give or take a few dozen, there are more than 150 commandments or laws in Exodus alone.
Our constitutional scholar senator assures us, however, that the Ten Commandments are the canonical foundation of American jurisprudence and will guide the youth of Arkansas to not kill.
So ... here is how the commandments read on face value to most of us secular humanists. The first four deal exclusively with God and our relationship with him, letting us know that he is the main God and that we must not have any other gods on the side vying for our attention; that we must not make "graven" images; that cussing, using his name in vain is serious sinning; and the fourth: "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy." That means no work on Sunday or your neighbors can kill you.
We really don't have to go any further than the first four to easily prove Rapert embarrassingly wrong.
Just read the First Amendment ... the Bill of Rights ... the most important legacy of anti-federalists who demanded them for final approval of the entire Constitution. It goes something like this: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion ..."
RUSSELL E. BEARDEN
Sherwood
His accomplishments
Vic Johnson of Mount Ida says Trump is hateful, a liar, and not playing with a full deck, all in the first sentence of his disgusting letter. Some people, I guess, don't mind making utter fools of themselves.
Under President Trump's leadership, I believe America is once again the leader of the free world, we have regained the respect and trust of our allies around the world, and our enemies know they can no longer take advantage of a weak and feckless government. Trump has the economy booming again, our world trade deficit is coming into balance, and illegal immigration will soon be under control, if not eliminated. The list of accomplishments by this president is remarkable. Why would anybody in their right mind want to turn this government back over to the Democrats?
GARY LEMON
Cabot
Honor the military
In two weeks, we’ll commemorate those who died in service to our country. Is there someone you always remember on Memorial Day? If you haven’t been published in the past 30 days, tell us about it in 300 words or fewer, and we’ll do our best to get it in the Memorial Day edition. Details on how to send in letters are in the policy box on this page.
Editorial on 05/14/2018