Grateful for Cotton
I am writing this letter to express my support for Sen. Tom Cotton. He has proven to stand up for what he thinks is right and does not back down. This was evident when he took on the administration over recent prison reform legislation (we are now seeing he was right).
We are in desperate need of authentic leadership in Washington, D.C. All too often we see politicians saying anything to win over votes, only to give in to their party bosses once elected.
Senator Cotton is a strong conservative who made the choice to serve his country on multiple occasions. He is a leader who fights for what is right for the people of Arkansas and what is in the best interest of our nation. Senator Cotton is a role model for other leaders in our government: a leader that has a strong core set of values, fights for the people he represents, and instead of backing down when times get tough, doubles down to fight for what he thoroughly believes to be right.
I am thankful we have Sen. Tom Cotton in the U.S. Senate, and I look forward to seeing him continue this service.
ED WINANT
Bentonville
Forge productive path
I'm an 84-year-old retired clinical social worker who worked with youth, individuals, and families for 35 years, and have some suggestions to address the growing mass-shooting crisis.
Studies have shown that many mass shooters experienced a childhood of neglect, abuse, and/or bullying. Many parents lack appropriate parenting skills, especially regarding discipline. Parents may have addiction issues or experienced childhood abuse themselves. Not being fully healed or prepared for child-rearing may result in poor parenting, leading to children growing up with a lot of anger, frustration, anxiety and depression. Those feelings may snowball, becoming a ticking time bomb until a trigger sets them off and they become depressed, self-loathing and suicidal, or act out their anger, becoming homicidal. In this environment of inflammatory rhetoric, they may seek out other like-damaged individuals online with extremist ideologies.
So how do we address this crisis? On the community level, teachers are the most likely to notice aberrant behavior and can bring it to the attention of the parent(s), school counselor, social worker or Department of Human Services if abuse is suspected. We create curricula for all students around conflict resolution and teach them how to assert themselves in a productive, healthy manner and work through issues to avoid escalations, violence and bullying. Instead of detention, provide anger-management workshops to help students cope and resolve conflicts rather than add more punitive treatment to an already hurt individual. Push legislators to help fund accessible, affordable mental health treatment.
How do we keep damaged persons from acquiring destructive weapons? We march, we speak out, contact legislators and mandate common-sense gun laws.
Many perpetrators were once just children looking for love and affirmation. With the right tools, support, care and investment, they can forge a productive path.
CAROLYN DODD
Little Rock
Vote next November
I believe the Republican Party has been criminally negligent--by its stonewalling on gun control, the climate crisis, the integrity of our elections, affordable health care, housing and education. It appears it is about to prove negligent in its handling of the economy, as a delusional ("I am the Chosen One") and incompetent president recklessly bankrupts the Treasury and lurches into trade wars that are likely to trigger a global recession. The Republican Party has also been negligent in supporting that president in his mindless, mendacious and destructive campaigns to promote racial and ethnic hatreds, to divide the country, to alienate our allies and to strengthen our enemies abroad.
If all that does not constitute criminal negligence, then I don't know what would.
When you vote for a Republican like Trump apologist Tom Cotton, you become complicit in the damage they are doing both to this nation's ideals and to its long-term viability. I used to vote a straight Republican ticket. That ended in 2000, when the party ran a good ol' boy who ended up tanking the economy and destabilizing the Middle East with a trumped-up war. But now they've gone one better--with a president who it seems is not only as dumb as a rock (except when angling to line his pockets with other people's money), but also sick in the head and heart.
Today, the only Republican I could vote for is one who opposes Trump; I really don't care which of the 20 or so contenders becomes the Democratic nominee. Next November the choice will be between Trump and something vastly more decent, capable and normal.
ALEX MIRONOFF
Fayetteville
Maybe not Greenland
Given Trump's misunderstanding of world geography, I believe he has mistakenly called Iceland Greenland. This is easy to do since each appears to be misnamed and probably should have the name of the other country.
For instance, Greenland is icier than Iceland, and Iceland is greener than Greenland. Iceland is more appropriate for Trump Tower since it has a larger tax base and has a sizable tourist industry that its unique geography presents, such as geysers.
Plus, Iceland is right down Trump's alley. Its entire banking system failed in 2008 and the "probe" sent some bankers to jail. One problem Trump may have is that it is illegal to pay women less than men.
While Trump is in the property-acquisition mode, why don't we sell him Northwest Arkansas? But oh, I forgot. We have already sold out to Trump.
MARSHALL WADE
Bella Vista
A different strategy
Why are we even offering to buy Greenland from Denmark? We have the "Chosen One" as our leader and the most powerful military in the world, so if we want Greenland, we should just take it.
What would Putin do?
RANDY BLAKEY
Cabot
Editorial on 08/23/2019