Fair trial is American
When a person is accused of wrongdoing, they are given a trial. It’s the law of the land, and it is probably the most important right we have as Americans. The accused is allowed to defend themselves, review evidence against them and examine witnesses.
However, no common man in this great nation would be allowed to intimidate, tamper with, or silence witnesses. Those actions are unethical, and an average guy would face criminal charges for such behavior.
What are Mr. Trump and the Republican Party hiding? Sen. John Boozman and Sen. Tom Cotton’s actions now are important to the future of our great nation. I urge them to stand up for the American values we all hold so dear. No one is above the law. Let’s see the evidence, let’s hear the witnesses, let’s do the right thing.
I can only hope the stewards of the Republican Party are actually as morally upright as they have always claimed to be. It would be devastating if the political party that claims fame for their “conservative values” just turns a blind eye to benefit their dear leader. I hope that Senator Boozman and Senator Cotton, as our elected senators, can at least demand a full and fair trial, including testimony from all those involved or those with knowledge of the circumstances.
CHAD DIXON
Bigelow
To keep up on news
Arkansas still needs a newspaper!
DAVID L. BAKER
Little Rock
Too glued to screens
When I walk in any store, I see so many people on their phones. The sad part is, it is not just adults and teens on their phones, but children are glued to the screens as well. Many parents have realized how much easier parenting is to them if they just distract their children by putting a phone in their face. What they don’t know is it is harmful to the children. We are all guilty of this.
Far too many times, I have seen parents ignoring their children because they are too involved with their phones. Most of the time, these adults don’t even realize how eager the child is to explain something or show them something. In order to develop, children need interactions with parents and adults.
At a young age, children should be outside playing, coloring/drawing, and using their brains for creativity. Too much screen time can actually harm a child’s brain. Studies show that screen time causes children to be tired all the time, bored, and surly. The brain grows very fast; from birth through kindergarten a brain has already developed 90 percent. The more screen time a child has, the slower the brain develops.
It can also delay children’s learning to talk. Parents typically use over 900 words an hour when talking to children. When the screen comes into effect, they use around 700 words. A child hears 200 fewer words from their parents and loses an opportunity to learn new words. It is crucial that infants and toddlers learn how to communicate with people around them. Working at a preschool, I can tell which children are glued to electronic devices when they get home and which children get zero to little screen time. The way an infant or toddler interacts with another child shows me the difference. The interactions children miss from having too much screen time affects their social skills and relationships with adults.
Our community should focus on putting down the electronic devices to help raise and interact with the future leaders of our country.
LARAINA CENOBIO
Green Forest
Trauma in children
They say time will heal; however, it has been more than 30 years since I survived an air missile on my house during the civil war in Lebanon. I still remember it like yesterday. My mother was holding a small rug and trying to guide us toward what we thought a safe place to sleep and spend the night. I was trying to understand what was happening when I saw something very bright coming toward us. I thought the sun was falling, so I asked my mom why the sun is so close; all that I remembered is her on top of my sister and me, trying to hold us as tight as possible to save us from any harm.
I do not expect everyone to understand what it feels like living in a war zone or being threatened by danger on a daily basis. Nevertheless, what I never expected from this nation is to separate children from their parents in a way that causes short- and longterm trauma. Research shows that detaining and separating children from their family is “morally abhorrent and dehumanizing.” Medical research shows that forcible separation puts children at high risk for regression, anxiety, oppositional behaviors, attention deficit disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, and depression.
The first five years of life are the most critical period of development. Continuous trauma during this critical period can create trauma that children have to deal with for the rest of their life. Under the current administration, at least 2,737 children have been separated from their families, and held for an average of 59 days in detention. Over four years, more than 4,556 sexual assault incidents were reported.
I cannot imagine what the future holds for those children. I know what it means to be traumatized or threatened, what it means when a child fears losing parents, and what it means not to have a normal childhood. Those children are our responsibility, and if we are pro-life, we must be advocates for all children.
YUSRA ABBOUD
Bentonville