Been in the trenches
Re "Listen to the teachers" by Shelley Smith: Thank you for your letter. It is so true. Most of us have seen so many "great education fads" that come and then are gone in three years or fewer. Textbooks for fads go in the trash, money wasted.
Decision-makers for education should come from educators who have been in the trenches with the students and listen to them. Many of these "non-educator experts" would not last two weeks in a regular classroom.
S.K. ONEIL
Sherwood
Fond farewell to ink
There is, I'm afraid, only a slim chance that this letter will see print in time that I can cut it out and mail it to my 93-year-old mother in Nebraska. Almost all the letters I have read regarding this paper's switch to digital format have been praise-laden. The few exceptions have been humorous plaints: "How will I line my litter box?" and such. There are lots of legitimate uses for newsprint or similar paper around a household, but of course it is not the problem of the Democrat-Gazette if people are forced to look elsewhere for kindling or hamster-nesting or papier-maché.
Of real concern to me is the future of my recipe collection. I have boxes full of Food sections, dating back to the days when they were actually Food sections and Irene Wassell edited them. I have a nearly complete collection of Kelly Brant's tenure. Or it was, anyway, nearly complete. Now it is henceforth unavailable. Oh, sure, I am given to understand my intelligent tablet will save them in its electronic memory until, I don't know, the next big solar flare or I accidentally delete them, thinking sincerely I am doing something else altogether.
Anyone who thinks such ethereal storage is in any way preferable to a pile of yellowing newspaper is mistaken, and just doesn't know. It's what must be, but that is the nicest thing I can think of to say. All objections and protestations are irrelevant.
Perhaps, freed from the paper chains of real print, the Food section can come back into its own as a real feature, if only virtually. And perhaps the publisher could be convinced to reprint it in the Sunday paper edition, as is done with the obituaries. Surely nourishing the living is as important as remembering the dead?
The sacrifice of all else to survival does not guarantee survival. I would put that in quotation marks, but then I would have to attribute it, and I can't remember who said it. It's still true.
Love you, Mom.
STANLEY G. JOHNSON
Little Rock
The rights of women
Women of Arkansas, wake up! Do you think you are stupid? Do you think other women are stupid? It seems the Republican Party thinks you are.
Republicans don't think you are smart enough to make your own decisions about birth control and child birth. They not only want to pass laws to control your thoughts and actions on child birth, but the Republican Party fights against equal pay for women. In a recent action, trying to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, every Arkansas Republican congressman voted against this bill.
Please wake up and vote against these congressmen that vote against women's rights year after year.
JEFF JEFFERIES
Little Rock
Preserve state beauty
Anyone that's not from Arkansas is surprised to witness the abundance of trees, mountains, and overall natural beauty of the state. After living in the area for 19 years, I often forget how privileged we are to live in an area that has the potential to support renewable energy.
The looming threat of climate change and nonrenewable-energy companies threaten the natural beauty of our environment and unique culture of a passionate community that is driven to address climate change.
Arkansas can preserve its vast natural environment by adopting renewable-energy practices. Arkansas has the space to support solar energy, as it is the state with the 11th best sunlight in the nation, but we rank 47th in the nation in providing solar jobs. We have the potential to maintain a successful solar infrastructure. It would be a shame if the Public Service Commission struck out on the opportunity to make solar energy accessible to Arkansas by favoring big utility companies rather than preserving our natural beauty for future generations to come.
AYLIN PULIDO
Fayetteville
On being so 'perfect'
With apologies to Steve Goodman, David Allan Coe, and "You Never Even Called Me By My Name": A president of ours named Donald Trump wrote that transcript, and he told us it was the "perfect" presidential call. I sent him back a tweet, and told him he had not written the perfect presidential call, because he hadn't said anything at all about electoral college victories, build the wall, repeal and replace, lock her up, or the size of his hands!
Our president is no doubt sitting down and getting ready to tweet out another verse to the call.
God only knows what will be on it, but I'm sure the Democrats in the House will realize he's written the perfect presidential call, and feel obliged to include it in their articles of impeachment.
GREG ROUNTREE
Scott
Beware Shallow State
Conspiracy theories have been a part of our national identity since colonial times. How many Red Scares have we had? Fifty percent of Americans believe at least one conspiracy theory; 29 percent believe there is a "Deep State" working against President Trump.
I'm more concerned with the "Shallow State." We have leaders in both parties who are shallow actors. They are not capable of serious thought or understanding, and they are lacking depth of intellect, knowledge, and curiosity. What better example than our president, who spends so much time on Twitter proving his shallowness? I think the Shallow State is more dangerous than any conspiracy theories our leaders put forth.
BETTY McSWAIN
Fort Smith
Editorial on 10/06/2019