Sketchy advertising
I know that the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette needs paid advertising, but the recent full-page ad for the book Dark Agenda is over the top. Who paid for this? I suspect, from the book title, that oligarchs exposed in Jane Mayer's excellent book Dark Money are paying, as the "war against Christians" threatens their profit margins.
Since when does the U.S. Constitution support any religion? What are "true facts"? I thought facts are all true. Evangelical Christians seem to support Trump because he is packing the courts with jurists such as Brett Kavanaugh who will uphold the gun-rights, anti-abortion, border-wall agenda.
The only woman mentioned in this ad is Margaret Sanger, the long-deceased founder of Planned Parenthood. She should be in Marvel Comics, as she has been frightening men for over a century.
The only previous Hollywood person to gain high office is St. Ronald Reagan. We seem to be revisiting the self-serving, disingenuous tactics of Sen. Joe McCarthy, notorious communist-baiter in the 1950s; the link is Roy Cohn, who lawyered for Trump in the past.
My wife called for information on this book deal, to find out that ordering the book requires one to subscribe to a right-wing newsletter. If these ideas are so strong, why the deception?
RICK BELT
Fayetteville
Headed to Hollywood
If I could be in charge of casting for a fantasy western movie, fitting national government figures into roles, my choices would be as follows: Donald Trump--the brawling, fast-living, gunslinging sheriff who cleans up the town and is hated by the town's council members. Jim Jordan--the sheriff's deputy who would take a bullet for his boss.
Nancy Pelosi--the self-righteous old aristocrat gossip who always stirs up trouble and gets her facials at Madame Tussaud's. Adam Schiff--the pipsqueak storekeeper coward and council member who wishes he had the guts to be sheriff, and sneaks out into the alley at night to ambush the sheriff as he makes his rounds. Jerrold Nadler--the mayor of the town who has actually been dead for centuries but has arisen from his casket, in ashen pallor and expressionless face, to bite the neck of the sheriff, who he fears will drive a stake through his heart.
Lindsey Graham--pastor of the town's church whose sermons blister the council members. Kellyanne Conway--the pastor's wife who, in the end, tells the old gossipy woman what a hag she really is, sending the old woman up to her attic rocking chair to expend her life among the cobwebs of her dreams of endless power that, alas, will never come true. Pat Cipollone, Jay Sekulow, Alan Dershowitz, Devin Nunes, Mark Meadows and Matt Gaetz--pallbearers who, in the final scene, will carry the corpses of the pipsqueak and the bloated mayor out to Boot Hill and leave them for the buzzards' supper, as the sheriff props his feet on his desk, pulls his hat down over his eyes and takes a much-needed nap.
As I've already said, this is just a fantasy.
JACK MAYBERRY
Sheridan
Actively participate
January starts not only a new year, but an important one. This November we will be voting for the president of this great nation. We have so many more freedoms in this country than any other, and you would think that enough citizens would care to keep these freedoms by voting for the people who have our well-being at heart and want to continue to have one nation under God. It seems that in the last presidential election there were only a little over 5,000 people on the active and inactive rolls for Pike County. That's less than the population of Glenwood. The last election had only a little over 3,000 people voting; that's why we have gambling in Hot Springs now. If citizens continue to ignore the issues concerning Arkansas and our nation, we will become a wet county and have bars and liquor stores all over.
If we don't actively participate in our choice of government officials, we will lose our say in not only the way our state and country are run, but our personal lives as well. Wake up!
There are two important reasons to be sure you are registered to vote this year. You must be registered to vote by Feb. 3 because the early primary election will be in March instead of May this year. The second thing of note is that in the early primary election you may request a ballot for any of the parties, not just the one you may be affiliated with. If you cannot get to a polling place, you may ask for an absentee ballot at the county clerk's office. They will be glad to send you one.
Let's all get out and vote for a moral and godly country like we've had.
KRIS CLARKE
Glenwood
Should be ashamed
I was taught from an early age that a person's word is their bond, and that one will be judged by society as to how they adhere to this promise. The oath our senators took at the beginning of the impeachment process given by Chief Justice Roberts reads, in part, "Do you solemnly swear that in all things appertaining to the impeachment of Donald John Trump ... you will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help you God?"
They all answered, "Yes."
When Mitch McConnell openly said, before the trial even began, that his mind was already made up as it seems were those of most Republican senators, they are all ignoring this oath, which was given in the sight of God. I now can only have disdain for their word, their intentions, and their true value to our country. How can our senators so blatantly disregard their oath and still expect to enjoy the honor of their position, much less their worth as an individual?
I am not speaking of the guilt or innocence of President Trump, but of the integrity of those senators. They should be ashamed!
RAY MOORE
Little Rock
Editorial on 01/26/2020