The highest standard
Today, our families' hero lies in the hospice of the Little Rock VA. A World War II vet that served his community, his country, and his family to the highest standard.
I want to thank the staff of the Little Rock Veterans Administration for treating our hero as if he was their only hero. The Veterans Administration has taken some direct hits in the media, but we, as a family, have never seen it. This staff has never let him down, and as a wounded disabled veteran myself, they've never let me down either. He is currently in the hospice wing and may not have much time left, so I wanted to personally say thanks for all that you do for our veterans.
Lastly, thanks and Godspeed to "Big Papa" for accepting the Mc-Kendrees into your family as if we've always been there.
From the McKendree and McAllister families ... freedom is never free.
CHAMBLISS McKENDREE
Adona
Free-market medicine
Why replace Obamacare? Wouldn't it be better to set up a fund for those with pre-existing illnesses and those too poor to afford insurance?
I believe a fund that is funded with tax dollars, contributions by the insured, and tax-deductible donations by the taxpayers allows a free-market solution. Patients could negotiate with doctors and hospitals. Doctors and hospitals could bid to perform their services.
The program could be administered by a corporation or government. The administration could aid in negotiating contracts but would not be allowed to override the doctors' and patients' decisions due only to costs. Therefore, the doctor and patient could decide the value of a particular procedure on older patents.
There is nothing better than the free market to provide quality products at the least cost.
DON CROWSON
Benton
Brilliant performance
An outstanding concert titled "Music of the Baroque" was performed brilliantly last Friday night by the U of A Monticello Chamber Choir led by Kent Skinner, who also conducts the Arkansas Choral Society biannual performances. It included choral works by Schutz, Buxtehude, J.S. Bach and Vivaldi. Each was performed with rare balance and precision by Arkansas Symphony first chairs and chorus.
The soloists were also superb, especially alto Diana Salesky, whose rich clarity and projection could easily enhance concerts in New York and London. Unfortunately the audience was sparse.
Hopefully in future this group will get more pre-concert publicity and a post-performance review by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette!
JIM RULE
Maumelle
Stop lowering the bar
I guess Pat Tillman set the bar way too high for his professional sports colleagues, huh?
And another thing. You don't have a middle finger unless you have either three or five, except if you're counting your thumb as a finger, which of course it isn't.
DON SHORT
Farmington
All politics are local
While we're mesmerized by the events in Washington--the pledged militarization of deportation of 11 million immigrants and the promise of the destruction of each of our carefully built governmental institutions--our fine Republicon Ledge here in Arkansas is busy squeezing another drop of blood from the turnip. Now they are passing a bill (crafted in darkness of back rooms) that will tax all Internet sales into Arkansas.
It seems these fine Republicons feel it is best to squeeze more taxes from the impoverished population rather than our fat-cat corporations, Cargill, Tyson, and Wal-Mart, among others. While corporate tax rates have remained the same low rate, Arkansas is one of the only states to tax food. Now any purchase made across state lines is a shiny dollar sign in the eyes of the Republicons. We have some incredibly wealthy corporations in Arkansas and some incredibly poor citizens. Arkansas ranks in the top 10 in poverty out of 50 states! Two out of 10 children in Arkansas go to bed hungry every night. Thousands of families remain below the poverty line. Our disability rate is one of the highest in the nation, probably from working on ever-speeding assembly lines, which creates ever-greater wealth for these corporations.
It's time to focus some of that pent-up national anxiety on our state legislators. "All politics are local," said a very wise man. Laws that affect us every day are made right here in Arkansas by our Republicon-led state Legislature.
SHERI HANSON
Eureka Springs
No need to rewrite it
Few political subjects are as close to my heart as the Constitution of the United States, because this nation, as it is, depends on the Constitution as it was written.
I am deeply concerned, shocked, and appalled by the conservatives who have fallen for the constitutional convention (con-con) con.
I remind them that the other side, which apparently wants to rewrite the Constitution more than they do, will have delegates, too. I remind them that the states that sent delegates to the 1787 convention were unable to control them; the delegates were instructed to repair the Articles of Confederation; they tossed out the Articles and gave the states the Constitution.
Could we somehow select and trust them, there are not 55 men in the whole world with the wisdom and experience, in just the right circumstances, to have written our Constitution. There never was before 1787. There never has been since.
If we send delegates to the con-con with instructions to repair the Constitution, what will we get? No one knows. No one can know. It is likely to be something nightmarish.
We do not need to rewrite the Constitution, but for us and the politicians to follow it.
DeWITT FRANKLIN FLOYD
Berryville
Editorial on 03/10/2017