Of minimal influence
It appears over 75 percent of the editorial reasoning endorsing Frank Scott was because of repair of the Little Rock school system and his support of charter schools.
Whether one is for or against charter schools or has any other opinions about the Little Rock School District has nothing to do with these candidates. The position of mayor in Little Rock has nothing to do with the local school system, he will not be a member of the school board, and has no power or even standing regarding the running of the school system.
I submit, then, that the main reasoning behind this endorsement has in actuality nothing to do with selecting a choice as the new mayor will not be involved in running the school system or planning its future, nor does he have any standing with the state board/committee that oversees and makes decisions about charter schools.
Pick your candidate for mayor because of issues that he will have some input and at least minimal influence over.
JONATHAN ROZWENC
Little Rock
The very first second
Science teaches us that the universe sprang from the initial singularity, a point of infinite density and almost no dimensions, about 13.7 billion years ago. The Big Bang was not an explosion of matter and energy, but the sudden expansion of a very small volume of space to 20 light years across in one second to create our universe, which is still expanding. All the matter and energy that exists today came into existence in that first second. Where did that initial singularity come from?
Theologians tell us that God is omnipresent and omniscient--everywhere all the time and all-knowing. I believe that the spirit of God is as big as the universe, both in the beginning and now. Science tells us that nothing existed outside that initial singularity and today also. Nothing is not empty space as we know it. The Big Bang was not an explosion, but rather the expansion of space which left in its wake matter and energy, which followed the laws of physics to create our universe. All the matter and energy in the universe came into existence in that first second.
The spirit of God is indeed omnipresent in you and me, and in all living beings. I believe he was on this planet over four billion years before he made man. The commandment, "Thou shalt not kill" means: Do not kill any living being for fun or sport. Killing animals for food is OK, if done mercifully. It is how we evolved.
People who enjoy hunting and fishing have no qualms about killing animals. They kill for fun. An embryo is smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. The life of an embryo begins at conception. Less than half of them become human beings. Your life as a human being began when God breathed into your nostrils your first breath.
RUUD DuVALL
Fayetteville
Nation of principles
Having taken a road trip this past weekend, I admit to having enjoyed paying lower prices at the gas pump. Each time I filled my tank, however, Donald Trump's praise of Saudi Arabia for helping bring down the cost of fuel ran through my head, and I pictured the blood of U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi flowing into my tank.
The United States has historically been a nation based on the principles of freedom of speech and religion, due process, and birthright citizenship, to name a few. We must no longer allow greedy, fascist-leaning, would-be dictators to control the executive office, Congress, or courts of our nation, state, or localities. We are better people than that!
Doing nothing is the same as endorsing today's dangerously escalating climate of hatred, greed and exclusion. Let's all vote, get involved, do something ... anything. The recent election results were viewed as a "signal for change," but as shown by Trump's subsequent endorsement of a dictator who allegedly tortured and murdered a U.S. resident, we have a long way to go yet to correct course.
Red or blue, rich or poor, let's join together in upholding the principles our founding fathers laid out for this great country, one they envisioned as the nation of all nations, the United States of America.
SUSAN BRADLEY
Fayetteville
Will wind up paying
Here's how the Trump tariffs work. Say with China. Let's say a $1 item sold at Walmart.
OK, Trump puts on a 20 percent tariff and the U.S. government collects this 20 cents as the item enters the country. Walmart, therefore, buys this item for $1.20 instead of $1. The item appears on the Walmart shelf at 20 cents more than previously. At least 20 cents, probably more as any excuse to raise prices is always used.
You then pay the extra.
So these Trump tariffs are, in fact, a tax increase for you, the consumer (and Trump voter?). So when Trump says he's going to make America "great again," please remember the extra taxes you are paying.
REG EDWARDS
Compton
Editorial on 12/05/2018