Experience, reason
Where are the columnists that educated me on reality? Where are Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, and Paul Greenberg? Yes, I know that Mr. Sowell and Mr. Greenberg are "retired," but Mr. Sowell still pens the occasional op-ed piece, and I am sure Mr. Greenberg still has a few wise words left to impart. They are voices of experience and reason. I miss them.
I saw on the news another accusation that Mr. Trump is racist. I was taught that it takes one to know one. Maybe that is still true. So many of the young people today do not realize that the same accusation was leveled at President Johnson. I believe the racial divide we are experiencing can be traced all the way back to the 1960s, a festering boil on our society for the last five decades.
Finally, is Medicare for All truly for all Americans, or will presidents and members of Congress, past and present, be exempt and keep their taxpayer-supported private health care? Seems like we have been down this road before.
GARY McCULLAH
Farmington
Needed conversation
Gun violence needs to be examined as a public health problem. It should be evidence-based, and solutions should be supported by facts. One group of politicians would tell us that it's mostly a "mental health problem." Another group of politicians would have us believe it's caused by "inflammatory rhetoric by political leaders."
The facts, the stubborn facts, are that mental health problems and inflammatory rhetoric exist in many countries in the world, but none have the levels of gun violence that we have here. Not even close. Certainly, mental health problems and inflammatory political rhetoric contribute to the problem, but they're not the base cause.
What is the evidence? Irrefutably, gun violence is directly related to the number of guns held by civilians. There's no country in the world that comes close to the United States in terms of number of civilian guns and resultant gun violence. It's simple. More guns equal more gun violence of all kinds--suicides, accidental shootings, family disputes, gang warfare, mass murders.
The number of guns in our country is directly related to our interpretation of "Second Amendment rights," which is that everyone has a "right" to own as many guns of whatever type they want. The founding fathers and Judge Antonin Scalia, in his 2008 landmark decision about the Second Amendment, stated the "right to bear arms" has to do with protection of the community and the individual. It would appear our current interpretation of the Second Amendment is failing to provide that protection.
This is the conversation we should be having.
GEORGE BENJAMIN
Siloam Springs
Responsible for death
I am sorry to voice this, but I believe if Senators Cotton and Boozman don't immediately move to ban the types of weapons used in El Paso and Dayton, then they are morally responsible for the deaths of the next victims of a mass shooting.
They will, by their inaction, have to admit that the lives of the El Paso and Dayton victims are not as important to them as the supposed rights of others to own assault rifles.
Any attempt to blame video games, mental illness, or any other straw man is intellectual dishonesty, and my senators are smart enough to know it.
Ban the weapons or own the deaths, senators.
STEVE OWENS
Hot Springs Village
How to make it great
I never liked Donald Trump. I never thought he was qualified to even tote Clinton's briefcase. Still don't, and I don't apologize. I don't understand the angst against Hillary, and it doesn't seem to be articulated very well. Even so, the day after the election I resolved myself to "give the man a chance and see what he does."
Being newly elected, the new president had an enormous opportunity to bring the country together through his actions. It didn't take me long to be disappointed. Not a president of us all, but a president catering to an angry base of voters who make up the "Righteous Right." Instead of making America great again, he has made America divided again.
Here's my message to our clueless leader on how to make America great again: 1. Make health care available to all Americans and make it affordable (that includes drugs). 2. Strengthen Social Security and Medicare so that people who work all their life can retire in dignity and not be in financial distress. 3. Make our schools the envy of the world where all the children can receive a first-class education, nutrition, guidance, and safety. Make two years of college available to everyone. 4. Improve infrastructure of roads, bridges, dams, waterways, and create an affordable rail system so Americans can afford to visit their beautiful country. 5. Provide us with clean air and water as well as invest in new energy sources--don't settle for reduced standards. It's our health we are talking about. 6. Reverse your generous tax cuts for the rich and corporations and give it to the middle class.
Yes, I know you are saying we can't afford to do all this, or you call it socialism. If we can afford trillions for useless wars and weapons systems we don't use, as well as trillions in tax cuts for the rich, then we can afford to invest in ourselves. Until we start doing these things, don't tell me anything about MAGA. But you are really good at holding political rallies. Congratulations.
BRUCE OWENS
Benton
About those seat belts
Much emphasis is placed on proper car seats for precious infants and toddlers. State law requires us to "buckle up."
Then school starts and they ride on buses with no seat belts.
Sad.
ELIZABETH WINDSOR HENRY
Little Rock
Editorial on 08/08/2019