On critical thinking
On Thursday, Coralie Koonce replied to Professor Preston Jones' recent guest column. Ms. Koonce seems to think that Jones was writing primarily about political correctness (PC).
The headline of his column was in very bold print: "Death of thought." Subtitle: "Reason has been overcome." PC is only part of this. PC has more to do with what not to say than what to say or write.
I believe that Dr. Jones is lamenting the dearth of critical thinking. He makes that clear.
FRED SAWYER
Little Rock
It's a confusing mess
The Republican Legislature of Arkansas should be ashamed of itself for changing the Medicaid private option to Arkansas Works. It seems to be proud of the number of people that have lost coverage. It is so difficult finding out all the details on signing up, and the work requirements are confusing. Access to help is limited, and the website is down during the evening hours. I am a college-educated librarian and had trouble helping my son get signed up.
What Arkansas Works amounts to is poor-shaming, and it often affects people with pre-existing conditions who just need health insurance. One of the biggest problems with health care in America is that it is so often tied to employment. My son has multiple health issues and just graduated from college. His previous job was a student job that ended when he graduated. He is looking for employment in his field, but may be forced to take a temporary job while looking for one in computer technology.
It is a shame that this state took a good thing, the private option, and turned it into a confusing mess that negatively affects the marginalized and sick residents of Arkansas.
ALYSANNE CRYMES
Conway
If president does it ...
The current government shutdown seems like hostage-taking. The hostages are government employees who won't be paid until a ransom is paid by Congress (really, it's us, the taxpayers).
Sounds like extortion to me. Isn't extortion illegal?
Guess not when the president does it in the name of a contrived crisis in order to build a monument to himself.
RICHARD BELL
Little Rock
A national emergency
The more I think about it, the more I believe that the United States does indeed have a national emergency. It's an emergency like no one has ever seen before, that I can tell you.
As I am beginning to see, this national emergency sits behind the desk in the Oval Office of the White House.
Who knew?
RANDY BLAKEY
Cabot
This sounds familiar
Extortion, law definition: "the crime of obtaining money or some other thing of value by the abuse of one's office or authority."
Does this sound like something we have been reading about for three weeks?
PAT SMITH
North Little Rock
Education is the key
Mr. Brummett is right on the money again. Mr. Trump has backed himself into a corner with only one way out. That, of course, is to declare a national emergency and let the courts decide whether he's right or wrong. In the meantime we need to get the country running again.
After much thought and watching Fox News (the Republican channel), CNN (the Democrat channel) and NBC and the others, I have come to the conclusion that more wall is not going to work to solve the worldwide problem of immigration, both legal and illegal.
As far as the southern border of the U.S., we would be better off to invest in educating our southern neighbors about America's policies on immigration.
One way we could accomplish this would be to have our State Department contact all the southern nations and request permission to drop flyers from our or their military aircraft explaining America's policy on immigration. Use each country's language and tell through some real testimonies about the dangers, the pitfalls, the jail time for illegals, and the eventual return to their home country. Tell them about human trafficking and how they may end up stranded in the desert or even locked up in the back of an abandoned semi trailer left to die. Tell them the truth, the same thing I've been watching on the news for years, even about the two young children who perished late last year. Also, tell them how to request legal immigration to America. Request our southern neighbors to get the news out on radio, TV and Internet.
We need to use diplomacy and education instead of tear gas, walls and rhetoric, which is all that is coming out of D.C. It also might help if we get on ours knees and pray. God bless America.
RON SNIDER
Jacksonville
Lives aren't a game
Can we be too competitive? To lock up the government and drastically affect ordinary American citizen lives over one administrative decision involving a single physical barrier? The issue earned the honor of the first address from the Oval Office halfway into Trump's presidential term.
We can do better than this. We are an evolved, progressive society. We can apply ourselves through representatives to improve the complex problems associated with any issue. It takes lots of resources, not the least of which is time and effort, supported by enabling attitude.
Forget the "win" and "lose" stuff. This is not a game. Such behavior constitutes a disabling elementary approach. We are intelligent, educated, able adults.
While I'm at it, there's nothing to be gained by running down an opponent beaten in a genuine basic competition where there will be a winner and loser. That's sports. And we're better than this too.
KAY CARPENTER
Little Rock
Editorial on 01/13/2019