Answer nation’s call
I’ll be 80 in December. I’ll not bore you with my time in hospital while with the 171st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. That does not define me.
What irritates me no end is that reference about “The Greatest Generation.” Like Col. Daniel Bilko’s letter made very clear, heroes do not view themselves as such, but recognize others who were as heroes. How’d you like to be the lastsoldier to die in some politician’s war? Especially when that politician hadn’t the spine to be there himself or to encourage his kids to be soldiers?
The greatest? Well, sir or ma’am, as the case might be, that would be those of any generation with the ability and the grit to answer their nation’s call when needed. I’m one of 11 born to a German immigrant, and all of us who could, enlisted. Those not in military service served in other capacities.
So let’s stop the “glory hogging” and such, especially by those who’d capitalize on having done what the rest of us simply viewed as the duty of any American in any war wherein our country needed us to serve.
Those who cooked, drove vehicles or were medics are as worthy of our gratitude as Audie Murphy was. He could not have done his heroics without their support. God keep all of whatever age or time of service, and give the rest of us sense enough to value them all equally.
KARL HANSEN
Hensley
Fulfilling its purpose
I was taken aback when I read Wally Hall’s column this past Sunday. It is not my place to comment on whether or not Chad Morris should have been fired as Arkansas’ head football coach; his record certainly indicates he had not been very successful despite being paid an enormous amount of money to coach and, now, not to coach.
What I found disturbing was Wally’s line of reasoning about the primary role of the trustees concerning the university. He implied that they have been delinquent in their duties by not making their primary responsibility the supervision of the football program.
The University of Arkansas is first and foremost the state’s flagship academicinstitution. I seriously doubt that without football it would be “a small land-grant college in the mountains.” He states that the trustees are “continuously told to worry about academics at all the schools in the UA System.” That is precisely what their most important duty should be.
While I am not an alumnus of the university, I respect it as an institution. I have nothing against athletics, and played intercollegiate athletics myself. However, we must keep in mind that universities are about the education of their students, and athletics are an extracurricular activity. He mentioned that 20 years ago following a big win over Tennessee the number of applications set a record. My question is whether those are the individuals we would like to apply to the university if their interest is primarily based on athletic prowess rather than academic excellence. Fortune 500 companies are not in Arkansas because of our football team but rather because of the abundance of bright, well-educated young people available in the work force.
PHILLIP J. PETERS
Little Rock
Should be the priority
Wally Hall wrote on Nov. 11 that “[Chad] Morris may have been destined to fail because he inherited a team that lacked speed, depth, talent and discipline. … The fans have suffered long enough.”
Is the effect on Razorback football fans that important compared with encouraging the players to remain in the program, attend class and graduate? I believe this should be the ultimate first priority of the University of Arkansas, not satisfying the fans.
RICHARD PLOTKIN
Conway
Think how you’d feel
I am a senior undergrad student at the University of Central Arkansas pursuing a major in communication with a minor in journalism. I am regarded as a woman of integrity, fortitude, perseverance and an extreme sense of community, which is evident in my participation in community projects, as well as articulating my opinions and concerns regarding state, local and national issues.
I am extremely concerned with every issue pertaining to President Donald Trump, for example, DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and black Americans. Unfortunately, how quick we forget what we as black African Americans went through during Jim Crow and the Civil Rights era when the chant was “go back to Africa,” and when I heard blacks chanting “Blacks for Trump,” and “Blacks, how low can you go,” I remembered that just because we are not the topic of the day doesn’t mean the conversation won’t change due to the fact that we are a continual target. You can’t turn your head and say, “Well, it’s not happening to me. I am not concerned.”
I am a humanist. Most importantly, I am a child of God. However, my ideology may not be your viewpoint, and that is OK with me. Moreover, I am disliked by most African Americans and most white Americans, and I don’t care. I will always speak up and speak out for what I feel is the right thing to do. Think about how you would feel if you were told to go back to your own country and you have been here all your life. Put yourself in the DACA recipients’ shoes and the Hispanics that have been dehumanized.
MARQUITTA J. CORBIN
Conway