Need a conversation
A friend of mine and I were having a discussion about what could be done about mass shooters. We agreed that AR-15s have no place but the military. Then I suggested that maybe we should reinstitute the military draft. I said I would do some research on that.
I found that the Aug. 4 issue of Mother Jones had some excellent information about past shooters. I found that the ages of five of the last 10 shooters were between 18 and 24 years of age. This is the age group targeted by military recruiters. Researching further, I found out that these shooters probably would not be eligible for the military anyway. One in three recruits are disqualified because of their weight. One in four are disqualified because of education requirements (must have high school diploma or GED). One in 10 have criminal records. Overall, only 29 percent of those in the 18-24 age group qualify. This speaks volumes about the state of our society.
So much for the draft being a way to reduce shooters.
We need a national conversation about what can be done to stop the shooters. Not just saying after each shooting that we need more gun control, but to look to other alternatives. One such alternative was in last Sunday's Democrat-Gazette--"Deny them fame."
RUSS BAILEY
Little Rock
They set bad example
The citizens of Little Rock should be appalled at the uncivil behavior exhibited at the recent state-hosted community meetings concerning the future of Little Rock School District.
How can school administrators, counselors, teachers, and students try to combat bullying in school when parents are publicly demonstrating the very same behavior?
LANA COELHO
Little Rock
Seeing things clearly
I am often impressed by the output from your columnists such as Paul Krugman as they exhibit such perspicacity, and so often reflect my own opinions. John Brummett is one that most often impresses me, and I have often wondered why they are not running for important public offices, but then he wrote on Aug 22: "Newspaper opinion writers don't run for office. It's beneath them. And they'd lose."
I can't help but wonder why he said that. It would imply that our politicians are not erudite, to which I would agree, especially those who publish their thoughts by tweeting. So sad, but this country needs someone who sees things clearly.
Also, I wonder why he feels that they would lose. Is it because they actually ponder the issues before releasing their thoughts?
F. RICHARD JORDAN
North Little Rock
Hijacking of forums
The untoward behavior of the public participants in the Board of Education open meetings has become more than just unruly, but has quickly descended into abhorrent mob rule. The strident and shrill group of those who insist upon immediate reversion to local control of the Little Rock School District continue to exhibit their specific and narrow agenda by hijacking these forums and preventing any free of exchange of ideas and suggestions for the future of the district. It is quite obvious this group has shown its lack of respect for reasoned and inclusive discussion and has easily and blindly forgotten the previous 30 or so years of a local school board that allowed the district to spiral into an educational cellar, ignored the needs of maintaining the physical infrastructure, hired and fired superintendents at an alarming rate, and wasted millions of dollars of state desegregation money.
Do the citizens of the city who pay for LRSD, and the majority of the patrons, parents and voters who will eventually elect the members of a local school board really want folks like this running the board?
Of course, as with any group of narrow-minded and self-righteous fanatics, anyone who disagrees with any portion of their agenda or even suggests the free exchange of thoughts, opinions or different answers is labeled as an insensitive, uninformed clod and, of course, blatant racist.
It is truly unfortunate that these meetings that could possibly result in some reasoned, inventive suggestions and even inspired answers and avenues can never be presented in a forum that has been taken over by a gang that has no intention of allowing truly reasonable discussion or free exchange of ideas.
JONATHAN ROZWENC
Little Rock
That old-people smell
A New York Times article appeared in the Democrat-Gazette recently, titled "Do old people smell? Scientists sniff each way." As if I didn't already have enough to be worried about, as a large segment of the population already blame old, white-haired Caucasians for all the problems the country has today.
They may be right. Now in my late 80s, I must smell something awful. I did get a lecture on how to take a shower, though, which you might find interesting. While on Project Redwing, on a tiny island--½-mile wide and just enough length to land a B-52--all our water had to be distilled, and my commander had just come from a meeting where he and the other commanders had been severely lectured about wasting water.
Our CO then lectured us on just how to shower: "Turn on the water, get wet, turn the water off, soap down, turn the water back on and rinse off." There were times, however, if the Geiger counter reading was too high, we might jump back in and take another quick shower to remove any radiation.
There was a plan in place to evacuate the island if radiation saturation reached a certain point. A Navy destroyer was standing by for this purpose. Saturation level was reached one time, and we all got ready to get out to the ship, but the radiation level dropped, and evacuation was canceled. So we just took another quick shower to remove as much radiation as we could.
Anyway, out here on my Big-Little Farm, I keep active and shower and try and not to smell up the place, and try not to be too deplorable when I go to Walmart.
DONAL B. WRIGHT
Cabot
Power to the people
Re Citizens United: Return the power to the people, instead of power for the rich only!
TERRY FITZGERALD
Bryant
Editorial on 09/01/2019