Too much noise there
The piped-in music (noise is a better word) at the Arkansas-Portland State football game was terrible, too much, overdone! It was too loud. Once, I could not even hear the announcer as the guests were introduced. During every timeout, it was blaring. It never let up.
I wondered if this mind-jarring, artificial sound was going to shut down when the quarterback got over center.
This instrumental racket, instead of keeping the party going, disconnected the fans from the game. Nobody I talked to, young or old, liked it, either. Something needs to be done about it. Whatever happened to the spontaneous Hog Calls from the fans?
SCOTT TEAGUE
Chester
Must enforce the laws
I know a lot of licensed gun dealers. All do background checks. On the form you fill out, it says if you lie on the form, there is up to a $5,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.
When people lie on this form, there should be an arrest warrant put out for them. This is not being done.
You can pass all the laws you want. They won't do a bit of good if they are not enforced!
FRANK WHINNERY
Lowell
Less ego, more logic
Hurrah for a recent op-ed by Dana Steward, "Bring back civil discourse." The ancient Greeks knew how, so why not us? Using competitive sports or war for a model, too many of us act like everything is a battle between two and only two sides. Your side, my side. There's no middle ground. Yet in reality, life is not black and white, but rather shades of gray if not Technicolor.
In the middle of the fray, people don't worry about the facts or contradicting themselves. Any tactic will do, including insults and dishonest arguments or fallacies. One ploy accuses the other guy of doing what you are doing (projection). Another quotes him out of context or attacks an exaggerated or made-up version of his argument (strawman). Other common fallacies are listed at yourlogicalfallacyis.com.
Attached to our own arguments and sources, some of us scorn traditional professions that find information or add to knowledge: science, journalism, university scholarship. They have their special methods and ethical codes, but we've got our pet websites. We know better.
Once decided on a narrative, many find it hard to change their minds when new facts come out. Some of us find conspiracy theories novel and exciting, and we believe them because they make the people we don't like look bad. However, while everybody loves a story, most of us learned the difference between fiction and nonfiction when we were kids.
Some believe diplomacy is weakness, and compromise is an admission of defeat. But these constant battles leave no room for cooperation, alternatives, innovation, prevention, or envisioning the future. Public discourse conducted at this low level doesn't bode well for a representative democracy. We need less ego and more logic. Try to raise your game--please!
CORALIE KOONCE
Fayetteville
Maybe a recall vote
It seems that our new mayor has an agenda that is of a dubious nature. Any chance of recalling His Honor? And maybe getting War Memorial and Hindman golf courses back?
WALTER TUCKER
Little Rock
Editorial on 09/10/2019