Pass covid relief bill
As an Arkansan and an American, I am outraged that Washington politicians may return home for the holidays without passing any new covid relief. For millions of Americans, this holiday season is starting to look like a nightmare.
Millions of families are struggling more than ever to put food on their tables, and 12 million renters are under threat of eviction when the eviction moratorium ends on Dec. 31. According to Moody's Analytics, the average renter will be $5,850 behind in rent and utilities by January. Some lawmakers have created a bipartisan plan to provide food and rental assistance for the next few months, but Senate leaders are blocking it. They seem perfectly content to let countless Americans fall into financial ruin and potentially even homelessness in the middle of a global pandemic.
Congressman Womack and Senators Boozman and Cotton must not leave Washington without taking action. They must work to pass a new covid bill that includes food assistance, emergency rental assistance, and an extension of the eviction moratorium. I urge everyone who believes as I do to contact our congressional offices and implore them to do the right thing. We cannot in good conscience allow our lawmakers to leave millions of Americans without food or out in the cold over this holiday season.
GAGE REED
Fayetteville
No spine or integrity
Note to the four representatives touting duck hunting in the recent guest column: How about the four of you growing enough spine and faking enough integrity to write what you four and the rest of us know to be the truth about the skunk odor emanating from the White House? Not one Republican elected to national office from this state has shown enough common decency and enough integrity to call out Trump for his denigration of us veterans and other military after we did our jobs for our country and many of us were in hospitals as a result.
As "commander-in-chief," that was as low as any of us could imagine a president stooping, and every last one of you let him get by with it. How I regard you all won't be printed in this paper.
There is much needed to be written about these gutless wonders we have going about in a self-serving manner that is a big embarrassment to those of us who remember Republicans who were both Republicans and statesmen as well.
The problem is not what we're given to read. The problem is what we have no hope of ever being given to read.
KARL HANSEN
Hensley
Couldn't say it better
Rhonda Patton of Roland, your comment Monday in letters was perfect.
KEN WYZGOSKI
Conway
Showing ignorance
First, covid-19 is a terrible disease, killing more than 300,000 people in the U.S. However, the symptom the covid illness demonstrates is our ignorance. As a society we have evolved with science and medical leaders showing and telling us how to combat this illness and hopefully minimize our losses. Instead many listen to a portion of society that believes that masks are an infringement of their rights.
A true example of this was when my wife and I voted in the past election. My wife and I got in line behind a mom and her son (who happened to be wearing MAGA hats) into the church gym, both ending up maskless. We stayed socially distanced as we meandered through the line with voting booths on our right side when a masked elderly woman on oxygen and a walker exited from her voting booth. The look on her face as she looked up at those two will be with me for a while as we backed up to allow her some space to walk behind them. As the couple arrived at voter check-in, the poll worker told them to remove their hats; they immediately asked why. She replied that there was a law against electioneering, which prompted more questions. They finally did remove their hats; the son replaced his with a rebel flag bandana. The sad part of this example is that it probably happened across most if not all Arkansas polling places.
Our elected officials are propagating this in their own misbehavior and lack of action. If Asa really cared about saving lives, he ought to start Biden's 100 days of mask-wearing mandate here in Arkansas in all public places. My current favorite unknown quote: "We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." Only this time, remaining "stupid" causes innocents to die. The societal illness is our ignorance; covid-19 is just one glaring symptom.
ANDY CONNAUGHTON
Vilonia
A new name for team
A suggested new name to consider for the Cleveland Indians that might better describe their bowing to political correctness: The Cleveland Capitulators. A rather long name, but it does seem to fit.
LYNDEL DEAN
Cabot