What about Biden?
It is glaringly obvious to me that this newspaper is promoting the anti-Trump pandemic.
Yet it is also obvious that there is a lack of bragging on and promoting the qualifications of the nominee of the competing party, who at times seems to be unable to clarify his thoughts.
Just an observation.
GORDON SWAIM
North Little Rock
Cotton watches over
In mid-January, Sen. Tom Cotton was the first American leader who raised the alarm regarding reports of a new virus in Wuhan, China. He was reading the news reports coming from Asia. We should be proud that we have a senator who takes his responsibilities seriously.
On Jan. 14 the World Health Organization sent out a message that China had found no evidence the virus can be spread human to human. That's approximately the time that China was slapping a quarantine on an area that contained 50 million people. Were those people still able to travel outside China?
John Brummett wrote a column Thursday attacking Senator Cotton's motives for looking into the spread of this virus around the world. Please consider running the recent op-ed from Senator Cotton that ran in The Wall Street Journal. He references the news reports from within China.
There are many questions that the United Nations should be asking. We should never again allow the majority of our pharmaceuticals and key medical supplies to be manufactured in China.
John Brummett should go back to despising President Trump and making fun of evangelical Christians. Leave Senator Cotton to watch over all of us.
By the way, Ms. Brenda Looper asked why more people don't write in to defend President Trump. I think that it's because he comes across, to a well-mannered Southern gentleman, as a braying donkey. Policies matter.
STEVE ALLINSON
Benton
Thoughts on a letter
We received our Trump-o-Gram the other day informing us that the money he and Congress took from our children and grandchildren had been deposited in our account. How thoughtful on all their parts. We are grateful.
Regarding the letter itself, the eye is immediately drawn to the signature. Personally, I am a terrible script writer, so far be it from me to criticize someone's handwriting, but seriously. Looking at the signature, a number of things come to mind. One of the first is a curiosity about what an EKG for a giraffe looks like. Big ups and downs, I suppose. Also coming to mind, with due credit to Bill Cosby from a time when he was just funny, is a recollection from early school days long, long ago. Among a whole bunch of kids, we had one who flunked clay class. How can someone flunk clay class, you might wonder. Well, this kid could make a ball but he couldn't make a bunny. Try as he might, he just couldn't do it. I always wondered what happened to him when he grew up. Neurosurgery probably didn't work out, but show biz or politics--hmmmm. Well, draw your own conclusions.
Hang in there, folks. The end is in sight, sorta, and remember that no matter what anyone says, Clorox Gummies are not good for you,
DENNIS BARRY
Little Rock
Deering is a treasure
It's time for this longtime ADG reader to express appreciation for one of the most talented employees of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: John Deering.
A newspaper's not just about printed (or digitalized) news: "A picture's worth a thousand words." And Deering's drawings are not only superb in their detail; they also convey a subtle punch. That punch may be humorous, as in his Zack Hill cartoons; zany, as in his Strange Brew cartoons; or incisive and provocative, as in his illustrations headlining Perspective essays and in his editorial cartoons. (Even those who disagree with his political slant must admit that no editorial cartoon is effective unless it's incisive and provocative.) John Deering is a treasure for this state, in the same way that George Fisher was.
These views have not been endorsed by my employer, the University of Arkansas.
ROBERT B. LEFLAR
Fayetteville
Open eyes to hunger
Recently a photograph of a long line of cars waiting for entry to a food bank at the Outlet Malls was viewed on social media. I was appalled at the unsympathetic comments, but especially one that stated, "There are not that many hungry people in Arkansas!" The U.S. Department of Agriculture begs to differ; Arkansas leads the nation in hunger among seniors and children.
If you doubt government statistics, I suggest a simple test: volunteer at a food bank. If you do, you will discover some interesting facts. For one thing, there are requirements: a photo ID, residence in the city, you can only come once a month, and you must be below a certain income level. Recently, St. Mark's Food Pantry served approximately 100 families or 500 individuals who met those requirements.
If you do volunteer, you will meet your fellow Arkansans who simply need to eat, and the food provided is desperately needed for a variety of reasons. Among the people you will meet are grandparents and great-grandparents raising another generation of children due to the scourge of addiction and nonviolent incarceration, women and children reduced to below the poverty level due to divorce, individuals seeking help for the first time due to an unforeseen expense, someone who will be embarrassed to be asking for help due to recent unemployment, to name a few. All will be appreciative of the food, but especially the compassion and smiles given and received.
After a few hours you will be changed, your eyes reddened by tears, shed and unshed, your heart softer and breaking a bit. Whatever your beliefs or practices, you will find joy in doing good in an often harsh world. You will arrive home and suddenly see blessings and gifts you have long ignored or never saw before.
You will not need government statistics to tell you of hunger in your home state, because you will have met your fellow human and seen his need.
SANDRA McCULLOUGH CONE
Little Rock
Editorial on 05/03/2020