Pandering to paranoia
I generally make every effort to read Mike Masterson's columns, not because I agree with him (I rarely do), but because he is entitled to his opinion just as I am entitled to mine. However, he really has gone over the top with his exhortation to Arkansas citizens to support SJR13 regarding a state constitutional amendment concerning gun rights.
If we look at the history of legislation and judicial decisions, both nationally and statewide, can anyone honestly say that there has been any increased stringency in gun owner rights over the last 30 years save a temporary ban on the purchase of assault rifles which has since expired? This gun-owner paranoia is just that--paranoia. No one is coming to take Bubba's deer rifle or Mary Jane's handgun she keeps at home for self-defense.
Concerning the Arkansas Supreme Court decision he cites (State v. Buzzard, 1842), perhaps they got it right. While there is legitimate debate over the Second Amendment's wording, a number of constitutional scholars would argue that its poor wording, punctuation and syntax may be misleading and the founding fathers did intend for guns to be for use by the militia (substitute National Guard at present). Nevertheless, the founding fathers hardly were thinking of semiautomatic assault rifles with 30-round magazines. Where are those strict constructionists when interpretations like this arise?
Finally, Mr. Masterson chooses to conveniently ignore the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution that says federal law supersedes state law. Are the Arkansas taxpayers going to be asked to pay for yet another fool's errand challenging this as they have in the past?
PHILLIP J. PETERS
Little Rock
Not sure he'd approve
So does Mike Masterson's "Secure our rights" column in support of SJR13 get a GodNod? I'm not feeling it!
DANA STEWARD
Sherwood
Take it one at a time
While I often disagree with him, John Brummett's column Thursday regarding President Biden's infrastructure plan is the best and most logical thing he has written. Loading the cart with too many unrelated pieces makes it harder for the horse (donkey?) to pull. I've always heard that the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.
Perhaps he could forward that bit of advice to the president.
ERIC DUNIVAN
Fayetteville
Have to see to believe
I have been to a three-ring circus, seen the geysers at Yellowstone Park and ridden a camel in the shadow of the pyramids, but I have never seen anything like our state Legislature.
The House passed a creationism bill and passed it onto the Senate. I am so excited that our esteemed legislators have discovered what Bible scholars, clergy and churchgoers have pondered over for years.
We women don't have to worry about our own health anymore because our caring Legislature is on the job. It would appear that those good folks have taken control of our lady parts. We don't have the option of abortion. We also have to be prudent about where we go for birth control, morning-after pill, or other forms of contraception. Some health-care providers can refuse to honor our purchase of our preferred form of personal care. I do wonder about chastity belts in our future.
Parents will be so relieved that they don't have to make decisions about their children as to what they learn in school. Bur most importantly, they don't have to make a decision as to whether their transgender child gets hormones. I can't imagine what parents and children have to go through to understand and accept a child's process on the gender issue. And now, the decision of what is best for their children is taken out of their hands.
I suggest that these tireless lawmakers might take time to look at what is happening in Arkansas. We are third in the nation for child food insufficiency in the nation. Could it be possible to spend a minute to look at the staggering poverty and hunger in Arkansas? Perhaps after they invade our privacy, they might actually enact a law to help Arkansas citizens. And all this from a controlling party that believes in small government and personal freedom.
I paraphrase the great, late George Fisher: Hide the women and children. Run for the hills, the Legislature is in town.
GWENNETH PRICE-PICARD
Little Rock
Greenberg is missed
Although he was essentially retired, I will miss Paul Greenberg. I quite often disagreed with his editorials and columns, but I always appreciated his writing and his style.
I met him and his wife at Molly's in Hot Springs nearly 50 years ago. He had won his Pulitzer two years earlier, something of which I was unaware at the time, and he certainly never mentioned it. He was down-to-earth, gracious, knowledgeable, and extremely personable. A man with opinions without being opinionated. We never met again, but the memory stayed with me.
Bill Bowden's news story (really more a very well-done obituary), the fabulous John Deering cartoon, the editorial headed simply "Paul" and the reprint of an earlier Greenberg column, all in the April 8 edition, were wonderful tributes to a great newspaper man. I am sure that I am not alone in saying that he will be greatly missed.
DOUG RAWN
Little Rock
Self-serving members
If I were asked to imagine a group of individuals trying to desperately mask their emotional neglect, feed their need to be respected, and lust after being considered as important or even relevant, who--in order to make themselves appear righteous--condemn minority groups through stealing the minorities' right to vote, and those ignoring the commandment to "love one another" by persecuting transgender people and gays; who would that be?
I would have to answer: Arkansas Republicans, especially those Republicans in the Arkansas state Legislature.
I believe people see them for the trash that they are. The Republicans lack the ability to see that they not only condemn themselves but expose their filthy, disgusting personalities, and that they lack moral fiber--they lack the character trait of standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves (compassion). In their lust to make themselves be perceived as having status over others, by condemning LGBTQ citizens, the Arkansas Legislature has condemned itself.
With that stated, I am hopeful. I know that normal people perceive the Senate Republicans as self-serving hypocrites who need to be voted out of office for the "greater good" of Arkansans.
May the Lord have mercy on their souls.
JOHN SMITH
Beebe