Fix the pothole first
It seems people are looking at the abortion issue the wrong way. Say you had a pothole in the street and kept getting flat tires from it. Would you keep buying tires or fix the pothole?
The pothole in the abortion issue is men having unprotected sex when they are not ready to be a parent. So instead of forcing women to go through a pregnancy and childbirth, why not just fix the problem?
One solution is to require young men at age 16 to visit a sperm bank and then get a vasectomy. When they are ready to be a parent, they can. No more abortions, unless medically necessary.
There would also be positive residual effects. As children would truly be valued, they would not be easy prey for child abuse and child pornography (hmmm, that's primarily on men too). Schools would not be overcrowded. No more school lunch programs, housing programs or toy and clothes collections for children whose fathers don't provide such basic necessities. No more adult children showing up on the father's porch saying, "Hi, Dad" and aggravating the heck out of the current wife. The perfect solution.
So men, how about it?
KAREN WOODS
Flippin
Compliments to paper
When my favorite daily newspaper announced it would no longer appear on my doorstep in time for breakfast, I must admit to being devastated. The morning newspaper has been my ritual since my dad taught me to read it more than 75 years ago. Being reasonably computer savvy, I accepted your iPad and started using it.
Voilà, there today's news appeared--not only in living color with clear pictures, but with the added benefit of controlling the size of the font.
This morning I am reading my paper in Brunswick, Ga.--the first opportunity I have had to be with my Georgia grandchildren and great-grands for the holidays since covid entered our lives. I didn't have to ask my sweet neighbor to pick up and save two weeks' worth of papers for me--and better yet, I won't need to spend two or three days catching up on the local news when I get home.
Thank you!
ANNA STYN
Sherwood
Fruits of our labor
Kellogg is the maker of cereals, breakfast pastries, and baked snacks. During the peak of the pandemic, Kellogg's corporate leaders rolled in the dough with quota bonuses. They called their workers "essential" and "heroes" as sales skyrocketed. However, the workers who risked their health were not compensated fairly for those profits.
The 1,400 union workers demanded a fairer contract for everyone such as higher wages for longer hours, better health insurance premiums, and ending the two-tier system that disrespects new workers. Kellogg's response was threatening them with replacement workers and leaving them no option but to strike for 77 days.
Generation Z (1997-2012) finally got involved in the new labor movement to challenge Kellogg's executives. Social media unified a group of ticked-off young laborers and children. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were active with #KelloggsStrike and #Striketober. My conservative friends on Facebook shared posts of children flushing Kellogg's products down the toilet. Meanwhile, my liberal friends shared images of store shelves taped with "Don't be a scab" or "Don't cross the line." It excited me seeing Americans from all walks of life rally behind these workers.
Labor has had some great wins with John Deere, UAW, Starbucks, and others reaching collective agreements. The tight labor market has given workers new leverage unavailable in the past. Kellogg tried replacing workers but found it to be a struggle. Gen-Z and Redditors collapsed their site with enormous amounts of fake applications and resisted crossing the line. Gen-Z laborers understand that we can utilize our communication and technology skills to create strength in numbers and out-organize those that thrive by keeping us down.
Let this be a lesson that when we use social media to unite, we can create better working conditions, better treatment, keep jobs in America, and be proud of the fruits of our labor once more!
TYLER DRAPER
Malvern
Press pause on covid
How many of us are sick and tired of hearing all the news about covid-19? The vaccine is the answer, but many still chose not to participate. My suggestion (IMHO): Stop all of the reporting whatsoever by any news sources about covid until 2022. Telling people to get vaccinated or to get a booster has run its course, and we are tired of the same old reports.
Those who choose to not be vaccinated are keeping our nation from healing and moving on, again IMHO. So, let's see this on Facebook, Twitter, newspapers, TV, radio: #stopreportingcovidtill2022.
Season's greetings to all.
TOMMY THOMPSON
Morrilton