Can't rent journalism
In your editorial of Jan. 22 ("At least pretend"), you take CNN to task for purportedly not separating news from opinion. You should do the same to Fox News. It has been cited repeatedly for violating this principle.
Most important, an editorial should use the correct word, especially in its ultimate sentence: "That's what happens when news organizations don't separate news reporting from opinion, one of the most basic tenants [sic] of good journalism."
You can't rent good journalism. It has to be grounded in basic principles, "tenets."
RICHARD STEINKAMP
Little Rock
Carnage on highways
If I were (when I was) a teenager, I would have to test the taunt on the speedometer dial of our minivan that it would do 140 mph. I would be disappointed when it pegged out at probably no more than 99.
Why do they put 140 on the dial? Marketing. Like it or not, we auto buyers are stimulated subconsciously and consciously to varying degrees by the promise or illusion of speed and power.
Another question: Do cars kill people, or do people with cars kill people? Yes. Which begs the question: Do automakers and sellers kill people? Yes.
Automakers and sellers have embraced many technologies to make cars safer, but still rely on speed and power to get into the pockets of many buyers, especially those with underdeveloped brains.
It won't happen, but a Congress that wanted to significantly reduce highway carnage could make a difference. Requiring "truth in speedometer dials" would be a symbolic gesture. Requiring proven new lifesaving technologies in vehicles and highways would really move the needle. (Couldn't resist.)
How about requiring steel cables near shoulders that absorb the impact when a vehicle leaves the roadway? When I see one of those cables bent and stretched on I-49, I imagine a celebration of lives saved. Tell them we can't afford it. How about a horsepower tax to help pay for the cables?
HOWELL MEDDERS
Fayetteville
Spelling is your friend
I am sure your editorial writers are mortified at seeing the last phrase of Friday's editorial: "one of the basic tenants of good journalism."
Editing and spell-checking are also basic tenets.
DOUG RAWN
Little Rock
Un-American actions
The attack on our democracy by the radical right to overturn a free and fair election is un-American. The attempt by Trump to use his power of office to alter the Georgia election by begging for almost 12,000 more votes is a disgrace. The secretary of the state of Georgia was pressured by Trump in a recorded phone call to add votes to his tally.
Rest assured, my fellow Americans, if a two-bit con artist could turn our great democracy into their corrupt dictatorship, it would have already happened.
JEFF LAHA
Little Rock
Waste of our money
Why is Congress wasting taxpayer money and time impeaching someone who is no longer in office? Shouldn't Congress be spending its time solving the dire problems facing this nation today?
How about helping grow our economy? How about getting minorities back into the work force at higher numbers than ever before, including before the pandemic? How about taking action to preserve our First Amendment rights? How about figuring out how to counter groups like Antifa? How about continuing reforming the VA and ensuring our vets are properly taken care of? How about growing our manufacturing base and keeping jobs from going overseas to countries like Communist China? How about improving education for all children so they can compete in this fast-paced tech world? How about keeping our borders secure to keep out terrorists, drug lords, and criminal elements? How about fighting illegal drugs and educating all ages of the dangers of drugs and alcohol abuse? How about countering child abuse, spousal abuse, and white slavery? These are to name a few.
I just don't get it. This wasting of time and taxpayer money is ludicrous. I wonder if D.C. is just trying to keep our attention from their inability to do anything right.
MARY WALKER
Mountain Home
Aid Arkansas women
As I write this letter on the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the women of Arkansas are being bombarded by the GOP supermajority with a plethora of shaming, controlling, and downright horrible bills that seek to remove body autonomy. Must we adhere to the 93rd General Assembly to determine when/if we will start a family?
Y'all can save your "Day of Tears" and "Not So Pro-Life" stance, because (sadly) Arkansas has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, particularly when it comes to Black women. This is shameful and unacceptable.
I propose an alternative, a supportive "Pro-Family" stance: Please work toward uplifting the women of Arkansas by building a beloved, safe and equitable community; and trust Arkansas women to make our own family planning decisions.
CAROLINE JACKSON MORGAN
Little Rock