OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Removing resources | Liberty and justice | That's a lot of carbon

Removing resources

Why do our elected officials want to remove the resources and potential for good government? Taxes are our collective effort to address the common good for all of our citizens. Reducing taxes jeopardizes our ability to do that. Perhaps the administration and legislators find it too complicated, politically risky or unimportant. They certainly need to try harder.

Arkansas struggles to provide adequate resources for education. Fifty-three percent of 3- and 4-year-old children are not in school. Sixty-nine percent of fourth-grade students are not proficient in reading. Seventy-three percent of our eighth-graders are not proficient in math. Our teacher salary ($49,438) ranks 46th nationally. Investment per student ($10,139) ranks 37th. Only 23 percent of adults in Arkansas have a college degree. Only Mississippi and West Virginia have a lower percentage of adults who have earned a college degree.

People who are well-educated generally earn more money, which means a nicer home, a more secure retirement, a greater ability to buy what you need and want, and better health care. Our children deserve the opportunities that start with a quality education. Removing resources for education and other critical needs now assures continued mediocrity.

PAUL KELLY

Mabelvale

Liberty and justice

The original version of the pledge of allegiance was written in 1892. The current version was adopted by Congress in 1954, when President Eisenhower requested the addition of "under God" during the Cold War.

Many thousands have given their lives in allegiance to our nation. Others bear permanent wounds. From early childhood, millions of Americans have recited this pledge. Legal battles have been waged due to a multitude of interpretations, and locations in which the pledge is recited.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Compare and contrast principles of the pledge and current events. American unity has been disrupted by violence, vaccines, and vitriol. Divisiveness in our nation has reached unimaginable levels. We are radically divided over racial perceptions, sexual preferences, immigration practices, and political pundits. Liberty and justice have origins in decency, respect, courtesy, and a well-centered moral compass. How can future American generations live in peace? Will the leaders of America make decisions that are beneficial to all? Are we failures?

As the Bible says, "So, whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

KAY HICKS

Little Rock

That's a lot of carbon

Good grief, Mr. President! Taking a reported 85 vehicles to Rome prior to attending the climate summit: Was that necessary?

JOHN WATTS

Little Rock

Use common sense

I 100 percent agree with Mr. Gregg Mueller's response ("Money isn't answer") to Mrs. Kellaneese Porter-Parker's assertion that inequity in education funding is the reason for failing schools and students. Further, I would aver that Mr. Mueller's thoughts correlate with Mike Masterson's column concerning common sense.

To wit, now that we know that it is not a lack of funding that is the cause of the inequities Mrs. Porter-Parker describes, are we willing to follow reasoning and logic (aka common sense) to try and come up with a workable solution? Or, as is so often the case in these "woke" times, will we continue to ignore logic and reason because it doesn't fit the narrative?

If the very districts that Mrs. Porter-Parker describes as failing/suffering because of funding inequity are in fact spending 33 percent more per student than districts that are succeeding, then it is not because of funding inequity, but likely other factors not related to school funding. In which case, throwing another $300 million at this problem is not going to help.

As Mr. Mueller suggests, the common-sense thing to do would be to more closely examine the factors not related to funding that help make these under-funded districts more successful than the districts that receive 33 percent more money.

GREG STANFORD

White Hall

What was she doing?

It's bad enough with the robocalls, but this call the other day takes the cake.

The woman said she was doing research for Medicare. First she was verifying my personal info: name, address, etc., by asking me to verify what she was reading to me. Since she already had it, I saw no need to say otherwise.

Then she asked for the name of my primary care physician. Then it was drug allergies, asking about high blood pressure, etc. Then she moved to asking about parents, sibling, aunts, uncles, grandparents who also have/had heart problems.

Now comes the real kicker. She is mailing me a DNA test kit which I am duty-bound to swab my cheek and return by mail. She said Medicare wanted to have the DNA of all Medicare recipients in its databases. You want me to send a DNA sample to "Medicare"? You must be nuts. I really don't know who you are or what this is really about.

And then they wanted me to do a survey questionnaire about the conversation I just finished with that woman.

E.H. BROWN

Little Rock

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