Don't let them weasel
If Justice Samuel Alito's reasoning in his draft opinion for overturning Roe v. Wade becomes final, then the door will be opened for a rethink of the decisions upholding the rights to contraception, interracial marriage and gay marriage. And Arkansas has already declared that, upon publication of Alito's opinion, a 14-year-old Arkansas girl, pregnant because of rape, will be forced to carry that pregnancy to term regardless of the wishes of the child and her parents. I have no doubt that a majority of Arkansans, if polled, would support the rights mentioned above, especially the right of that child and her parents to terminate a pregnancy caused by rape.
So I implore all journalists, when interviewing anyone in this state seeking election to public office, to quiz the candidates on where they stand on these other issues, and not to allow the candidate to weasel out of an answer like Leslie Rutledge did the other day. If the candidate weasels, that person is an intellectual coward and not a leader, and thus not worthy of public office. If the candidate claims not to have formed an opinion, then that person is not a sentient human and thus is ineligible to serve. If the candidate says that these issues aren't germane to the office he or she is seeking, they have already waived that argument by invoking the 2020 election or critical race theory or other culture-warrior tropes that everyone seems to be running on.
We need to know who we are voting for.
STEVE OWEN
Hot Springs Village
Picking sides, are we?
I greatly agreed with the guest opinion urging us to above all find the "reasonable" candidates. If there is a path to reconciliation in our society, finding common ground won't require sacrificing principles, but it will require more than a little willingness to respect and reason with other perspectives. Picking sides and just opening fire can't be the answer.
Yet on that very same page, we have yet another ad hominem attack by that Paul Krugman wannabe John Brummett. The piece tries to twist all possible emotions into contempt for them. And John never fails to name names and explain to you the true feelings of their inner selves. Always evil feelings, of course.
Or did you put them side by side on purpose with tongue in cheek?
JOHN MOSS
Little Rock
The formula shortage
Guess I'm an old-fashioned fool, but I don't see not having baby formula as a crisis. Other than in rare cases when a child has special needs or allergies, it may cause some inconvenience, but for the vast majority there is no reason for babies to starve. That part of the narrative is little more than another political football for politicians to kick around.
In the beginning, if a woman couldn't produce enough breast milk, people learned a wet nurse could pick up the slack. Once a necessity, they became popular as a status symbol among the elite. It was like today when only the wait staff wears masks.
With the invention of sterile evaporated milk from the late 1800s until the 1950s, many women made their own formula at home, mixing it with molasses or corn syrup and pediatric vitamins. I remember seeing moms make it when I was a youngster. My mom fed it to my little sister, and she turned out fine.
JEFFREY COOK
Springdale
On logical fallacies
Here is an example of a logical fallacy: There is nothing good that can be said about abortion. Therefore, we must criminalize all abortions of unborn children, i.e., embryos and fetuses, except to save the life of the mother in a medical emergency.
In a recent television broadcast, Family Council president Jerry Cox was interviewed regarding the Arkansas anti-abortion "trigger law," which will go into effect in the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned. In a question about the absence of an exception for rape or incest, Mr. Cox stated that people supporting these exceptions should be educated to understand that our society does not punish children for the crimes of their fathers.
The onset of menstruation often takes place in the pre-teen years, well before full physical and psychological maturity. In our society, we consider these years to be part of one's childhood. Why, then, should a female child impregnated by a rapist be punished for the crime by being forced to endure a full-term pregnancy and give birth?
Recognizing that programs exist to assist with this female child's continued education, and with the financial costs incurred by the child's family, and with the ultimate care of the baby, nothing we can do will eliminate the psychological and physical trauma that may haunt this child for the rest of her life. Further, this child, her family, and the tenets of her religious affiliation may not support the view that human rights of the unborn child begin at the moment of conception.
Various polls have shown that a majority of Americans support a legal means of abortion (whether surgical or pharmaceutical) in exigent circumstances. Of course, to conclude that something is proper and moral because most people support it is engaging in another logical fallacy. In fact, I question whether our democratic process of "majority rule" is the appropriate vehicle for regulating this issue that has such a disproportionate affect on the population and is so fraught with critical nuances.
With various logical fallacies guiding our public discourse and legislative agenda, all I know for sure is that only stupid people try to keep it simple.
AMY HALL
Cabot
Grid can't handle it
I saw on the news the other morning that we may have rolling blackouts this summer because of the condition of our electrical grid and not enough generating capacity to handle the demand.
My question would be: How in the world could we possibly handle all the electric automobiles and trucks the powers want us to be driving? Personally, I'll just wait and see how all this works out; not planning to dispose of my gas-burning car just yet!
LELAND SMITH
Bryant