Letters

Must follow the law

The recent article about religious activity in the Prescott schools is alarming. In 1973, I was the lead attorney in a federal case challenging similar religious practices in the Cross County School District.

In that case federal Judge Oren Harris held that student-initiated prayers and the distribution of Gideon Bibles in the school district violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and ordered a halt to the practices. This was the first federal court case in the country striking down the distribution of Bibles in public schools.

The well-reasoned opinion can be found in 394 F.Supp. 417 (1973). Judge Harris' decision was affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, and I would hope that the attorney for the Prescott schools reads that case and advises the school superintendent to follow the law.

MORTON GITELMAN

Fayetteville

As it was intended

"God created man in his own image ... male and female created he them."

Do not subvert his truth.

B.E. SPURGEON

North Little Rock

Museum is beautiful

I recently attended my high school reunion at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. It is a beautiful building and an asset to our city and state. Kudos to everyone involved in bringing it to fruition.

BONNIE HOLMES

Little Rock

Where problem lies

John Adams said, "Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

I believe the problem with guns is not the gun, but with the character of the gun holder!

YVONNE SAMONS

Little Rock

Valid reasons for debt

In reference to the debt ceiling and how we got there: This information was taken from various sites on the Web. I cannot vouch for total correctness. But when you consider the past three to five years with all these expenditures that were not budgeted, yes, the U.S. has a debt problem.

Please note: I am not saying the U.S. should not have spent this money, only there are valid reasons to be this deep in the hole.

Pandemic: Decreased incoming revenue due to covid; an estimated 70 percent of households paid less income tax in 2021-2022. Free testing, vaccines, and injection sites. Ventilators, PPE, masks, etc. $? Huge hospital costs; total cost? Individual taxpayer payouts $2.3 trillion; total outlays were approximately $4.2 trillion. Paycheck Protection Program $800 billion.

Fifteen dollars/hour minimum wage effects: Estimated employer costs rise $54 billion over 10 years. Estimated federal employees affected 70,000.

Estimated federal contract employees affected 300,000. Estimated Arkansas employees affected 439,000. Employer increased cost besides wages, FICA, Workers Compensation, health insurance, pensions, perks (i.e., vacation days, etc.).

Employee costs--1.4 million estimated job losses over 10 years; workers who already make $15+ an hour would expect their pay to increase; more tech, fewer bodies.

Ukraine: Supporting the war with Russia--not budgeted, cost of ammunition enormous. Example: 1.5 million Howitzer cannons have been sent to Ukraine, as well as shells for them, which cost about $800 each. Sidewinder missiles cost $400,000 each.

Other armaments sent means this is enormous, plus training of Ukraine military,

EVELYN BROWN

Little Rock

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