Change is inevitable
Change will come to the USA. We are hanging on to democracy by our fingertips and in danger of losing our toehold here on planet Earth as well, and yet I am optimistic. Change will come.
There are only three ways to look at the situation: optimistically, pessimistically, or with indifference. It's your choice, and it doesn't matter which one you pick; you're still going to have to stay here and ride it out. I've tried indifferent but just can't pull it off. At times I envy those who can. I go with optimism just because it makes me feel better.
Change will come to Arkansas as well, although it may have to be escorted in, once again, by the 101st Airborne. On the upside, we here in the Natural State don't have to worry about preparing for the apocalypse. Like everything else, Armageddon will roll through here 10 years after it hits California.
DAVID MALCOLM ROSE
Hot Springs
So children flourish
My husband and I understand how every child needs a specific learning environment to succeed. Our oldest son was an academic achiever who never needed help on homework and has successfully earned multiple college degrees. But our youngest has had a different journey.
Diagnosed with autism and dyslexia, he struggled in public school. His kindergarten teacher was phenomenal, working closely with him, keeping him a second year and even coming to our home for tutoring.
But that classroom was just not the environment for him. He could not learn there. And that's not a criticism of the teacher or the school. It simply wasn't working.
After connecting with an incredible therapy practice, we eventually found a homeschool academy where he is thriving with smaller classes and individualized instruction.
It's meant a 45-minute commute and does not come without expense, but since we were considering quitting our jobs and leaving the state--anything for our son--it's truly been a blessing.
While our son's school cannot yet participate in the educational freedom account program created by the LEARNS Act, my husband and I both applaud the law for what it is doing and will continue to do for parents who, like us, felt scared and even hopeless. Parents need options, because every child has unique needs.
Seeing your child truly flourishing, particularly after so many doubts and fears, is a joy every parent should know.
ERIN HOLLEMAN
Malvern
Their unbridled joy
I keep seeing it everywhere: a group of ladies in Ohio, so happy that they are literally unable to contain their joy. I at first thought that maybe it was a group that worked together who had gone in and bought a winning lottery ticket that hit big and they could all retire early. That would certainly be an event to elicit this type of joy.
But alas, upon reading the story that accompanied it, I found they were wildly celebrating the fact that "Yay, I can legally murder my unwanted babies again!"
Sigh ...
GREGORY STANFORD
White Hall
Mideast complexities
There are complexities when it comes to the Israel-Palestine crisis. For instance, many people who thrive on hate have used this crisis as an excuse to be antisemitic or Islamophobic. Many Jewish people see Israel as critical to the survival of their religion, while other Jewish people don't support Israel at all. And the question of how we create lasting peace still looms over us. Some parts of this crisis are complex. However, this is not complex: Killing thousands of innocent civilians, most of whom are children, is wrong.
Do I condemn Hamas? Of course, anyone with a heart would. I also condemn the excessively brutal force Israel has inflicted on Palestinians. Many experts, including a man named Raz Segal, who is an associate professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Stockton University, have gone so far as to say that Israel is committing genocide. Many other experts have said Israel's reported use of white phosphorus, bombing of hospitals, and shutting off water in Palestine would be considered a crime against humanity. There has to be another way; we must work for peace.
I am not the only one who feels this way. According to a poll from Mediaite, 66 percent of Americans support a call for a cease-fire. There have been protests in Israel, and a vast majority of the Israeli people do not support Netanyahu, and want him to step down.
I do not have an answer for how we can achieve lasting peace. I definitely do not have a solution that would fit in a letter to the editor. We can only take it one step at a time, and from what I can see, this means that Israel must cease fire and stop bombing innocent civilians. We must work to achieve a world where children can live in peace.
MOLLY QUINN
Fayetteville
Much more careful
Brenda Looper's column Wednesday was great. So many people still refuse vaccinations and won't wear a mask. My husband Bill and I managed to avoid covid until about 11 days ago. I think we got careless because we had had all the vaccinations. We were less careful about masking than we should have been. I think our cases have been mild because of the vaccinations.
We are staying at home and will not go out until we test negative and quarantine the recommended time. I believe we will also be much more careful about wearing our masks.
PAT HARRELSON
Little Rock