Cases aren’t the same
With regards to Will Cohen, who recently wrote in, I find it ludicrous to compare the sexual encounters of Bill Cosby to Bill Clinton.
The issue here would appear to be the simple matter of a woman’s saying “yes,” in the case of Bill Clinton, and, in the case of Bill Cosby, a woman’s saying “no”—unless of course, she was rendered (by him) unable to speak for herself at all.
MARGARET WASHBURN
Bella Vista
Importance of details
It happens every night.
I sit down to watch the local news. The newsperson comes on the screen. A rapid-fire narration of local mayhem such as killings, robberies, and other worrisome subject matter is then delivered. Often a “hook” is provided to ask viewers to tune in later for more details. Occasionally, there are mispronunciations of words and a personal commentary on what the news means.
After about 15 minutes, news, weather and sports are done and what remains is largely information that is not useful and tends to be filler for the rest of the 30 minutes, along with the usual plethora of commercials.
I tune in to another channel when the first 15 minutes are over.
News is important to me. Report the news, don’t analyze it. National news should be briefly headlined by local news outlets, without analysis.
Any local news item should have all the detail necessary to make sense to the viewer. On at least one occasion the newsperson did not mention the geographical location of the item, which was even more troubling.
Keep the social news, the announcement of various commercial products and other such information for the last few minutes and do not spend more time on them than more important information.
I will continue to depend on the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for my source of news and information, with detail, for the foreseeable future.
GEORGE WILKEN
Maumelle
Patronage poster boy
The current poster boy for political patronage in Arkansas surely must be Shane Broadway.
He lost his bid for lieutenant governor in 2010, only to be rewarded by his fellow Arkansas State alum, Mike Beebe, with the plum position of director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. Never mind that he was clearly unqualified for the position—his bachelor’s degree in political science doesn’t hold much water in an environment filled with Ph.D.s. But who needs proper academic credentials when you’re a buddy of the governor?
With his benefactor Governor Beebe about to leave office, it was clear that Mr. Broadway would have to find another job. Of course it seems he’s not really qualified to do anything in the private sector, since he’s apparently been a politician his entire adult life. So lo and behold, here comes his dear alma mater offering him the position of vice president for governmental relations. He will now be the school’s chief lobbyist with a reported salary of $185,000 per year. The perfect job for a lifelong politician, not to mention a very rewarding one financially.
I believe Mr. Broadway is yet another example of a politician using his connections to get a cushy government job. I hope the voters of Arkansas remember his history of cashing in at the taxpayers’ expense should he ever run for office again.
THOMAS G. MAY
North Little Rock
Money and politics
In recent election years around the nation, hundreds of different committees from a variety of political parties spent million of dollars in ads supporting their candidates. If big money is the reason a candidate wins a race, and the media are the cause of a loss, then the questions we must ask are, is this true and why?
In Arkansas, the recent Senate race was ranked seventh nationally in ads spending at $38,333,984. Supporters held fundraisers for their candidates, and the candidates themselves took out loans to spend on race expenses and advertisements, mostly to tell the voters who they are and what they believe, but also to say bad things about the opponent. Big money also came from outside groups. This money sometimes exceeded the money spent by the candidates.
Has anyone ever wondered why media businesses do what they do? Are they there to take sides? Or they are there just to make money? Do they have responsibility to verify the truth of statements made in purchased airtime? But one thing for sure, especially during a heated race, the media make a lot of money selling ugly and negative attack advertisements.
Americans around the country went to the polls and cast their ballots for candidates they support regardless of how much money or how bad the media have done during the election cycles. The results would probably still be the same. Big money or mass media may have played a major role in today’s politics; however, are they the cause for the winners or losers? What must be changed and what can we do to change? Do we really need to eliminate big money and discourage mass media when it comes to the American politics and the next election cycle … or do we need to install a “truth filter?
LY MAI CRANE
Rogers
Meeting with legend
Recently, I was in Hope at a gas station. As I pumped my gas I noticed a man a few islands over and swore he looked like Billy Joe Shaver.
For those who don’t know who Shaver is, he is a legend in country music. He has written hundreds of songs that he and many other artists have recorded over the past 50 years. And of all the people in the world to meet, he would rank at the top of my list.
As I pumped gas, at least four times I convinced myself this man was Shaver. Finally I decided I could not pass even a remote opportunity to meet him, so I approached the man. I told him, “You look exactly like Billy Joe Shaver. Are you Billy Joe Shaver?”
To my dismay, the man replied, “No, that’s not me.” Then, with a grin he continued, “Yes, that’s me.”
I now have Shaver’s latest CD and an autographed autobiography given to me personally by the legend himself.
WILLIAM BARLOW
Rosston