Letters

Alcohol's not so bad

Did someone forget what happened when they outlawed alcohol? I wasn't alive then, but I got an idea from history books. It wasn't good. We are way better with than without.

Yes, that's terrible that the Stillwater accident happened. Terrible things happen whether alcohol is involved or not. Yes, alcohol has its effects and downsides, but I believe on the same hand it does good too. I know firsthand the downsides, but I still believe it is a part of our culture; this country was built with beer and liquor. Also beer was a food source for years as well.

It's all about responsible use. And of course humans are not always responsible, but you can't unwrite history nor the Bible.

Would Yeshua make water into wine if wine was a bad thing that doesn't need to be on the Earth? Where would humans be without beer?

It never as easy as writing a law and the behavior stops. The world would be a lot better place if so.

LIONEL COPPING

Little Rock

Take alternate route

Re the impending disruption from the widening of Interstate 30 in Little Rock and North Little Rock: Less than a mile from where all of this disruption is scheduled to take place is a very short section of road denominated I-440, known locally as the road to the Hill & Bill Airport. I-440 leaves I-30 at a spot familiar to truckers going to Memphis as the quickest way to I-40 without going through Little Rock: North Little Rock.

It would seem to be the most logical way to get the interstate traffic over to I-40 with the least inconvenience to everyone. It already has a much newer bridge across the Arkansas River, and it terminates at I-40 in North Little Rock not far from Protho Junction. Those going to Fort Smith turn left, and those going to Memphis turn right. The total interstate miles are negligible.

The people of Little Rock and North Little Rock who are now facing the most turmoil from the present plan would be completely spared all the disruption now facing them, and the interstate traffic would be safely and efficiently relocated just a few miles from where it now is. With much of the interstate traffic rerouted, possibly the complete replacement of the present I-30 bridge won't be necessary.

It's always the big trucks that tear up roads and bridges. There is a solution for that too.

WALTER SKELTON

Little Rock

Doesn't get job done

Carly Fiorina wants to be president. Says she can create jobs. Ha!

She cost 30,000 workers their jobs; many of the jobs were outsourced overseas while she was top dog at HP. Then Hewlett Packard gave her $21 million to get the hell out of there.

Senators and congressmen better be careful; she might outsource their jobs to China. Then they will know what it's like to make low wages, 29 cents an hour, and all the rice you can eat. By the way, they work 18 hours a day, seven days a week. Let's see how they like that.

BOB MASSERY

Little Rock

The matter of freedom

I was amazed to read Mr. Paul Greenberg’s column titled “God and Man in Carolina.” Does no one offer the service of fact-checking for editorial comments in our statewide paper?

Ironically, his column appeared the same day as the Voices editor’s comments on the extensive fact-checking routinely done on letters submitted to the paper.

By now, I’m sure he is aware that Burgaw, N.C., has passed an ordinance which establishes a “free speech” area around the county courthouse and, if the courthouse area is occupied by a festival, names a nearby area as an alternate. The new law takes effect immediately.

Using the sardonic definition of faith by Flannery O’Connor rather than the traditional definition set the perverse tone of his subsequent comments.

I believe the absence of fact-checking is most evident in his statements about recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court, specifically regarding the right of same-sex couples to marry, which Mr. Greenberg mischaracterizes as requiring the participation of florists and bakers in celebration of same-sex marriages, and then forcing the Little Sisters of the Poor to “go along with abortion.” As I understand the decisions in these cases, both statements are false.

Finally, the decision declaring same-sex marriage a fundamental right under the U.S. Constitution invokes the equal-protection clause of the document. It is not a move toward abolition of religion; rather, it strengthens the First Amendment guarantee of freedom, both of religion and from oppression by another’s religion. Given foreseeable changes in proportions of various religions in our country, we would do well to advocate for strength in both directions.

DENNIS A. BERRY

Bryant

Strength seen lacking

After watching the Republican debates, I could not help but notice the clear parallels. Hillary Clinton took a partisan pummeling for 11 hours and then moved on to the next day’s work with a smile and resolve.

On the other hand, 10 Republican presidential candidates took questions from three moderators for only two hours, and emerged whining and moaning for days about how the questions were unfair. Questions like what they would do about the debt ceiling, and how they would pay for their multitrillion-dollar tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy. Apparently those are “gotcha” questions for these candidates. OK, some of the questions were clearly over the top (the question about whether Trump was running a clown candidacy comes to mind).

However, our country faces some very serious challenges going forward—and if the Republican candidates can’t even take that, then it certainly looks like they don’t have anywhere near the strength and capability for handling the challenges of the presidency. In contrast, based on what we’ve seen so far, Hillary has shown that she does.

BRENT HATFIELD

Maumelle

Editorial on 11/06/2015

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