Putin sycophants
Dear editor:
In the recent past, there has been a disturbing trend of politicians and TV and radio personnel speaking about Putin. Some of these people have made excuses for, defended, sympathized with and sometimes supported him. Anything short of outright condemnation of that man and his brutality is unacceptable and an affront to decency and humanity.
Perhaps these people should think about relocating to Russia as many of them have been labeled friends by the Russian press. I am certain they would be welcomed as a leader such as Putin will always welcome sycophants.
Gary Vogt
Hot Springs Village
HSJS anniversary
Dear editor:
Organizing an event for a large organization takes teamwork and perseverance. Success is obtained by utilizing the talents of generous volunteers. The Hot Springs Jazz Society is fortunate enough to have many dedicated volunteers at their recent annual membership meeting and birthday party.
Our thanks go to Jim and Nancy Kelly, Judy Timeon, Susan Beans, Dawn Cattaneo, Diane Wells, Billy Hoover, Lynn and Frank Janaskie, Ron McHone, Melanie Williams, Bill and Donna Freeman, Valerie Tobin and Gretchen Taylor Miller for their help. We also wish to thank St. Luke's Episcopal Church and Joanne Mitchell, parish administrator.
Shirley Chauvin
Hot Springs Jazz Society
Membership Committee
The most noise
Dear editor:
There are enough people that have been indoctrinated by religion to believe some "man" somewhere is better able to tell them what to do than having to spend the time and energy to learn how to think for themselves. I "had" a friend, (we split over this) that believes Trump was a great idea. She's a Catholic. The pope said "give me a child until age 6 and I'll give you a Catholic for life." She's proof positive.
When you take away people's free time to explore and read they'll tend to go with the most noise. Hence all the noise out of the far right. The Hippy movement was an outcrop of the middle class. The first generation able to afford a college education. They wanted to get their money back. Learning that all the nonsense stuffed down their throat about how great we are while stomping on those who paved the way, many decided to "drop out" rather than try to fix it.
Now we don't have a middle class to resent the lies or even know what the lies are. For example, I "thought" once a law was passed in Congress it became the "law of the land." Not so; it has to be funded! Organizations like the Sierra Club get all these laws passed and they quiet down. They got their law. Nothing happens, no money to enforce it. Bingo! This is just one case I know of, the law Biden just signed, will it be funded? Not if the GOP has anything to say about it.
Judy Ladd
Hot Springs
Return to sanity
Dear editor:
Mr. Grillo's missile in the April 10 issue condemning Democrats for not having any solutions to our present problems causes me to wonder where he has been the last year. Has he not been reading newspapers? Has he not been watching newscasts, even on Fox and ONE? Democrats are the ones making possible solution suggestions while the Republicans say "No" to almost any suggestion. When suggestions can't even get out of committees for thorough debate, the implication is that one side does not care for the issue to be treated openly.
I'm surprised that Grillo did not use the typical GOP diatribe of "wokeness" so common today. It's a perfectly good term, deriving from the idea of being "awake." But GOPers tend to think that believing justice for all means that is bad. That offering support for those who don't fit into the so-called "norm," like LGBT folk, is bad. That supporting women for "equal pay" is too costly. That giving females the "right" to choose decisions about their own bodies is destructive. That providing equal access for all registered folk to vote is unconstitutional. That the original doctrine of " separation of church and state" should be dismissed for the very thing our ancestors rebelled against.
All these things many GOPers call "wokeness," spoken and written in derision.
I learned in high school American history class that the GOP fought Old Age Survivors Insurance of 1935 (now called Social Security) strongly. I know how hard they fought Medicare in the 1960s. And I recall how much they fought the ACA under President Obama and how they still want it canceled. They have called all such programs "socialism," obviously not understanding the socialism of Europe in the 1930s. Admittedly, they are social programs that folk pay into, but do not form "socialism."
In my lifetime of 85 years, I have learned that the best solutions to all problems and issues require openness, debate, and compromise. Extremes in either party is not healthy. Rather than trying to return to "norms" of the past (as Mr. Putin seems to be doing), we need most to return to a sane willingness to debate openly, compromise when necessary, and agree to disagree in a friendly manner, without childish epithets and name-calling. As John Donne wrote years ago, "No man is an island unto himself. We are all part of the main."
John W. "Doc" Crawford
Arkadelphia