Answers to questions

I was absolutely perplexed as to Renee Hunter’s recent letter. Despite insisting to have given polls before, she is apparently unable to research a poll. It took me more time to create a free New York Times account, find the column, and save it as a PDF than to actually find the poll and do some research on it. So, I shall endeavor to answer Ms. Hunter’s questions.

First, the poll was conducted by the Morning Consult, which specializes in online survey research technology. The question was phrased this way: “Would you support or oppose cities taking the following measures to address protests and demonstrations in dozens of U.S. cities in response to the death of George Floyd?”

Senator Cotton looked at the response labeled “Calling in the U.S. military to supplement city police forces.” Of the 1,624 respondents, 539 (or 33%) responded “strongly support,” and another 412 (or 25%) said they “somewhat support.” That means 951 of the 1,624 (or 59%) supported this position to one degree or the other.

Much has been made of The New York Times printing this opinion, saying that it was not up to The Times’ standards. The question becomes: What standards? The Times continues to publish Paul Krugman, who published an opinion in 2018 that stated, “It is now impossible to have intellectual integrity and a conscience while remaining a Republican in good standing.” Times’ editorial board member Michelle Cottle described Sheriff Joe Arpaio as “a true American villain.” You’ll be forgiven if you didn’t hear any howls of “civility!” by our local horde of progressives, mainly because there weren’t any. Where were they and their well-honed sense of propriety and decency? Civility, apparently, is a one-way street. More for me, none for thee.

LONNIE HILL Fayetteville