Letters to the editor

A vision for Hot Springs Dear editor:

For over 40 years since the gambling left and the bath houses became less popular downtown, Hot Springs has had a tough time coming up with an identity, what should it become? Let me throw in my 2 cents.

The old Majestic Hotel property presents an opportunity to revise an old idea, but maybe with some extras. Thermopolis, Wyo., a much smaller town in the middle of that state, also has hot springs and they have a large Olympic-sized pool for people to swim in. This has been mentioned before, of course, but I also see a whole sports complex starting not only with indoor/outdoor pools, but also tennis courts, indoor/ outdoor basketball maybe paddle ball and maybe Bag-O and such. The older folks and the younger folks now days are into healthy activities. This would be fenced with weekly/monthly/yearly fees. I see this anchoring the north end of Central; it may revitalize it, leading to new motels, hotels and such along Park Avenue.

Now, what to do with the other end. What if starting around the Transportation Depot the covered ditch were opened up? What if it became the start of a River Walk, ala Oklahoma City or, of course, San Antonio? This could even be part of a flood control project maybe to help alleviate the big one like occurred in the 1990s. The city could lease sites for shops, restaurants and such. Don’t get nervous, Central Avenue merchants, the more visitors that this draws, the better for all. Eventually the city could start buying up properties south of Grand and it could be extended, tying it in with the Greenway walking trail.

The Hot Springs Pool Complex and River Walk, anchoring both ends of the downtown, I believe could draw year-round visitors and really give the whole city a direction and a boost. It only takes two things, vision and money. The vision is the easy part.

Larry Bauer Hot Springs Village

Phony justifications Dear editor:

Once again in Wednesday’s (March 15) edition of The Sentinel-Record, Mr. Ruff submitted yet another clarification of his writings to this paper. And once again, this recent “clarification” was laced with unsubstantiated charges relative to Mr. Trump. However, before I address his unfounded charges, I should like to acknowledge those areas in which I believe Mr. Ruff was correct.

First, there is Mr. Clinton; certainly there was absolutely no need to expend moneys to investigate the charges against him. After all, did he not go on TV and tell all the world he did not have sex with that woman?

My goodness, should that not have been reason enough to just drop the charges? Never mind he was later impeached by the Congress.

Now, onto Hillary’s investigation. Had she and other surrogates, including the president, not told the world that the Benghazi raid was the result of a vicious video? After hearing this explanation repeatedly from Susan Rice, et al., should we have not just accepted this fairy tale as the truth. Even though we now know that Hillary had told Chelsea from the beginning this story was not true?

Perhaps, Mr. Ruff, you can explain in one of your future clarifications how you are able to accept as truth these phony justifications put forth by liberal politicians and still offer your unsubstantiated charges against Trump. As I have stated many times, I am not an authority on the Bible, but I do recall having read something about bearing false witness. I think it was in Proverbs 6:16-19. I am sure as a reborn Christian you are familiar with this passage.

You called Trump a racist. Crooked businessman and a pervert. I agree that the video that showed Trump discussing groping women was not a good thing. However, we should all remember that being sued does not make one a criminal. Finally, it is my understanding that a woman may receive a legal abortion these days for many and varied reasons. So you see, Mr. Ruff, a woman would not have to carry the evil seed of a rapist, as you stated.

Cal Wilcox Hot Springs

Trump a ‘bright spot’ Dear editor:

I hope everyone who read “Doc” Crawford’s “Note to Trumpites” in the March 25 edition also read Dr. Krauthammer’s column on the same page. This country is great because we can (and do) disagree without fear of punishment. I am a “Trumpite” and I say that this is a very bright spot in my 78 years, seeing this successful businessman elected to lead our great country.

Three cheers for democracy. May it never fail. I pledge allegiance to this great republic. God bless America.

M. Wayne Spencer Hot Springs

Trump acts ‘cowardly’ Dear editor:

With his Trumpcare failure, your president “left it all on the field?” Well, hardly.

He cajoled and threatened, all based on a severely flawed plan. He left the game too early and went home. This is America, not rehearsal for “The Art of the Deal.” Hardly presidential to stick you head in the sand when bullying doesn’t work. Come up with compromises that are good for all Americans, and everyone will work together.

He is so cowardly — it bespeaks a president who has too little knowledge of how to be one, and even less knowledge of what America needs.

Michael Preble Hot Springs

Mirrors of intolerance Dear editor:

I’m writing in response to John W. “Doc” Crawford’s letter in the March 25 The Sentinel-Record edition.

Donald J. Trump, our current president, has not completed even 100 days in office. When campaigning, he made a number of promises to correct what he perceived to be our national policy deficiencies and errors. The fact that Americans in the vast majority of states agreed with him saw him elected.

Since every president in recent times has demonstrated a number of character flaws, e.g. President Obama lied often about the provisions of the Affordable Care Act and President Clinton about his “womanizing” record and acts, it does no good at all to castigate the current president for his perceived flaws and to try to attach them to his leadership/managerial abilities. It simply shows opposition and intolerance. Intolerance which I perceive as becoming more and more prevalent in the United States, and which does far more harm than good.

By and large we are and have shown ourselves to be a nation of highly ethical and compassionate people. Very, very few of us would willingly see people with illness and disability not receive medical or corrective care because they could not afford it when we could provide the necessary help. The only difference is our perception of how this help should be accomplished.

Again, very, very few of us have any problem with immigrants coming to our country to work and gain a better life for themselves. Our problem lies between those who gain entry lawfully versus those who criminally trespass and then deplete our infrastructure and tax resources.

Since these are the issues that President Trump promised to address, it seems to me that we should allow him to do so, and to trust our constitutional check and balance system to ensure that he does so lawfully.

Thus, letters of castigation and denigration are simply mirrors of the intolerance of the writer and I surely hope they will be recognized as such.

Donald E. Hendricks Hot Springs Village

Trump is the ‘good guy’ Dear editor:

Not only are so many liberals demonstrating what poor losers they are after the election, but they have concocted a most ridiculous theory that claims the Russians must have somehow mysteriously caused Donald Trump to win! They keep implying that this is the truth, even though they have offered no credible evidence whatsoever or given any specifics. Wow! That’s really weak.

I submit that it is much more likely that the real truth is that the liberals can’t take the responsibility — can’t take the blame for their shocking loss. Obviously the voters just did not like what the present-day Democratic Party has become! It has moved so far to the left that it has become much too liberal for the more traditionally minded voters in the heartland states. As Rush Limbaugh said after Trump won, “This election was really a rejection of modern-day liberalism!”

A while back in a previous letter, I said that an article in an old 1970s The Sentinel-Record (on one of the back pages) stated that the Communist Party USA, after studying both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, concluded that the Democratic Party was more similar to the Communist agenda. So, they decided to quietly infiltrate the Democratic Party.

Since I said that, there has been a great deal more evidence for how communistic the Democratic Party continues to become. Just Google a man named Trevor Loudon, who has researched the communist movements for years. He is the author of “The Enemies Within,” which tells how the Communist Party USA and the Democratic Socialists of America have certainly advanced (secretly) through the Democratic Party and their “friend” Barack Obama in recent years.

I clicked on the heading entitled, “Trevor Loudon, Communism controls the Democratic Party.” Read it for yourself, as well as the other headings about this topic.

Loudon quotes CPUSA boss John Bachtell, who said that they (the communists) are using the Democratic Party as the “vehicle” to advance their causes. Loudon also tells about “the glaring similarities of the positions and policies of the CPUSA, the Democratic Party and the Obama administration, such as Obamacare (government-controlled health system), amnesty for illegal immigrants and the steady reduction of our military” and many other items.

Now, let’s get back to the unbelievable story about how the Russians supposedly helped Trump to win the election. Since the Russians have always had a communistic government, it would make no sense at all for the Russian communists to work against the communist-infiltrated Democratic Party! Just the opposite. Russia certainly wants communism to thrive in America!

Logically, the Russians would much rather have wanted to prevent Trump from coming to power. The Russians and the Democratic Party are both definitely from the left-wing side!

With all of this in mind, can you folks now finally realize how dumb, how ludicrous the liberals’ story about Trump and the Russians has become? Realize, also, that Trump is actually the good guy in the story.

I expect the Dems and the liberal media to keep repeating their lies!

Lloyd Hoffman Hot Springs