Letters to the editor Also a proud Southerner Pluses, minuses
Dear editor:
Thanks Leysa Lowery for a beautiful, well-worded letter in today’s (Aug. 22) The Sentinel-Record concerning being a proud Southerner. I, too, am a proud Southerner and proud of my heritage and don’t need monuments to remind me who my ancestors were.
Fifty-seven of my 87 years my home has been in Garland County. The 30 years living outside of Arkansas, the song popular in the
’50s with the words “I love the clear hearts and gentle people who live and love in my hometown” expressed my thoughts and feelings perfectly. Always I have tried to be a good ambassador for my hometown. I have not always been proud of what has taken place here, but I have always been proud to say my hometown is Hot Springs, Ark.
No one has asked for my opinion, but that has never stopped me before, so here goes:
1. We are all members of the same family — the human family. As such, every person should be treated with the same respect, dignity and honor as we would like to be treated. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
2. There is nothing noble or honorable about putting another person down because of their race, color or creed. Most assuredly, there is nothing noble or honorable about enslaving another person.
3. There were numerous factors that brought about the Civil War and slavery was one of the main ones. Should we honor those who went to war to maintain such a horrible, degrading and yes, sinful, practice?
4. It’s a personal choice, but I say honor belongs to those who lift others up, not tear them down or degrade them.
Dear editor:
I have a few thoughts related to the Aug. 19 demonstration by the Confederate Square Group and its organizer, James Brock.
First, a plus to Hot Springs National Park Superintendent Josie Fernandez for recognizing the demonstrators’ right to free speech and peaceful assembly by issuing the appropriate permits. This is in contrast to Nancy Pelosi, Democratic leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, who wants the National Park Service in San Francisco to deny such permits there.
Second, a minus to The Sentinel-Record for the subheadline of Aug. 20 titled “Clergy prays for peace.” Clergy is a collective noun, so it should have read “Clergy pray for peace.” So much for good grammar.
Third, a second minus to The Sentinel-Record for running Harry Porter’s folksy editorial instead of one defending free speech and peaceful assembly. It is sad this newspaper declined to defend freedom of expression, upon which its very existence depends.
Fourth, a plus to The Sentinel-Record for publishing this letter containing such criticism.
Fifth, a minus to Hayden Shamel, chairman of the Garland County Democrats, for his self-serving, self-righteous statement implying those who support keeping Confederate monuments are racist bigots. He and others should be careful about such accusations when they have no evidence that these demonstrators are, in fact, racists. To accuse people without evidence diminishes the term so that instances of real racism get lost.
Racism is not only immoral, but irrational and should be condemned.
Sixth, I think a good argument can be made that Confederate monuments should be removed from public property. Since there are a variety of contexts in which they exist, I am open to opposing arguments. That some speech or display offends or saddens a person is no reason to restrict or deny it. One doesn’t enhance ones freedom by denying it to others. Such displays on private property are the right of the owner and may not be infringed upon.