Fail to condemn evil

This is a message for all the "good" cops that are supposed to be out there: The blue wall must be breached!

You cannot consider yourself a "good" cop when you do not react to what you see around you. You cannot consider yourself a "good" cop when you hear things and do not react to them. You cannot consider yourself a "good" cop when you do not speak up.

See no evil. Hear no evil. Speak no evil.

You are responsible for allowing the "bad apples" to remain behind the blue wall. You are not a "good" cop unless you take action against the "bad" cops.

FRED FISHER

Conway

On personal liberties

Unlike many of those who write to your publication complaining of Arkansas' lack of mask-wearing, I for one applaud our state government for educating us about how wearing a mask in public is an effective way to slow down the transmission of the covid-19 virus. What's more, the CDC tells us that the mask benefits those around the wearer even more than the person wearing the mask. Kudos as well for the stance taken by our state government in not making or enforcing any requirements that people wear masks in public places, and moreover discouraging cities from making and enforcing their own rules.

Individuals should absolutely be able to exercise their fundamental right to choose whether they want to wear a mask or not. It is our right as citizens to choose whether we want to take a chance on infecting ourselves (and in this case, others).

Once the state goes down the slippery slope of making and enforcing public health requirements like mask-wearing in public, what's next? Why, the next thing you know they'll be imposing penalties on us if we choose to run red lights, take opiates when we feel like it, or decide not to wear clothes when we go shopping at Home Depot.

Ayn Rand would roll over in her grave at the very thought of such intrusions on our personal liberty.

CONNIE MESKIMEN

Hot Springs

Persuasive argument

My assignment for a building project was to take long boards and make them into short ones of a specified length. I had the miter saw located in a good spot close to the building site, but then a lady who was with the Safety Department told me that I needed to set up somewhere else because some heavy machinery was coming through. Facetiously I said to her: "But I was here first." Her reply was: "I'll write that on your tombstone."

Persuasive argument. I moved forthwith.

It is puzzling to me why people resent being required to do something which may very well save their lives. Wearing a mask when in close proximity to others may not be 100 percent effective, but then, what is?

There is a way for those who are determined to go unmasked in public to protect themselves and others while out there. Just don't breathe.

LEE WADDELL

Clinton

Give D.C.'s land back

If the city of Washington, D.C., is no longer needed in its entirety, then the unneeded portion along with its population should be returned to its original parent state of Maryland. Maryland, with Virginia, ceded approximately 100 square miles of land to the federal government for use as a federal capital city, not to reserve as some future new state (Virginia's land was returned in 1846).

The D.C. land area, about 70 square miles, is sufficient to support the status of a county in a fully functioning state such as Virginia, but is not of sufficient size to allow the development of a state. It does not have adequate space or natural resources to develop into a self-supporting state capable of providing all the functions needed by its citizens (roads, sewers, health, police, etc.). It can only grow vertically and become more and more crowded without the jobs to support itself. It will eventually devolve into a slum area that will become a welfare drag upon the rest of the nation and harbor a discontented population.

The D.C. citizens' complaints of not having representation in the federal government and not having enough independence in their local city government could be fully satisfied by re-ceding the area to Maryland, the state from whence it came. They would have all the rights, privileges, and capabilities of any citizen anywhere in the USA. Why should we make such a small area into a state when the same thing can be accomplished by converting the area into a county in an existing well-established state?

JAMES PROCTOR

North Little Rock

Seems appropriate ...

As the mob goes about the country indiscriminately pulling down statues (Ulysses S. Grant--seriously?) and vilifying anyone who had the misfortune of living in centuries past, perhaps they should in their place erect a statue of Madame Defarge.

STEPHEN HOFFMAN

Little Rock

If the military does it

There has been much conversation about voting by mail, both positive and negative comments.

Just a few items to add to the conversation: 1. There are absentee ballots for stated reasons; 2. 150,000 mail-in votes in 1864 election due to the Civil War; 3. every war saw mail-in votes: World Wars I and II, as well as the Korean and Vietnam conflicts; 4. all military personnel stationed overseas will vote by mail.

I would bet most members of Congress, as well as the very rich, vote by mail.

An important aside: Your vote can't be hacked.

EDITH SEAMAN

Lakeview

See the original post:

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Fail to condemn evil | On personal liberties | Give D.C.'s land back - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette