About compromise

More than a few experts, local and national, have suggested that we need “centrists” from both sides to come together and find areas on which they can agree.

Unfortunately, listening to the loudest voices on the right, I could imagine the “compromise” might go something like this:

Democrats–We will acquiesce on woke, pronouns, gay rights, human rights, voting rights, fair taxation, economic security, health-care issues, reasonable immigration laws, protections for the poor, the hungry, and the homeless. And, oh yeah, reasonable gun legislation.

Republicans–Thank you. We’re all good then.

CHUCK GOSS

Little Rock

It shouldn’t happen

Many Americans have never thought they would be food insecure, but some 500,000 federal workers will not be getting the paychecks they were promised. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) serves about 40 million parents with children, the elderly, and non-elderly disabled people. Today, these benefits could stop. Combine the federal workers with the SNAP recipients, add the people who were already food insecure, then add all the federal workers who were fired by the current administration for no apparent reason, and we have a lot of people who will be hungry. Food banks nationwide will be overwhelmed. Thousands of first-time users will be lining up. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom will deploy the National Guard to stand watch at food banks to protect the volunteers.

What a shame this is! In a country with so much, this should not be happening. What can we all do to help? If you have the means, give generously to local food banks. If your church runs a food bank, make your weekly offering substantial and designate it to go to the food bank. Do not keep blinders on and hope this situation will resolve itself quickly. Do whatever you can to help lessen the impact of Donald Trump’s policies. Per John Wesley, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

PATRICIA PHILLIPS

Little Rock

Immigrants pay taxes

Charles Vermont of Bentonville wrote that Democrats had let “tens of millions of unvetted immigrants into the country with no thought of the cost.” I guess he never read that in 2022, those immigrants that he seems to abhor paid $25.7 billion into Social Security and $6.4 billion into Medicare, programs from which they can never draw. Actually, those immigrants’ money is “propping up” both. In addition to those two amounts, they paid nearly $97 billion in federal, state, and local taxes. This information came from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). If you doubt it, check it.

Now, look at it like this, Mr. Vermont: All those billions that federal, state, and local entities rely on and those billions that were helping old folks who depend on both Social Security and Medicare for income and health care are now lost because the immigrants who were paying them have been sent out of the country. You think that is a smart move?

PATTIE SHINN

Huntsville

Inviting fear and hate

America is in the midst of deeply unsettling societal change. Globalization and AI-driven automation have created significant economic insecurity. Malignant political polarization has enticed many news outlets to emphasize “red or blue” versions of truth. The Russian president is boasting about his country’s nuclear capabilities. Existential fear is rising.

Laboratory animals exposed to random mild electrical shocks will soon begin to attack one another, mistakenly viewing the “other” as the cause of their discomfort. We humans are not immune to blaming others. Increasingly politicians exploit our fears and exaggerate our differences for political gain. Social media algorithms aim to capture and monetize our attention and ignore the damage of leading us down rabbit holes of anger and division. Cultural cohesion is being shattered by our willingness to join the “red or blue army” and ignore our common values.

“They” too have sleepless nights when their children are ill. “They” don’t ask about political leanings when an injured person needs help. “They” too have deep anxiety when their job security is threatened. We share many more values than we take the time to realize.

Our politicians hone their performative skills in a self-defeating tragicomedy of “blaming” others. They too are human, caught in the storm of political division and trying to survive. If we fail to awaken from this soulless, nation-destroying battle, a crushing tragedy will befall our children.

Fear and anger can cloud our basic goodness and bring forth our darkest and most dangerous emotion: hate. Any politician that invites us to feel fear and hate toward other citizens clearly lacks moral clarity and is attempting to exploit us for political purposes. If seduced by hate, lurking in that darkness is the potential for unimaginable cruelty. Being mean and coldhearted reveals underlying cowardice; being kind requires confidence and courage.

JERRY HENDERSON

Little Rock