-
Letter to the editor
Schools should consider constables Dear editor: On Jan. 16, 2013, President Obama signed 23 Executive Orders and outlined his proposals to help keep our school children safe. Executive Orders give a sitting president quite a bit of power, especially since the United States Supreme Court …
-
A sea change in firearms debate
In August 1925, The New York Times estimated 50,000-60,000 members of the Ku Klux Klan marched in a parade in our nation’s capital. It was a huge public display of the once-secret group. H.L. Mencken called it “a full mile of Klansmen and their ladies.” …
-
Knee-deep in a tattoo boom
We may have witnessed a generational sea change the other night at the Golden Globe Awards. Talking about when creator, writer and breakthrough star of HBO’s “Girls,” Lena Dunham, teetered up to the stage on what appeared to be hockey skates sporting a minor array …
-
Disfarmer photos were highly prized
Michael Disfarmer, born in Indiana in 1882, was brought to Arkansas by his parents, who became rice farmers near Stuttgart. Shortly after his father died, Disfarmer moved, with his mother, to Heber Springs. Here, the self-taught photographer became partners with a local studio photographer. In …
-
The 1970s stereo console
Editor note: A prior version of this column was distributed by Cagle Cartoons in April, 2007. It is an excerpt from Tom Purcell’s new book, “Misadventures of a 1970s Childhood” available at amazon.com. It sat in my parents’ dining room for 30 years or …
-
Lulu Roman, at last
When I was growing up there was hardly a Saturday that did not pass without our television being set to watch “Hee Haw.” One of the most iconic members of that huge ensemble cast was the comedienne Lulu Roman. With more than 20 years coming …
-
Progressives’ gun control argument
Once again, Conservatives have latched onto the bait tossed out by Progressives in their never-ending campaign to grab guns from the hands of law-abiding citizens. Gun control is just one aspect of the Progressive agenda; in essence, they want control of everyone and everything any …
-
Forget assault weapons: Let’s focus on hammers
I love Texas because of special snowflakes such as Louie Gohmert. In more urbane states where research universities vastly outnumber NFL teams, Gohmert would stick to writing angry letters to the editor about fluoride and fluorescent light bulbs and the dadgum president being born in …
-
Shot at redemption
The consensus among 2nd Amendment screamers seems to be, in their rampaging defense of so-called “assault rifles,” that the framers didn’t put that amendment in there so good ol’ boy Americans could protect their homes and property from the occasional bad guy, breaking in to …
-
State Capitol Week in Review
Although we answer calls from constituents year round and meet for interim committees, Arkansas’ Legislature is considered a part-time citizen legislature. Most House members have full-time careers in addition to their legislative obligations. Members come from a wide range of professional backgrounds. This year those …
-
Hoover worked in Izard County
Herbert Hoover was born in 1874 in Iowa. Both of his parents died before his 10th birthday. Raised by two uncles, Hoover decided to become a mining engineer by age 16. In the fall of 1891, he entered Stanford University and worked his way through …
-
EPA not taking mercury exposure into consideration
Ninety-six. That’s the number of 60-watt incandescent light bulbs I purchased last weekend after learning the other kind, the compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) environmentalists just love, are hazardous to my health and to the environment. I would’ve preferred a higher wattage but discovered the 75-watt …
