Letters to the Editor (Nov. 2)
Close-up view of a Tyson plant
Having lived in western Arkansas for 20 years, I have experienced the reality that is Tyson.
There will be a large increase in truck traffic. The Tyson trucks are all specialized. First, chicks are hauled to the chicken houses. Then auger trucks will clog the local roads hauling feed to the farms. Live bird trucks go in later to haul the grown chickens to the slaughter house on a daily basis. Then refrigerator trucks haul the processed birds out of town. Don’t forget the ones hauling off the waste products. In Arkansas, if you weren't stuck behind a Walmart truck, you were behind a Tyson truck.
Yes, there will be jobs, but these are not the jobs our universities are producing college grads for. If you don't want to drive trucks or work in the nearly freezing slaughter house jobs, you can always sign up to be a chicken catcher. That’s a job to brag about.
There may be 75 farms needed to produce all these chickens. Each will have 3 to 5 chicken houses on each farm. They are landscape pollution. Arkansas does not put chicken houses on their tourism brochures.
Karl Miller, Wichita
Principles of the republic
Impartially enacting and enforcing legislation to protect the rights of its present and future citizens is the first role of government in any republic. This establishes the basis for order as the impartial rule of law, not the arbitrary rule of men.
However, no government (democracy or otherwise) can be meaningful unless the citizens are first in agreement on the general principles which the republic will defend and preserve via its government. Because where there is no agreement on the principles of the republic, the laws of the government have no foundation in the public heart and mind. Alexis de Tocqueville said it this way in 1840 when he observed America:
“(Their shared) habits, opinions, customs, and convictions are precisely the constituent elements of that which I have denominated manners. … (And) the manners of the Americans of the United States are ... the real cause which renders that people the only one of the American nations that is able to support a democratic government. … Too much importance is attributed to legislation, too little to manners ... the laws (are) very subordinate to the manners of the people.”
We must not make the fatal mistake of looking to Washington for the principles on which our Republic once stood and must stand — those came from our ancestors and must pass through us to our progeny. Without enduring principles, every republic will disintegrate leaving behind dysfunctional and dangerous shells of power that will sooner or later fracture the people into smaller groups who can share principles and reform smaller republics or else drag them all down to ruin together. the fragmentation of America is obvious. Its ruin is fast approaching.
Bob Love, Wichita
Clendenin for City Council District 3
The last thing James Clendenin said to his District Advisory Board earlier this month was “get out and vote and urge everyone you know to get out and vote.”
There are many neighborhood associations in District 3, and James attempts to get to as many neighborhood meetings as he can. He explains the happenings in the city and his views of those happenings. He is open to the media and welcomes calls from his constituents. He will try to help anyone who calls with a problem.
As he asked us to do, I am urging all of you to get out and vote on Nov. 7, but unlike his statement to us, I am also asking you to vote for James. As a member of his District Advisory Board, I have been very pleased with his dedication and thoughtfulness.
Elena Ingle, Wichita
Butler for Andover school board
Education is an important foundation in our society and is a cornerstone of the Andover community. Many families move to Andover for the schools.
The schools in Andover are rated well, but there is room for improvement and new ways of thinking.
That’s where Lee Butler, candidate for Andover school board, brings his best game. He is passionate about improving and innovation. His creative ways to get things done, drive for transparency and engagement with all stakeholders is a dose of fresh air.
It’s time for fresh leadership and Lee is my choice on the Andover school board.
Tyson Bean, Andover
Letters to the Editor
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This story was originally published November 2, 2017 at 5:19 AM with the headline "Letters to the Editor (Nov. 2)."