GOP, women’s rights

Exactly like Republican Senate candidate Todd Akin, Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest. But now he’s supposedly changed to Mitt Romney’s position, which also changed only to get more votes.

Women are the ones who don’t have a choice — unless these men say so. In effect, Republicans condescendingly pat us on the head and say, “Don’t worry your pretty little head about what’s in our platform.”

The GOP counts on women to vote on the economy. But access to birth control, abortion and health care are economic issues for women.

So are the minimum wage, equal pay, the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Social Security, none of which Republicans support. It’s OK with them if women are barefoot and pregnant — and uninsured.

The GOP would never infringe on gun owners’ rights the way they’ve infringed on women’s rights.

They’re against gun control but all for womb control.

Ann Martin

Prairie Village

Change needed in U.S.

For 12 years, the top 2 percent of Americans have stashed trillions of dollars at the top of the hierarchy, while downsizing was the credo for the financiers. Job losses cut the legs from under the 98 percent who have the controlling vote.

Demand recovery.

Listen up. Jobs left this country. Capital went on vacation in the Cayman Islands. It wasn’t invested in jobs here.

Two off-the-books wars cost billions, if not trillions, paid to Blackwater, et al., while taxes were lowered for the ultra-rich. Computerization and mechanization took time, but they have now replaced workers, just as predicted when they first came to the office and the factory floor.

The money is stuck at the top and will not trickle down. Why should it?

We, the voters, have the answer to an improved economy.

Don’t just restore the former tax rates for those who took and held the money at the top during these periods of Republican control; raise them, significantly.

The people can march in the streets for democratic treatment, making sure the slick lobbyists truly feel their presence, or this trend we’ve been operating under can be corrected by revision of the tax rates to pay for those years of the big money grabbing off the big money.

Lloyd Hellman

Leawood

Guns, Overland Park

Well, there’s a new gun law in Kansas, open carry (9-26, A4, “Open carry sparks debate”).

I have some questions.

I live in Missouri. How do I get my gun to Kansas?

I guess I can lock it in my trunk until I get to a park in Overland Park and strap on my grandfather’s 1911, .38-caliber revolver in plain sight. Then I can feel safe riding my bike on some of Overland Park’s great trails.

How about on the golf course? Instead of throwing my club in the lake I can just shoot it.

The best example would be when a good guy shoots a bad guy and another gun owner sees the good guy and thinks he’s the bad guy and shoots him and another good guy sees the good guy and thinks he’s the bad guy and pretty soon you have the OK Corral park in Overland Park.

Thanks, National Rifle Association. I may have to upgrade to a .45-caliber automatic.

Joseph T. Purcell

Kansas City

Gusewelle column

I enjoyed reading C.W. Gusewelle’s Sept. 23 column, “A brief tempest, a long goodbye,” about the Civilian Conservation Corps.

The CCC gave my dad the dignity of work during the Great Depression.

My dad worked hard his whole life and passed on his work ethic to his children. Because of Democratic programs like Social Security and Medicare, my dad’s work guaranteed my mom’s current financial independence — made possible by her Social Security Administration and Medicare benefits.

My mom is one of the 47-percenters who do not pay income taxes, but I promise you, she is not a freeloader. She deserves to live in a country where we take care of our own.

I hope Americans will remember this in November and vote for the Democratic candidates who will protect Social Security and Medicare.

Dianna Whitaker

Kansas City

Research before voting

In light of the upcoming presidential election, I would like to point out a big flaw in the way many Americans look at the decisions before them.

Given the consequences we may face if we select the wrong candidates, I feel it is necessary to highlight a shortfall our nation experiences time and time again in election seasons.

That shortfall is taking the media at their word.

Do Americans really think that our major news outlets can be trusted to give us the whole unbiased truth?

Think about it. The majority of our media spin the stories this way or that on a regular basis, let alone during election years.

So if the stories are designed to sway unsure voters, why would anyone take them at their word?

My fellow Americans, do your own homework. Imagine what our country could look like if we all just took the time to educate ourselves on the candidates’ histories, decisions, mentors, beliefs, skill sets and so on.

Come November, make your decisions based on your research.

Don’t just take the media’s advice and run with it. Be proud to have your own opinion. This is your country.

Nick Ketter

Lawrence

Obama’s economics

The Democrats would have us believe that President Barack Obama is the smartest guy in the room.

Although he attended several universities, I doubt that he ever thoroughly studied economics.

If so, he would realize that his policies are not consistent with some of these basic principles for economic growth:

• Redistributing wealth. Taking from the rich to give to the poor does nothing to end poverty. It has been tried without success for decades by Marxist countries. Look at our own failed war on poverty.

• Expanded employment is the best cure for poverty and occurs with economic growth. A rising tide, if unencumbered, does lift all boats.

• Growth requires economic freedom. It is aided by innovation.

• Economic growth is stymied by excessive taxes, regulations and future uncertainty.

• Tax increases do not solve deficits. When capital gains taxes are high, investors avoid profits to delay the tax consequences.

In his book, “Dreams from My Father,” Obama wrote that his primary associations in college were with other liberal students and professors. Maybe that is why his policies seem to go in the opposite direction from the principles shown above.

Denny Diekroeger

Lenexa

Vote against Obama

“Money doesn’t grow on trees.” That’s what my dad said to me as a youth when I asked for something.

After working a 15-hour day, he knew the value of work and a dollar.

Americans who have done well and followed tax laws need not be chastised for their wealth. Is this not the home of opportunity?

Do we have a big debt?

Yes. Social programs need reform.

I ask, who paid your college bill?

I paid mine, working and going to school.

So did my friends. Who will pay for the Affordable Care Act? Americans who work.

President Barack Obama has it backward. We needed jobs first to pay for social programs.

Obama’s lack of knowledge about business and the need for income has hurt the recovery. Our lesson should be, “Obama keeps doing the same thing, and we still get the same results. It’s time for a change.”

Money doesn’t grow on trees.

Doug Carolan

Leawood

Return to civility

The Catholic ladies I know are tired of the men in the Catholic Church, the Republican Party and Fox News talking about our lady parts. Let’s go back to the Catholic Church saving our souls, for the good of our church.

Let’s go back to the Republican Party working together with Democrats to pass bills for the good of our country. As for Fox, we can turn you off.

How would you men like the discussion to be about your male parts?

Women can’t have unwanted pregnancies alone. Own your responsibility.

Bea Smart

Independence

Service station hero

I left my billfold at a filling station as I had pumped gas for my lawn mower. Erving Verser found it and returned it to me at my house.

I can’t tell you how this renewed my faith in mankind. I thought it was gone.

Such honesty should be rewarded. I just wanted to report something good that happened.

Verser is my hero. He works at Sunshine Flowers on Rainbow.

Kathleen Cross

Kansas City