Misguided NRA leaders

Wayne LaPierre is a Neanderthal.

In the beginning, men carried clubs to fend off their foes. Now that we are more civilized, we have sophisticated weapons that can kill 20 children in seconds.

And Mr. LaPierre’s calloused National Rifle Association solution is for everyone to get a gun and just shoot it out.

Polls show that even the majority of NRA members do not share this irresponsible view.

Modern civilizations have laws to regulate irresponsible behavior in everything from driving to medical care.

Nothing is more dangerous than guns, but the NRA gun lobby has prevented us from adopting effective gun-control laws to inhibit people from such irresponsible acts, whether they are mentally disturbed, criminal or just impetuous.

The NRA should replace Mr. LaPierre and restore responsible governance to the NRA. Perhaps then the NRA could stop the policies that have made America an armed camp and return to the mainstream so we can be a more civilized society.

Donald Moore

Olathe

Guards and guns

“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” said Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s executive vice president. The only problem with that is that it is not true.

When President Ronald Reagan was shot in an assassination attempt, along with his press secretary and a Secret Service agent, Reagan was surrounded by a lot of good guys with guns.

And not just regular good guys with guns.

These Secret Service agents were probably the most highly trained gunmen in the world. And they could not stop the shootings.

The idea that more people with more guns is going to solve our problem with mass killings does not stand up to the facts.

The fact is that the U.S. has more guns than any other country and it also has the most violent crime.

This is not a coincidence. But the NRA and its well-healed backers in the firearms industry have painted their narrative well and have put big money into political campaigns to guarantee that there will be more guns in more American hands.

What could possibly go wrong?

Anne McGregor

Kansas City

Require gun insurance

I support the Second Amendment and don’t think that taking guns from law-abiding civilians is the answer to gun violence. However, guns owned lawfully can and have caused great harm to others.

For this reason I think that gun owners should have to carry liability insurance just as car owners must carry auto insurance. The insurance proceeds could help anyone injured by these guns.

Tad DeOrio

Lee’s Summit

NRA sways elections

I was a Democratic candidate in November for the Missouri House District 55. I received a questionnaire from the National Rifle Association in connection with my candidacy and my position on guns.

I am not a member of the NRA, but I am a gun owner and have been for years. I was inclined to throw the survey away but was persuaded to fill it out honestly.

I did fill it out and I said I was opposed to extended gun magazines, assault weapons, arming people on college campuses and 50-caliber rifles. I did say that I was in favor of the Second Amendment and gun ownership.

Still I was given an “F” by the NRA.

The NRA won’t change regardless of the beliefs of many gun owners in America.

Being reasonable with the NRA is a losing proposition. We need real reform and legislation with real consequences.

Jim White

Pleasant Hill

American minus English

The Jan. 30 front-page article, “Immigration issue gets renewed push,” about the man who is here illegally, states that he is more American than Mexican after being here for 15 years. However, he needed an interpreter to tell his story.

I find that quite interesting, and it seems to me that he is not really willing to learn our language and become a real American. How does he explain that?

Nancy Andrasik

Lee’s Summit

Praise for Adele Hall

It is with a very heavy heart that I read about Adele Hall’s death (1-29, A1, “ ‘First lady of Kansas City’ dies”). She was a real champion for our community and our community’s children.

I believe that if you looked up the words “gracious,” “caring,” “dedicated” and “lady” in the dictionary, you would see Adele’s picture.

I had the honor of working with Adele in the development of the No. 1 Question Campaign, “Is it Good For The Children?”

Adele, you were good for the children. You will be missed.

Jim Caccamo

Kansas City

Truth frustrates bishop

Bishop Robert Finn expresses frustration with the National Catholic Reporter, using the word “problematic” to describe the publication (1-28, A4, “Bishop criticizes Catholic Reporter”). What’s problematic for Finn is that it tells the truth.

Ron Fugate

Overland Park

Elect new leaders

During President Barack Obama’s first term, millions of jobs disappeared. At the same time, more people were added to the food stamp and disability rolls.

Obviously, Obama is continuing his plan to make more Americans dependent on the federal government. Why not?

That represents a surefire millions more Democrat voters. While Republicans talk about working for a paycheck, Obama talks about a paycheck without working.

The masses have figured out they can do almost as well by not working as they can by working, and it takes a lot less effort. All they have to do is pull a voting lever once every two years.

If you hurt your arm pulling the lever, you can always add a disability check to your income.

Where does it stop?

It doesn’t until a majority of people are living off the dole and have the votes to elect anyone they want.

Wayne Flaherty

Overland Park

Homeless solutions

Pride and sadness were felt reading the Jan. 28 article, “Mayor solicits ideas for the arts.” As an art collector and self-styled artist, promoting art, which is dear to my heart, I was joyous.

Leading this charge is Mike Burke, whom I had the pleasure to meet as he championed Synergy’s homeless programs for youth. A few years back, the Homelessness Task Force also worked tirelessly, attracting a bistate volunteer force composed of political leaders, homeless organizational providers and the community to address stamping out and or creating solutions to homelessness.

But there was no front-page notoriety to this degree or mayoral support. If promoting the arts is unquestionably healthy for our community, why isn’t creating solutions to homelessness?

The suggestion that the arts should have a dedicated office in City Hall is marvelous. But when a similar approach to homelessness was presented years ago, it fell on deaf ears.

Perhaps homelessness is not as sexy as art, but what we do know is that creating solutions to homelessness affects and improves the future of this city as much as the arts.

Perhaps treating homelessness as the stepchild is contributing to my dual emotion.

Anne Lesser

Overland Park

Disability claims rise

What a dangerous arena the American workplace is alleged to be. The same for our homes and, in fact, the way we live our lives.

Evidence of this apparent lack of safety and caution is revealed in the number of federal disability claims being filed monthly.

Investor’s Business Daily reported recently that nearly 90,000 workers sought federal disability benefits in December, a record.

The publication also reported that more than 4 million people have joined the disability rolls under President Barack Obama.

People on disability rarely go back to full-time work.

Readers, draw your own conclusions about what is going on here.

How come so many are being disabled? Are they that badly injured on the job and in their homes?

Somehow I doubt it.

David Frank

Lenexa

Improving grammar

Why does The Kansas City Star perpetuate the use of “at” at the end of a sentence? When you ask, “Where’s the party?” the use of “at” at the end of the sentence conveys lack of knowledge of correct usage.

Where’s the party at? The sentence doesn’t need the “at” for anyone to understand the question.

I cringe every time I hear “at” used incorrectly on television and read it in The Kansas City Star.

As a small child, I used “at” at the end of a question to my granddad. He answered, “Behind the at,” and explained why.

It made sense to me then, and it still makes sense today.

Judy Beyer

Lee’s Summit