Guns and liberalism

In the recent debate on gun control, one contributing factor has been overlooked — liberalism. Because of liberalism:

• God was taken out of schools.

• Beginning with Roe v. Wade, life was devalued.

• With the rise of feminism, the role of men has been reduced. Yet, men can steer a troubled young male and give him guidance.

• Liberal Hollywood produces trash, especially slasher flicks, while violent music lyrics, particularly rap, ferment a thug mentality.

• Violent video games. Again, human life is devalued as young men rack up points.

• A spare-the-rod-and-spoil-the-child mentality that has produced a generation of narcissism whereby everyone wants to be famous or thinks the world revolves around him or her.

Forty years ago, mass shootings were extremely rare. The rise of liberalism, with its anything goes attitude, is not the only reason but is a contributing factor to the state of our national psyche.

Ed O’Toole

Kansas City

Sequestration hoax

I don’t see what the big deal sequestration will be for our country.

Your Feb. 24 article, “Gear up for problems,” makes it sound as if a catastrophe will happen if this forced budget reduction occurs.

Based on your article, our country is currently spending $9.863 billion per day. So if the government spends $9.863 billion for 356 days instead of 365 days, I think we will be fine.

David Romisch

Overland Park

Guns, mom, apple pie

Teenagers, get ready to grab a gun in Missouri. What a brilliant idea — make weapons even easier to get access to for the youth of our country.

You’ve probably heard the argument before: “Guns don’t kill people, people do.” It doesn’t take much to know the amount of harm guns can cause.

Past news indicates this: The more guns the more violence. I’m not saying we should totally eradicate guns.

But we don’t need our teenagers carrying guns around for the sole purpose of “self-defense.”

You know, I’ll bet when people from other countries around the world look at the ideas we come up with to deal with gun control, they laugh.

“Look at these Americans,” they must say. “They think more guns will solve the problem.”

Americans have guns so embedded into their culture, they can’t get out of it.

Brian Connor

Kansas City

Gusewelle column

C.W. Gusewelle brings up the creation-evolution conflict in his Feb. 24 column, “Kin of a distant past? Rats!” A simpler approach is that creation is a given.

There’s no doubt we were created. Evolution is man’s attempt to explain the creation because no one was around to witness it.

The other fact to consider is that all humans have African ancestry. No matter what your skin color is or where you live, we all have that African origin.

Anyone can have his ancestry traced back to a particular region of Africa. Man walked out of Africa about 90,000 years ago.

When he encountered different climate environments, the different races occurred over time because of his reactions to the environment and mutations.

The other part of this discussion is that as smart as man has become, he does not know how to create life. We do know how to manipulate it but not create it.

I remember reading that the great Albert Einstein said that we should have more humility. There is so much that we do not know.

He replied when asked about God concerning people who do not believe in God: “What if you are wrong?”

Clarence Edmondson Jr.

Kansas City

Quality education

Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

I agree with Mandela, because a quality education breaks the cycle of poverty and provide a promise for the future.

In America, more students are being deprived of a quality education and are falling further below the poverty line. These students are stuck in a vicious cycle of poverty that includes a low living wage, a poor education, poor work opportunities and low wages, and the cycle continues.

I believe receiving a quality education is the first step, of many, to achieving one’s potential.

While a quality education may be something that people take for granted, it is important.

A quality education breaks the cycle of poverty and is the beginning to a better life.

Julian Marshall

Kansas City

Reagan-era tax cuts

To people criticizing Reagan-era tax cuts, please explain why raising taxes on job creators, the wealthy, is beneficial to actually creating jobs.

Reaganomics suggested that rather than raising taxes on the wealthy and lowering taxes for lower-income households, closing loopholes and slightly raising taxes on lower-income people increased revenue and lowered unemployment.

Unemployment peaked at 10.8 percent in 1982, long before the second Reagan tax cuts ever took place in 1986, and unemployment was at 5.4 percent in 1988.

Playing the blame game and accusing the GOP of wanting to punish people is not going to solve any of our problems.

These days, people are quick to strike down any economic policy that they know little about.

I don’t know how current tax policy will lead the U.S. out of debt.

But right now, at least be informed of how basic economics, supply-side and other, actually work.

That applies to Congress as well.

Robbie Englert

Shawnee

Family fun center

I am writing this in hopes that there can be consideration given for redevelopment on the strip stretching from 87th Street and Hillcrest Road to 95th Street and Bannister Road. Driving on this stretch is like driving through a ghost town.

Many companies, such as Wal-Mart, Dillard’s, the International House of Pancakes and Toys R Us, moved to different locations.

Wal-Mart moved before the demolition of the Bannister Mall.

The only new construction in the area was the fire station.

My idea for bringing life back to this area would be to use the Bannister Mall location, which was proposed to be used for the Kansas City Wizards (now Sporting Kansas City) soccer stadium, and create a family fun center or arcade.

This site is right off the highway, making it an attractive location. Many families are always looking for something different to do for entertainment and quality time.

I come from a large family, and we have to drive at least 20 minutes to find somewhere we can play games and have fun.

I feel making this location an attraction could cause companies to open shops along the stretch that could also create new jobs in the area.

David Vaughn Jr.

Kansas City

Big mounds of snow

Republican or Democrat.

Pro-gun and anti-gun.

Right to life or pro-choice.

Both union and right to work.

Royals ... Cardinals,

Jayhawks ... Tigers.

Rich, poor, young and old.

We have all been shoveling a lot of snow.

(OK, maybe not the rich guy.)

Kumbaya.

Steve Lytle

Lee’s Summit

Slow KCK snowplowing

I would like to know why it takes two or three days to get our street plowed and sanded. We called last week and were told they would get it done by midnight last Friday night.

Well, by last Saturday afternoon there was nothing done. I live at the bottom of a hill, and every winter we have to call the street department to have somebody come out. A couple of times I had to call the mayor’s office.

Whoever is responsible needs to do a better job on the side streets in Wyandotte County.

Sharon Turner

Kansas City, Kan.

Complimenting Genesis

From volunteering at Genesis Promise Academy, I just want to publicly compliment the members of the faculty on how hard they work.

It takes a lot of care and patience, and I really value those teachers and faculty who take the time to teach and care for the young students.

Billy VanAlst

Kansas City

Faithful to readers

No creatures were stirring

Not even a mouse

On the snow-covered road

Out in front of my house

And I asked the same question

I’ve asked oft before ...

Will I find my dear paper

Lying there by the door?

“Oh, ye of little faith!” I said

As my carrier’s record danced in my head.

Those days when his hubcaps

Were knee-deep in snow

But for Jed Stuckenschneider

It was still good to go.

There are some things to count on

And here’s what they are.

They are sunrise and taxes

And that man with my Star.

Dorothy Stoeger

Platte Woods