LETTERS 08/29/08

The Obamas’ humble beginnings

Jonathan Cox (8/21 Letters) lives in a different America from what I know.

Gas prices are at record highs as a result of the Bush war and energy policy.

The last three Republican presidents have had record spending and debt. The last Democratic president had the only administration in recent history to balance a budget and leave with a surplus.

The Obamas come from very humble beginnings and understand the problems of the working poor and middle class.

McCain didn’t acknowledge until a few weeks ago that most Americans have been facing a financial squeeze.

After Bush made the “appeasement” remark — in reference to Obama talking to Iran — we learned the Bush administration had been having secret discussions with Iran.

Obama has said many times our brave military has won the war. Bush and the Iraqi government haven’t won the political front.

Bev Stephens

Independence

Why do you suppose that so many voters are positively giddy about the anatomy of “change” that would firmly launch us down the road to bigger government and socialism? I’m not so sure they’re going to be happy with that route.

Ken Gilliland

Lenexa

M. L. Stone’s letter (8/23) states that “We need someone like Kay Barnes, who will bring tax relief to the middle class. It’s about time we had a representative who fights for the little guy.”

As mayor of Kansas City, Kay Barnes hurt homeowners and smaller businesses by diverting the property tax burden away from larger corporations and wealthy developers who received millions in tax breaks through TIF.

If anyone is a staunch supporter of corporate welfare, it is Kay Barnes. The Barnes plan has been big businesses receiving huge tax breaks. Small businesses and homeowners received increasing property tax bills.

Robert Bateman

Parkville

In regard to Sen. Pat Roberts (8/16, Letters, “Pat Roberts serves U.S. well”), he has lived in Washington for 40 years and is part of the Potomac establishment that has brought us political deadlock and economic catastrophe.

He was a chief enabler of President Bush’s disastrous war in Iraq, which has brought us more than 4,100 war dead, tens of thousands of grievously wounded brave soldiers and a seriously weakened Army. His answer to the cost of gas and living-cost squeeze on Kansas families is to give tax breaks to Big Oil, special interests and the rich.

Also, he was asleep at the wheel when Airbus was given the green light to compete against Boeing for the air tanker contract, which could result in thousands of Kansas jobs lost. That’s some record of working for Kansas families!

H. Edward Quick

Lawrence

Back at the beginning of the Kennedy administration, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R almost went to war when we discovered that the U.S.S.R. was building a missile base in Cuba. After several tense weeks, Kennedy and Khrushchev were able to negotiate a settlement and avoid a nuclear war.

Now Bush has finally succeeded in getting the approval of Poland to establish an ABM base in their country, less than 200 miles from the Russian border. What would be our reaction if the Russians tried to establish another base in Cuba?

The recklessness of Bush’s actions becomes more apparent when we learn that to date the U.S. has not successfully tested this missile, which has been under development for more than 25 years since the Reagan administration. Back then the idea of intercepting another missile and shooting it down in space before it could hit us was known as “Star Wars.”

With the U.S. military stretched thin in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places around the world, the Russians — now rich and powerful from their vast oil resources — feel free to resist our threats. Who can blame them?

Jeanette B. Welch

Warrensburg, Mo.

Would someone please explain to me why we’re supposed to call black people “African-Americans?” I would guess that next to none of them is actually from Africa, and it’s been more than a hundred years since their ancestors came from there.

Plus, probably lots of their ancestors didn’t come from Africa. I also know that no one calls me a “European-American,” though my ancestors are from Germany and Ireland. Why do black people get a title and I don’t?

I seem to remember a time in the 1960s when the catchphrase was “black is beautiful.” Now, all of a sudden, it must not be so beautiful, because we are not politically correct if we call black people “black.”

White is white, black is black, the same for red and yellow and brown.

Colors are only colors, and I think that when we are expected (for reasons I do not comprehend) to hyphenate the word “American” with where people are supposedly from, it does nothing but cause divisiveness among us. We are all Americans, and that’s the only thing that matters.

Barb Hugunin

Lee’s Summit

Steve Baru ran for District 37 in Johnson County and lost. He ran a grass-roots campaign promoting environmental protection. It was based on his belief that communities suffer as a result of energy and transportation policies that negatively affect our environment.

Steve has been pioneering protection of the environment all his adult life. As a former Kansas Sierra Club chairperson, he understands the impact of pollution and poor economic development choices on the health and quality of life of our people, especially our kids. He wanted to promote environmental policies that protect our air, water and scenic resources and mitigate global warming.

Kansas has been blessed with wind and solar assets that can benefit the people of Kansas by protecting our communities and our Earth. We need leaders who will promote new technologies that will capitalize on these assets while providing quality jobs for Kansas workers.

And we need voters who will support them.

Connie Chapman

Stilwell

Recent smoking bans in Kansas City and Johnson County have greatly decreased the number of smoky restaurants, bars and other public establishments. Currently the only major spot in the metro area that does not have a smoking ban is Kansas City, Kan. And with the Legends at Village West, it is time a ban is imposed.

The experience at the Legends would be so much better if visitors didn’t have to walk through patches of smoke every few yards due to the lack of a smoking ban.

The solution to a smoke-free Legends is simple: Designate certain smoking areas on the outside edges of the shops, like the smoking sections at Kauffman Stadium, so the harmful ingredients of cigarette smoke are contained in an area where visitors do not have to travel.

Mark Vater

Overland Park

Only “responsible” 21-year-olds should be allowed to purchase and drink alcohol. I was a high school teacher in Minnesota during the late 1970s when Minnesota lawmakers lowered the legal drinking age to 18. This new freedom went straight to their heads.

Serious problems occurred in our school because many of the seniors were 18. They took advantage of the new law and drank alcoholic beverages during school from their cars, from lockers, and from stashes.

Additionally, this made alcohol easily available to underclassmates. This was “cool” for the students but resulted in severe penalties such as suspensions and loss of eligibility for school activities. Apparently the students developed a false sense of “adulthood” that emboldened them to do irrational things that were dangerous.

Within two years, the legal age was raised to 19 and, shortly after, the legal drinking age was returned to 21.

We must acknowledge that underage drinking is a serious problem throughout all public and private schools, both on and off campus. Some university presidents seem to only want “experienced” drinkers on their campuses.

Fred Kinney

Kearney

Mará Rose Williams discussed a very intense topic that faces many young people today: the problem of college housing filling far too quickly for college administrations to handle.

Her article “Crunched in the dorms” (8/23, Local) brings up some very thought-provoking situations. I am a senior at Rockhurst High School, and I currently face this problem.

College looms in my not-too-distant future, and the idea of not living on campus frightens me. I feel that to get an entire college experience, one must live and breathe with the university he or she attends.

Therefore, I greatly thank Williams for bringing this predicament to the attention of the public and hope the article spreads awareness of this situation. I, for one, would not want to be a freshman living off campus in an already unfamiliar environment.

Brad Love

Lee’s Summit

All those in favor of abortion have already been born.

Jim Mavec

Olathe

I was wondering: If we vote down the light rail proposal in November, is Clay Chastain going to sue all of us?

Charles Barnes

Kansas City

I frequently enjoy a round of golf at Swope Park Memorial Golf Course, which has to be considered among the “crown jewels” of Kansas City. My drive to the Swope Park Course takes me west on Gregory Boulevard for about a mile from Interstate 435.

It is my sincere hope that a thousand camel fleas invade the homes of all of those who despoil this little stretch of road with trash, rubbish and litter.

Kenneth A. McGee

Overland Park

Barbara Shelly’s “Bigotry has no place in the doctor’s office” (8/22, Opinion) is a bigoted article. She shows intolerance when she supports making a physician violate his most basic right, his freedom of conscience.

Being denied medical treatment by a physician for someone who is not physically or mentally ill or injured (someone who is healthy), does not violate professional ethics.

A person like Shelly, if she got her way, would dictate to another what he or she must do regardless of whether that person believes it to be wrong. Is Shelly no longer wishing to support a land of the free?

Carole J. Barry

Lawrence

I applaud Mike Hendricks for his “No Conspiracy” column (8/20, Local).

While the nepotism clause is probably aimed at the mayor’s wife, the proposed city ordinance regarding city volunteers clearly has merit and is not merely a vicious political attack on Mayor Funkhouser.

Many programs using volunteers provide needed training for those volunteers, and the city should certainly do likewise. I supported and continue to support Mayor Funkhouser in his goal to move our city forward in a fiscally responsible way; however, his stubbornness and obsession with a supposed political attack may well be what keeps him from doing the job for which he was elected.

No doubt the mayor values his wife’s opinions and assistance, but she can provide both without occupying a desk outside his office. I would hope that the mayor would recognize the merits of the proposed ordinance and quietly accept the relocation of Ms. Squitiro.

Cindy Eubank

Kansas City