Wish for GOP
Republicans are having difficulty winning presidential elections because they never learn and can’t change.
Reince Priebus, Republican National Committee chairman, studied their loss in 2012 and concluded the GOP needed to reach out more to groups such as blacks, Muslims and Hispanics.
But Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump?
He doubles down on the same old disgruntled white people who long for an America from 60 years ago — with the nuclear family, President Dwight Eisenhower and “I Love Lucy.”
Republicans should recognize that there are decent people out there with different views. Talk to us occasionally. Stop hating us, like you do our president, whom I voted for and think has done a good job.
Nasty old President Barack Obama, they say, has destroyed our economy and screwed up our foreign policy. I can’t stand the man, how about you?
Trump is the logical culmination of decades of Republican intransigence, factual disconnect and fear-mongering. Someday I hope their candidate will stop preaching to the choir and reach out to others who can affect greater diversity of views within their conservative ideology.
If, on the other hand, Republicans just want to make a statement, why not write a letter to Santa and save us the drama?
Paul Potts
Overland Park
Clinging to little
One of the planks of the Black Lives Matter movement platform is “Economic justice for all and a reconstruction of the economy to ensure our communities have collective ownership, not merely access.”
I worked 50 hours a week for 40 years to have a few dollars in the bank.
I am living off Social Security but have some extra for travel, eating out, etc. Now, it is proposed that all this is to be up for “collective ownership.”
That means I am to give up my bank account so it can be redistributed to others.
The current example of government-planned distribution is Venezuela, where there is now no food, no services and riots in a nation that was once a Western Hemisphere shining example.
There are several things in this world that I could not control — my skin grows white, my parents were the oldest couple on the block, Dad was not a millionaire, and I like algebra, physics and trigonometry and can’t sing on key or dance in tempo.
I had to take what I was given and work with it. I took that responsibility, and now I have a few extras.
I don’t think I am about to give it away.
Richard Blaisdell
Kansas City
Missouri slogan
Way to go Missouri GOP. You can now call your state “The Shoot Me State” (9-15, A1, “Gun bill, voter ID overcome vetoes”).
Carol Malarky
Overland Park
Politicians, media
Throughout his campaign, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has attacked the news media for their reporting.
Whether you back Trump or not, you should be skeptical of his attacks.
History is replete with politicians who, as a last resort to save their reputations, ask you to discount the news media.
Vice President Spiro Agnew referred to the media as “nattering nabobs of negativism” shortly before he was forced to resign in 1973 after being accused of extortion, tax fraud, bribery and conspiracy.
Edmund Burke, in speaking about Great Britain’s Parliament of the 1700s, said “there were three estates in Parliament; but, in the reporters’ gallery yonder, there sat a fourth estate more important far than they all.”
He rightly recognized the importance of the press.
Whether you get your news from CNN, Fox, National Public Radio or other sources, they are the guardians who force politicians and government to own up to the truth.
Trump, and others like him, want you to kill the messenger in order to hide the truth about themselves.
Max David Aber
Overland Park
Undecided voters
The first presidential debate will be Sept. 26. The Star invites undecided voters to share their thoughts on why they haven’t made a decision and what qualities they would like in the next president. Put “Undecided” in the subject line. Letters must be under 200 words long. They will be published on or before Sept. 25.
Comments