Letters: Readers discuss Lee Judge, election reform and the women’s marches
Political cartoons
I find it amusing that some readers feel the need to complain when they are saddened, angry, annoyed or offended by the political cartoons of Lee Judge.
And it’s always Lee Judge.
The purpose of the opinion pages, including the cartoons, is to expose the reader to diverse points of view, not to join everyone in a campfire singalong of “Kumbaya.”
If you don’t like Lee Judge’s message, don’t read his cartoons. You might prefer the balancing effect of Glenn McCoy’s drawings.
Lynn Anderson
Richmond, Kan.
Election reform
Recently The Star’s editorial board correctly wrote that President Donald Trump needs to focus on real voting reform rather than chasing millions of illegal voters who supposedly voted for Hillary Clinton. (Jan. 26, 12A, “Trump should drop bogus fraud claim, focus on real voting reform”)
If we are really interested in establishing a more democratic system, a reasonable and doable first step would be to ban the gerrymandering of political districts by state legislatures that rob many people of their legitimate votes.
The Republicans have led the way on this, although Democrats have occasionally done it too. Across the country, the political parties have drawn voting boundaries in a way that gives themselves significant electoral advantages. This means the representatives are choosing the voters and not the other way around.
A handful of states has addressed this with nonpartisan judicial committees, but of course neither Kansas or Missouri has followed suit. As the existing system distorts our democracy, maybe this issue should become a major discussion point in the next election.
Terry Rodenberg
Lee’s Summit
Roman numerals
It is time to stop using Roman numerals. Referring to Super Bowl 51 as LI is absurd. Let’s face it: Clarity of the written and spoken word is a virtue. Let’s use plain English.
Vernon Reed
Liberty
Standing up
As an independent voter in Gladstone, I want to thank and commend Sen. Ryan Silvey for his courageous vote against his Republican colleagues’ disastrous right-to-work amendment. (Jan. 26, 6A, “Right-to-work clears hurdle in Missouri Senate”)
The senator is standing up for the wages of real working people in our state who are both union and non-union.
This type of wisdom and fortitude is virtually nonexistent in our tribal politics today. Right-to-work is nothing but a marketing-driven and oligarch-funded canard, intended to destroy unions and suppress wages across all economic sectors.
I expect Silvey will use the same wisdom to fight against the “We want to be Kansas” proposals to reduce or eliminate the already-low Missouri state corporate income tax. With the state budget hurting, this would be disastrous.
Supply-side economics is a proven disaster that only transfers wealth from the middle to the top, while destroying government’s ability to function.
I hope Silvey’s constituents will support him strongly in the next election when the big money interests come after him for having the audacity to work for Missourians first, ahead of big money interests.
Jeff Gerner
Gladstone
Double standard
On one hand I understand the emotions that generated the recent women’s march on Washington. However, on the other hand the whole episode leaves me completely baffled.
I don’t recall hundreds of thousands of women protesting when another sexual predator sat in the Oval Office. I don’t recall widespread outrage from feminists when the White House was occupied by a man who repeatedly groped and fondled numerous women.
Recently, I do recall these same feminists supporting a woman who was in charge of “bimbo eruptions.” A woman who tried to silence and intimidate any woman who publicly accused her husband of improprieties.
Has anyone tried to ruin more women’s careers and lives than Hillary Clinton?
If the feminists had been true to their values, I don’t believe we would have been saddled with Clinton as the Democratic Party nominee.
No, I am not defending anything President Donald Trump has said or may have done. I simply wish to know: Why the double standard?
Kevin Nease
Kansas City, Kan.
Pondering history
It’s interesting how history tends to repeat itself.
Other countries, other climes; different people, different times.
Anne D. Roberts
Independence
This story was originally published January 28, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss Lee Judge, election reform and the women’s marches."