Letters: Readers discuss Republican health care, a horrific child abuse headline and the lackadaisical Missouri Senate
Faithful objection
As a well-educated Christian, I was saddened by the House Republicans’ repeal of the Affordable Care Act. This bill was rushed through with very little public debate or scrutiny. Nonetheless, it’s clear that the legislation benefits the wealthy at the expense of the poor and to a somewhat lesser extent, the middle class.
This flies in the face of everything Jesus advocated. Many Republican legislators claim to be God-fearing men and women, but you’d never know it by the way they vote.
The Bible quotes Jesus as saying, “If you have two coats, and your neighbor has none, give him one of your coats.” Congressional Republicans seem to believe that if you have 10 coats and your neighbor has a ratty old sweater, he’s supposed to give you his sweater.
They also seem to be ignorant of Christ’s admonition that it’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to inherit the kingdom of God.
I can’t in good conscience support any politician or piece of legislation that shows such blatant disregard for the health and well being of those less fortunate.
Chris Brethwaite
Kansas City
Week for water
In an era when so much is taken for granted, one thing Kansas City should never take for granted is Earth’s most precious resource: water.
Headlines tell us people in other parts of the country struggle with the availability or safety of drinking water. Thankfully, neither is a problem here.
Kansas City is on the Missouri River, one of the most reliable sources of fresh water in the world. And, since 1873, KC Water has been dedicated to delivering to Kansas Citians the highest-quality and best-tasting tap water possible.
Drinking Water Week is May 7-13, and it’s an important time to remember the vital role water plays in our daily lives and in our quality of life.
On behalf of the almost 900 people who work at KC Water, we thank our customers for the opportunity to serve you. We invite you to celebrate, enjoy and love Kansas City’s nationally recognized tap water.
To learn more about your drinking water, visit www.kcwaterservices.org and follow us on Twitter @KCMOwater.
Terry Leeds
Director, KC Water
Kansas City
Too much horror
Imagine turning to last Sunday’s Star and there on the front page, above the fold, is a story with a headline screaming about an event so horrific as to be unimaginable. (April 30, “Nana’s nightmare: Grandmother agonizes over videos that show torture of boy whose body was fed to pigs”)
What a way to start the day. The “nightmare” headline was pure sensationalism. The first definition of news is that it is a report of recent events. If The Star thought a story about coping with an unimaginably heinous event that occurred two years ago deserved in-depth treatment, the paper should have put the piece in a human-interest section, not on the front page.
Our hearts go out to the victims in such stories. But The Star’s treatment of this piece was voyeuristic, intrusive and exploitative.
Save the front page for reporting on recent events, local and national. Save the sensationalism for the interior of the paper. That way the reader can choose to read the story, rather than being hit over the head with it when the paper is opened. I would rather not have to dread peeking at the front page of The Star anymore.
Robert Kroeker
Overland Park
Get to work
As of this writing, dozens of important bills sit idly before the Missouri Senate, and if the past is indicative of future behavior, most if not all of these bills will die when the legislative session soon closes.
These bills include labor reforms, ethics reforms, tax cuts, education improvements and countless other items of primary importance to the people who elected these senators.
To be clear, senators have had time to literally sing “Kumbaya” to one another on the Senate floor and filibuster the reading of the Senate Journal. They haven’t had time for actual priorities important to the public.
The barrier here has not been ideological gridlock — self-described conservatives hold a supermajority in the chamber — but shameful and selfish behavior by a handful of senators more interested in settling personal scores than carrying the people’s business to enactment.
You didn’t get on a committee? No one likes your bill? Grow up.
Senators would be well-served to be reminded they’re engaged in public service, not self-service. Stop complaining. Start doing the people’s business.
Patrick Ishmael
Director of
Government Accountability
Show-Me Institute
This story was originally published May 6, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss Republican health care, a horrific child abuse headline and the lackadaisical Missouri Senate."