Letters: Readers discuss immigration policy, Greg Orman’s candidacy and traffic tickets
No compassion
How do the parents whose children are ripped away from them at the border get their kids back? (May 30, 11A, “Trump officials blame Dems for migration policy”)
Do they ever see them again? Do they have the parental right to say who gets custody of their babies and older kids?
I’m assuming there’s a kind, compassionate system set up for these kids: communication with their moms and dads, education, counseling, medicine. Not.
Murphy Dickson
Overland Park
Waste of our time
Who is the village idiot: White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders for repeating lies or members of the Washington press corps, who attend her briefings and never learn anything of worth?
Wouldn’t their time be more productive performing valid investigative journalism? The whole press briefing approach with this administration is a joke but unfortunately very real.
Everett Murphy
Kansas City
His own candidate
If you have not read Kansas gubernatorial candidate Greg Orman’s book, “A Declaration of Independents,” I hope you will pick up a copy.
In it, Orman explains that most party candidates, when elected, are more loyal to their parties and the PACs that have supported them than to their constituents.
Did Gov. Sam Brownback have your family’s best interests in mind when he demolished funding for Kansas public schools?
Orman is an independent candidate. He has promised not to take PAC money. As governor, he would make decisions that benefit only the residents of Kansas.
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Lynn Buckholz
Olathe
Excellent service
My husband and I were very impressed by how the police handled the traffic snarl after the accident at Missouri 152 and Shoal Creek Parkway (June 8, 4A, “Driver critically hurt after hitting Brink’s truck”).
First, to prevent an epic backup, they diverted eastbound traffic onto the southbound Interstate 435 exit ramp.
Then, they directed people trapped on 152 to turn around our vehicles and cautiously drive on the shoulder, exiting up the entrance ramp onto I-435.
Complicated, yes, but a very creative strategy for smoothly and efficiently handling a lot of cars. Kudos to our law enforcement officials.
Candace Koehler
Shawnee
Still a violation
In a front-page story last month, The Kansas City Star lamented the plight of a mother of three with a multitude of traffic stops and 26 outstanding citations, and insinuated that a callous legal system is to blame for exacting harsh consequences. (May 20, 1A, “Ticket trauma; Black KC drivers get more tickets than whites, but race is only part of the problem”)
No one, regardless of race or economic status, likes getting traffic tickets. However, we all have one set of rules.
We all must meet certain requirements to exercise the privilege to drive, which is not a legal right. Licensing, insurance, appearing in court and paying fines are mandatory. Repeated offenses and failure to remedy violations deserve little sympathy from the courts.
Our Missouri court system labors under new state legislation and Supreme Court rules based on some of the misplaced sentiments expressed in this article. This has diminished the power of our courts to enforce compliance with court orders.
Behaviors such as failure to appear for court dates or pay fines lead to a system of weakened consequences. Our public safety is the lesser for this.
Drivers with outstanding warrants and no insurance make our streets unsafe. We need to be cautious in promoting an attitude that some traffic tickets (such as those for not having insurance) are economically based, not indicative of bad driving, and therefore without merit.
Mercy has its place in a judicial system. Disregarding our obligations as citizens renders that plea hollow.
J. Martin Kerr
Lee’s Summit
To honor King
The conversation continues about whether the new Kansas City International Airport terminal should be named after Martin Luther King Jr. We should consider the impact the decision could have.
The name grabs attention, but the value is in adding depth by creating a center for social justice. Developers of the new terminal must join in the effort to create kiosks, visual displays and other innovative ways to tell this country’s history of social justice.
Susan Annette Smith
Warrensburg, Mo.
This story was originally published June 8, 2018 at 8:32 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss immigration policy, Greg Orman’s candidacy and traffic tickets."