Obama loves U.S.
President Barack Obama doesn’t love his country for what it is, but rather for what it could or should be.
It’s like how some couples go into marriage. One loves the other for who that individual is — warts and all — while the other longs for the person and relationship that individual hopes to one day create.
Sorry, but the latter has pain in the backside written all over it.
Jim Eschrich
Lenexa
Border War
Sam Mellinger’s piece about Kansas fans holding a grudge against Mizzou for leaving the conference (5-21, B1, “Border War bust”) omits some important information.
Colorado, Nebraska and Missouri fled a dysfunctional league that was about to implode. Texas and both Oklahoma teams were plotting to join the Pacific 12. If those teams had left, it would have decimated the Big 12 and caused financial pain to the remaining teams.
Texas and Oklahoma were publicly denying reports about the Pac-12 deal while they were negotiating to jump ship.
Nebraska took a look at this situation and went hunting for more reliable partners. Ditto Colorado and Mizzou.
The anger here should be directed at Texas, primarily, and Oklahoma.
Omitting these facts gives a distorted view of this whole mess. It’s like the prosecutor who doesn’t release information that might prove a defendant not guilty.
John Chapman
Gladstone
Turning to religion
America’s greatest battle is between good and evil. We are turning away from the foundation on which this country was built.
We have disregarded God and his word, the Bible, and are choosing our own evil ways instead. A statesman from France, Alexis de Tocqueville, who came to visit America more than 200 years ago, made this poignant statement:
“Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness, did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”
If we continue to cut God out of our lives, then who will we have to turn to when facing a major catastrophe, the death of someone close to us, a terminal illness and numerous hard things that come our way?
May we remember how many of our leaders turned to God and the Bible for guidance.
May we do the same before it is too late.
Jackie James
Prairie Village
Iraq more unstable
There are some who believe Saddam Hussein’s Iraq was an idyllic, kids-flying-kites Camelot. And some think the Whitewater investigation was meaningless.
Ken Starr convicted 15 people of 40-plus crimes (fraud, embezzlement, tax evasion, bribery, conspiracy), including the sitting governor (three counts of fraud).
The Clintons were not charged. Several people chose jail rather than testifying against the Clintons, who saw no evil, heard no evil, spoke no evil.
Regarding Iraq, The New York Times said Saddam murdered a million of his own people, many with poisonous gas, and tortured, maimed and imprisoned countless more. Some say Saddam was in a box. Saddam was in a killing box.
When Adolf Hitler was eliminated, the response was, What took so long? Some say the elimination of Saddam was needless. How many millions would Saddam have needed to kill?
President Barack Obama said Iraq was stable, a model for the region (compliments of former President George W. Bush). Then Obama gave it all away by disregarding military advisers and pulling all U.S. troops out of Iraq. We still have troops in Germany, Japan and South Korea.
Further, Obama’s cabinet was unanimous in its support for the Syrian moderates, which Obama ignored, giving rise to the Islamic State.
Jim Kilen
Kansas City
Billionaires’ puppets
So, what do you get in return if you’re the Koch brothers and agree to throw $900 million into the 2016 election cycle? Answer: Candidates who will do whatever you want.
Top on their list is getting rid of all those troublesome Environmental Protection Agency regulations and, of course, a green light for the Keystone XL Pipeline. If you’re Sen. Ted Cruz, you must abolish the Internal Revenue Service because the hedge-fund manager who just dropped $30 million into your campaign owes millions in back taxes.
In addition to the Koch brothers’ group, Americans for Prosperity, they have established another group that wants to do away with Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and privatize care for veterans.
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, both well-financed by the Koch brothers and both in states where Koch Industries has large holdings, gave huge tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, and, of course, they do not believe in raising the minimum wage.
These candidates who kiss the rings of billionaires will only advance policies dictated by these wealthy donors. They have heartwarming names for their campaign political action committees, which make you believe it’s all about the people.
But it’s really only about the people who write the checks.
Karen Lane
Shawnee
Kansas voter fraud
After reading about the fraudulent driver’s licenses issued in Mission, naw, we don’t need to worry about voter fraud.
Marlin F. Fiola
Kansas City
No to youth curfew
In response to the juveniles who this spring were damaging property on the Country Club Plaza and calling it the “coffin” trend, I am wondering what the best way might be to avoid problems like this. Being a 17-year-old, I disagree with the idea of having a curfew on the Plaza for people my age.
It is demeaning to all people my age that the city has to worry about other people’s safety because of a few who have made inappropriate decisions. Many times, I have gone to a late dinner or movie on the Plaza, and had to worry about getting stopped because I was there past curfew, when I am never going to cause problems similar to the recent issues.
I think the best option for this situation is to trust the young people of Kansas City to not cause problems and keep the Plaza a safe, enjoyable place to go. But it seems that is not the case, although I do believe it is unfair to enforce a curfew on young people like me who are behaving respectfully.
Madeline Lewing
Lee’s Summit
Brownbackteria
Many people around the world have asked the burning question: “What’s wrong with Kansas?” After extensive consideration, I think I have the answer.
Kansas has been infected with a highly resistant strain of Brownbackteria. This malady is insidious. If detected early, it can be cured by simple voting before it spreads.
Once it takes hold, it can be very harmful to large segments of the population, particularly the middle and lower classes. Symptoms of the affliction can include underfunding of health care and education along with irritation toward unions.
If you are a non-heterosexual or an immigrant, you should move to another state until the infection dies out in Kansas. Those who remain must do their best to endure this sickness until its inevitable passage, which can take years without a miracle called “recall.”
Ask your doctor what you can do to help fight Brownbackteria.
Armand Way
Topeka
Donating organs
You have the choice to be an organ donor and make a generous and worthwhile decision that can be a lifesaver to at least 50 people. You can choose to donate all your organs and tissues or select specific ones.
Very few medical conditions disqualify you from donating your organs. Organ donation does not interfere with having an open-casket funeral.
All donations are always confidential and anonymous.
All you have to do is go to the division of motor vehicles in your state and update your driver’s license to designate that you want to be an organ donor.
I’m doing it today. What could be better than to help save 50 lives?
Julie O’Brien
Trimble, Mo.
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