Readers share views on political contributions, a female president and voter registration
Political contributions
Democracy was lost in the last election. Advertising propaganda, paid for by the Koch brothers and others, bought the last election.
They wanted the Republican Party to control the House and the Senate. They convinced voters to vote for the party and not the man.
If this continues, we will have a feudalistic system of government, a mafia or a modern day Pied Piper form of government. Straight-line party voting is telling us whom to vote for and how to vote.
Voters should know about the person they are voting for, what that person believes and what he or she has done in the past, not just what party he or she belongs to.
We the people established the Constitution, and we should govern. Think outside the box, without the help of Fox or Koch.
Colburn Doyle
Olathe
Violence, injustice
Though no one, of course, likes or can condone the wanton destruction of private property, let me remind everyone that violence is not always irrational. Often, violence is a rational response to perceived instances of extreme or excessive injustice.
It is the role and historic duty of law in America not simply to protect but to govern private property. The legal profession has consistently failed at this latter responsibility since before the Civil War, preferring to simply protect and insulate the interests of organized corporate capital from regulatory oversight.
If President Barack Obama cannot recognize these facts on the ground about violence and property, or if he pretends to know that the motives of those who enact violence or destruction of property in Ferguson, Mo., or Baltimore are not influenced by a justifiable sense of outrage, then it is because he is too dim or co-opted to do otherwise.
Dennis Weiser
Kansas City
Woman for president
I was very disappointed to read the letter from a senior at St. Teresa’s Academy who said our nation was not ready for a female president and that we needed a “rest” from “racism and feminism” and other disruptions (5-25, Letters).
The writer’s objection to Hillary Clinton’s candidacy was not based on her qualifications or policy, but solely on gender. Wow.
Feminism is, by definition, the promotion of the political, economic and social equality of women. I have always thought that schools like St. Teresa’s were inherently feminist because they are dedicated to preparing young women for achievement at the highest levels.
I sincerely hope this young lady’s teachers and classmates do not share her views on this subject.
Julie Frickleton
Leawood
Dear Republicans
It’s started. Junior senators are coming out of the woodwork to throw their hats in the ring for the GOP nomination for president.
Here is your problem. Not one of them has the personality or credentials to unify a fractured Republican Party. Each has catered to some niche conservative constituency, whether that is right to life, tea party, libertarian, the Second Amendment folks or those fighting the immigration situation.
Collectively those groups could get you the White House, but given your current situation, it doesn’t look good.
Here is some advice. Stop the political theater and sound-bite wars in both houses of Congress. Stop using the investigative power of Congress for political gain.
If there is an issue, go after it and get it done. Deeds not words.
Don’t drag things out. Confront real issues with positive solutions.
Take a hint from President Ronald Reagan. Positive solutions instead of endless critiques, and make it public, be transparent.
If you want the White House, find commonality among all these groups, unite them. Stop eating your young.
And please, don’t sell the candidate to the highest bidder. Stop disenfranchising voters by cuddling up to political action committees.
Rob Mikaloff
De Soto
Voter registration
In Kansas, 500,000 eligible people are not registered to vote. The highest percentage are young people age 18 to 24.
The schools do not keep records. When I talk to school principals, they explain that they teach civics and American history, so they must be doing a good job.
Their thought is that if they teach it, and the youth don’t feel it’s relevant, it’s the young people’s fault. Can you imagine a manufacturer who advertises and blames the public for not buying?
The governor and the secretary of state, whom I called, passed the SAFE Act, which, according to the secretary of state, caught 67 illegally registered voters.
They just can’t be expected to do anything about more than 500,000 people who are not registered. They prefer to tax without representation. Call them and tell them, “No taxation without representation.”
Christopher Roesel
Roeland Park
Recruiting terrorists
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I always thought treason was a punishable crime (sometimes even by death).
We allow terrorist groups to recruit our citizens and children using the Internet. That has to be a crime against our country, but we permit terrorists to advertise their evil and persuade disillusioned people to join them to kill us.
Am I missing something here, or shouldn’t it be blocked as a war crime?
It is treason against our country. God help us all.
Peggy Corlee
Kansas City
GOP, golden 1950s
People who think the Republican Party is stuck in the 1950s are correct. The Religious Freedom Act is from the Republicans. But the world and America are changing.
Major changes since the 1950s, led by the Democratic Party, include prayer removed from public schools, the war on poverty, no-fault divorce and legalized abortion. There are studies that show the negative effects of all of these on individuals and to society as a whole.
One major result of all of the above is the breakdown of the traditional family with both male and female parents in the home. Studies show that the emotional and monetary costs to society have been enormous.
These studies show that children from single-parent homes are much more likely to get involved in criminal activities, commit suicide or experience early, unwanted pregnancies.
Fathers are needed at home. Traditional marriage should be supported by our laws for the betterment of society.
The Republican Party recognizes that not all change is good for society and that America needs to repent and return to godly values and to the Constitution as intended to protect states’ and individual rights.
At least we were a lot closer to that in the good, old ’50s.
Ron Rogers
Shawnee
Benefit of unions
I’ve been told that relationships between two people who live together, or between employers and workers, are healthy relationships only when responsibilities and rewards are shared and when there is balance.
When one side has a weak voice in the proceedings, balance is lost. With balance, both parties profit.
When workers have a voice, as they do with unions that represent their side of the relationship, balance is maintained. If you as a worker do not support your union, you are not participating in that shared responsibility. You are shirking your responsibility.
Perhaps the “right to work” laws should be called the “right to shirk” laws.
Alma Rae Price
Fairway
Kansas vs. guns
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and his ilk removed discrimination protections for state lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees, refused Medicaid expansion so 150,000 citizens cannot get access to affordable health care and did away with state income taxes for most business owners, letting the burden of those taxes fall upon the employees in spite of a $400 million shortfall.
Now, instead of rectifying these errors, they set the state back another 100 years with this concealed carry with no background checks or training.
Are these legislators representing our best interests, or are they serving another master?
Val Pfannenstiel
Mission
This story was originally published May 27, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Readers share views on political contributions, a female president and voter registration."