Readers share thoughts on mass transit, Congress, Russia in Syria
Russian games
Media reports indicate a great deal of official angst over Russian “adventurism” in Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin is stealing a march on U.S. policy and diplomacy.
He is gaining an upper hand in the great game of politics and power in the Middle East.
I offer a different perspective.
Our interest is the defeat of the Islamic State. Our interest is also stemming the tide of migrants threatening to inundate our European allies and possibly to fracture the European Union.
We should consider supporting the Russian effort to establish a safe haven in Syria. Let the Russians establish and protect it.
Encourage the United Nations and humanitarian agencies to support it as well. This would allow European nations to send Syrian migrants back to a safe region in Syria.
This also would get the Russians deeply engaged in sustaining this safe region. This could hasten the defeat of the Islamic State and relieve pressure on Ukraine.
Kevin Benson
Lansing
Congress’ trough
I find it interesting that the government thinks there was no cost-of-living increase this year.
Meanwhile, Congress decided it had to receive a regular pay increase and makes sure that its pensions are always at the top of the scale and that its members can retire after a few years.
These are the same people who make sure their medical expenses are paid for and that their insurance is top of the line and that their food is supplied by lobbyists because prices are way up this year.
Everything I use or need has increased in cost this year.
While the fox is in the chicken coop, it would seem that members of the legislature make sure they always have first seating at the food table.
Richard Lumpkin
Prairie Village
University support
Your Oct. 10 story, “University of Phoenix faces Pentagon ire,” fails to adequately capture the specifics of a complex story by highlighting a quote from a well-known political activist but not a university spokesperson.
What’s worse: It does a disservice to members of the U.S. military who earn their degrees from the University of Phoenix.
We work hard to earn the trust of military students and, more important, they work hard to get an education that equips them to succeed in their careers, both in the military and upon returning to civilian life. That’s why we will continue to offer our programs to military students and will proudly point to the successes of our students and graduates.
I joined the University of Phoenix after 34 years of military service. We hold our employees to high standards of accountability, transparency, ethics and compliance.
I know of the expertise our faculty brings to students across the country — and I’m not the only one. Tens of thousands of military students since 2001 can vouch for the value our university offers as well.
It’s time the media did the same.
James “Spider” Marks
Army major general
Retired
Executive Dean
College of Security
and Criminal Justice
University of Phoenix
Oakton, Va.
World peace hopes
As a non-Catholic, I believe I came as close to witnessing the second coming as I will in my lifetime.
Imagine if the leaders of all the world’s religions would lay their doctrines aside, as the pope did last month, and band together to bring the awesome power of goodness to bear on us, and especially on our political leaders.
We might just have a chance to achieve world peace.
Jared J.
Grantham, M.D.
Leawood
Abortion, drinking
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has explained its concerns about binge drinking among pregnant women and its detrimental effect on unborn children.
President Barack Obama, the Supreme Court, the Democrat Party, Planned Parenthood and the pro-abortion lobby all support a woman’s right to control her own body. They advocate for abortion and demagogue the pro-life advocates who proclaim that an unborn child is precious.
If a woman has a right to kill her unborn child through abortion, why should she not have the right to binge drink and harm her unborn child by ingesting alcohol?
Richard L.
Kiper, Ph.D.
Leavenworth
This story was originally published October 24, 2015 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Readers share thoughts on mass transit, Congress, Russia in Syria."