Readers react to Paris, a flexible school and Trump vs. Clinton

For Love of Paris

A song of hope,

Paris will remain

The city of lights

Where spires and tower

Stand firm for liberty;

Where flowers bloom

And river runs

Gracefully under bridges

Past works of art

In the heart of history

Pierced by revolutions,

War and violence —

Senseless violence —

Yet remains

Alive and playful

Like a child whose spirit

Cannot be suppressed,

Cannot be silenced,

Because she knows

That freedom runs deep,

Deeper than hate

And keeps its promise

That good will come

And hope will rise higher

Than the spires and tower

Stretching toward her destiny

Spelled out in the stars

That illuminate

The City of Lights.

Therese Horvat

Basehor

Flexible school

This holiday season, I am thankful for my family (parents are David and Stephanie), who are supportive and loving.

I am also thankful for my friends, who are always there for me. I’m thankful for my tennis club and my coaches, who are supportive in tough times but are also there to celebrate successes.

I am also thankful for Kansas Connections Academy. I am always traveling for tennis and am in need of a flexible schedule, and with Kansas Connections Academy I am able to do school whenever and wherever.

Now, I’m able to study at my own pace, take classes on weekends and not have to feel stressed about getting behind.

I am very thankful for all these things and wouldn’t change a thing about them.

Justin Leslie

Stilwell

Trump vs. Clinton

I am the most optimist guy alive. However, people might have the option of voting for Republican billionaire Donald Trump or former secretary of state Hillary Clinton as our next president.

He is not stupid or he would not be so rich.

But his ego? He can do no wrong because it is him. What Trump wants to do is not too logical.

And Clinton did not protect our ambassador in Benghazi. She ordered her subordinates not to use their personal computers for government business. But she used hers.

Some say she did many other bad things. I get the impression that her reply every time is to be defiant.

The Supreme Court said people can give any amount of money to any politician. I am very sorry.

I am 89 years old and leaving soon. I am glad I will not be here to see what happens to my poor old United States of America.

What a shame. What a waste.

Jack Folse

Overland Park

Defunding decision

Pro-life protesters are concerned that taxpayer dollars are paying for abortions, believing it is unethical to end lives before they are born. However, the Hyde Amendment of 1976 allows abortions to be covered by federal funds only if the pregnancy arises from incest, rape or to save the life of the mother.

Planned Parenthood provides a wide variety of services, including prenatal care, miscarriage counseling, men’s health care and sexually transmitted disease testing. Some Planned Parenthood centers do not offer abortion options. In reality, abortions make up only 3 percent of the agency’s total services.

A recent medical emergency in Indiana has revealed the need for Planned Parenthood services. Several of the state’s Planned Parenthood centers, which did not offer abortions, closed in 2011. Now, one area is experiencing an HIV outbreak. Planned Parenthood centers, the only places that offered HIV testing, could have helped combat the outbreak.

We should not base the decision to defund Planned Parenthood on its minimal abortion services. Going to Planned Parenthood is a vital step in helping women dealing with medical issues.

Before defunding it, we should consider the well-being of the millions of people who visit Planned Parenthood facilities for services other than abortion.

Janelle Weber

Mosby, Mo.

Made-up crisis

I am very shocked. Out of all the problems in our world the main editorial of Nov. 27, “Reverse cowardly decision at MU on Planned Parenthood doctor,” is on the so-called “crisis” at the University of Missouri-Columbia. I thought Planned Parenthood wasn't about abortion but about women's health care, and abortions were only a tiny bit of what the nonprofit does.

Wow. Is The Star that much in the back pocket of the anti-life agenda that nothing else is newsworthy in the editorial board’s opinion?

Michael Boudreaux

Excelsior Springs

This story was originally published November 27, 2015 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Readers react to Paris, a flexible school and Trump vs. Clinton."