Letters to the editor: Teen suicide, the benefits of government, hope for country’s future

Government benefits

So, do the Republicans really believe their own lies? “We’ll provide a better health care program.”

They’ve had years to present one for consideration but so far nothing. It should come before, not after, repealing the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

“Government employees produce nothing,” Kansas House Speaker Ray Merrick, a Stilwell Republican, has been quoted as saying. Well, aside from highways, parks, water supply systems, and educated children, government workers do provide a lot of services we most certainly do need and depend on.

“Law and order” in the form of courts, police, prisons and probation; health care; inspections for buildings, food and restaurants; and licensing, laws and records that protect and secure ownership of property and businesses.

Is there wasteful spending? Of course. There’s waste in all of nature and almost all human activity. We should do what we can to keep it at a minimum, but don’t expect to magically be rid of it.

Finally, there’s just a lot of stuff that government — at all levels — does for us that we’ve never figured out how to get done through private enterprise and without taxes.

Charles Downing

Roeland Park

Hope in faith

A Catholic priest once told me: “The Church in 100 years maybe will have worked through some of its problems, but we will never know.” Those aren’t exactly comforting words for those who are living in a post-medieval world.

I realize that the rapid demands for change in the attitudes toward women, gays, eduction, health reform, the environment, the poor and immigration in the last 10 years have frightened conservatives; the cause, I feel, for the midterm election results. However, the eventual death of those seeking redress is not an option.

These problems must be met with the combined resources of all parties, allowing for prompt justice for those concerned. A religion has the hope of an “ever after.”

We as a country do not.

John Nelles

Shawnee

Teaching youths joy

No article will be able to bring back the lives of the two young Olathe women that took their lives recently. It will however, shine a light on a dark subject.

This is something that needs to be addressed by the news media. Suicide is a very sad but very real occurrence today.

Youths’ self-esteem nowadays are at an all-time low. Self-worth and body image have been squandered through Photoshopped images of celebrities in high profile magazines.

Through subliminal messaging, Internet articles are constantly saying that youths aren’t good enough. What we need to be teaching these kids is joy, love and happiness.

We need to be teaching, in our schools, that loneliness is a disease. We should to be reading about how your mind can be a sad and broken place.

We need people to understand that these things happen, however, suicide is never the answer. Education is the key to this.

We need to educate our young people that you pull yourself out of bad places. You can dust off anything, and that life is worth living. No matter what your situation is, someone somewhere loves you deeply.

Nicholas Carroll

Olathe

Attitude of gratitude

I recently attended an “Aging Expo,” where the keynote speaker stated that “aging is an asset.” I had never thought of my growing older as an asset.

She caught my attention with three simple rules:

First, let go of the past. Forget what makes you angry and forces those negative thoughts.

Second, think of something that makes you happy like a visit from a friend or relative.

And, third and most important, gratitude is an attitude. Be grateful for what you have and have to look forward to.

Steve Katz

Leawood

Wastewater woes

Lay oversized sewer pipes and business, tenants and future redevelopment will follow appears to be the theme of Johnson County working with Shawnee to develop an old rock quarry area. With no confirmed tenants, Shawnee agreed to pay the developer fee.

Guess any cost overruns will be covered by taxpayers. The county claims to be flexible in providing services, yet not open to solid alternatives.

Johnson County Wastewater’s index methods appear to be wrong more than right. This should open the door to more competitive bidding in the county. Hope the county is more open-minded to alternatives during the proposed $280 million expansion of the wastewater facility in Leawood. The tail truly wages the dog in the Johnson County Wastewater domain.

The Environmental Protection Agency sets standards for water quality but does not say how to finance these guidelines. In Johnson County, water board officials are elected to monitor drinking water. The county is the wastewater authority. Allowing the elected water officials to oversee all water and wastewater services in the county would increase government efficiency and scrutiny of Johnson County Wastewater.

Ironically, all the mixed-use developments in the county are to promote a certain lifestyle. Guess you make a lifestyle area and you must take one away.

Jeff Harkness

Overland Park

This story was originally published December 2, 2014 at 5:40 PM with the headline "Letters to the editor: Teen suicide, the benefits of government, hope for country’s future."