Readers talk about election, unity, motherhood, GOP, KCI, diversity
Stay united
Funny how many of those who claimed “He’s not my president” or “I didn’t vote for him” after the last two elections are now expressing their dislike of those who are saying the same things about Donald Trump.
Bigotry is running rampant, but it’s time we all try to get along.
Am I happy with the results of this election? No, but am I complaining? Maybe some on the inside, but you know what? The popular vote was so close, odds are that the person to your left or right, or one of the next two people you encounter, voted for someone you didn’t vote for.
Deal with it, and treat others the way you expect to be treated.
Let’s give Trump his chance to make the right decisions and pray he surrounds himself with the right people to do good by most of us (because God knows nobody can please everyone).
Love one another, respect differing opinions and just be kind. God bless us all. Now, let’s move forward as a country, as a whole ... for the United States of America.
Jon M. Daily
Parkville
New KCI overdue
Recently at Kansas City International Airport, I arrived early, but my flight was an hour late. I had to wait two hours or more.
I found a seat in the terminal. Many people were standing. I did not see any water fountains or restrooms nearby. I could not leave my seat to get a drink or find a restroom or I would have lost my chair.
On my return flight about midnight, I could not walk right out to the nearby baggage area. I had a long walk behind the security area, carrying my cabin bags to the end of the terminal, and then I had to double back to the baggage area.
So much for convenience at KCI.
On a trip last year, I found that the Baltimore airport was modern. I was two hours early, but there were plenty of seats in the spacious waiting area, and one could walk to shops and restrooms nearby. It was a pleasant waiting experience.
I think Kansas City should catch up with the rest of the country and build an airport of the future with a single terminal and a single parking building.
Ed Gabriel
Blue Springs
Broken moments
I was cuddling and breastfeeding my cute little baby. She ate while I lovingly kissed her tiny hands and looked into her big sleepy eyes.
We enjoyed the warmth of each other — skin to skin. We were having this beautiful moment.
I had to stop midway through her feeding and passed her to Dad so she could have a bottle because I would have been late for work.
Ten minutes at work would have made no difference in my day, but it broke my heart that one morning. If a baby animal were taken from its mother in the zoo, people would be outraged.
Yet it happens to us moms every day.
Brittany Duman
Kansas City
The transition
I will always respect the office of the president of the United States, even when it’s very hard to respect the person who holds the office. One can only hope that a just God will sit in on the meetings and offer a guiding hand in all actions that are brought forth.
The powers that are to be have happily pointed out that there is a revenge list that will be acted upon as soon as they enter office. They have stated this openly on TV, and this makes everyone apprehensive and just plain scared.
I find it interesting that in the four presidents that we have had over the last three decades, two Republicans and two Democrats, that both Republicans lost the popular vote for their first term. Al Gore was almost a million votes ahead of George W. Bush when he lost. If we were monitoring elections in any other country, as we are prone to do, we would call the election a sham.
I would, at this point, like to wish The Kansas City Star the best of luck with that revenge thingy.
Richard C. Lumpkin
Prairie Village
Misdirected
Considerable data published by editors, respected economists, scholars and others make a good case for the recall of Gov. Sam Brownback and complicit state legislators.
Among numerous examples cited are millions of dollars surreptitiously swept away from the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System, the Kansas Department of Transportation and nearly every other fund that had any money left in it.
All of this to plug holes in the budget caused by massive tax cuts forced through a compliant Legislature.
At the same time, Brownback has cut funding for numerous programs, such as health, education and welfare, and has raised taxes on sales, tobacco, alcohol, etc.
I find it highly unfair for the middle class and poor to subsidize massive tax cuts for the affluent.
The Kansas secretary of state should also be recalled. He has been tilting at windmills at great taxpayer expense in a ploy to deny the registration of voters likely to cast ballots unfavorable to his way of thinking.
Sometimes I wonder whether our governor and his cohorts have lost their moral compasses, if not their minds.
Robert R. Cook
Manhattan, Kan.
Churches’ value
I would like to, very respectfully, disagree with some readers’ views that churches should be taxed. Here is why: Churches do more good with less money than any other organizations because the work is done by volunteers.
I know of a church of fewer than 200 members in eastern Independence that provides Thanksgiving meals for many families each year, gives 100 pairs of shoes and socks to the schoolchildren in their area every Christmas, serves as a distribution center for Harvesters — the Community Food Network and takes snacks every Friday to the children at the Early Childhood Center who are likely to otherwise be hungry over the weekend.
Multiply this effort times hundreds of thousands of churches in this country, and you will understand how much a few caring people can accomplish with limited resources. Contrast that with how government agencies handle our tax money.
Teresa Long
Grain Valley
To those concerned
To Julian Assange and WikiLeaks: Your hate of America has brought about the erosion of freedom of the press, civil disobedience and the truth.
To Vladimir Putin and Russia: You now have a comrade for the brutal and aggressive disregard of human rights and rights of sovereign nations.
To James Comey and the Clinton Cash agents: You have destroyed all confidence in the FBI being a non-political institution.
To Susan Sarandon and the Bernie or Bust movement: Goodbye to legal abortion, stopping climate change and ending Citizens United.
To Peter Thiel and LGBT Republicans: No more marriage equality, LGBT in the military or fighting LGBT discrimination.
To Democrats who didn’t support Hillary: Gone are minimum-wage increases, affordable college and health care.
To Mitch McConnell and Republicans: Welcome to the party of the alt-right, misogyny, bigotry and hate.
To Candace Cameron Bure and the Christians who put the devil in the White House: You did it just to make the rest of the country live your religion.
Welcome to hell.
Larry Morris
Kansas City
Union Station gift
Dear Marlys and Michael Haverty,
On behalf of all Kansas Citians, and that includes folks like us in Johnson County, thank you for your latest contribution to the development of Union Station’s outdoor concert and festival expansion (11-11, 4A, “Union Station gets $1 million for festival space”).
Your generosity is greatly appreciated and continues to add to our reputation as one of the greatest metro areas in the United States.
Toni and Ted
Steinmeyer
Overland Park
Diversify
Diversity is already a big issue in today’s society. Recognizing people of all races and gender identities is crucial in leading to a more diverse, equal community.
Watching the Oscars every year, I do feel as if the white population has been nominated for many more awards, which in turn leads to the question: Are minority groups not being nominated simply because there are not a lot of minorities being cast to begin with?
We rarely see Hispanics and Asian-Americans nominated for their roles in films, which comes down to the diversity in casting of films. We need to be more aware of this issue in our culture.
I believe actors should get nominated for his or her outstanding performance regardless of color or gender, but I disagree with how minority groups are being portrayed on television and film.
It is 2016, people. Times are changing rapidly, and we need to start recognizing the diversity of our culture on screen as well as off.
Megan Sheridan
Lenexa
Advice for GOP
Dear President-elect Donald Trump and all incoming Republican members of Congress,
There are two things you absolutely must accomplish over the next four years.
1. Keep America safe.
2. Do not let your obsession with reducing federal government regulations and oversight lead to a repeat of the 2008-2009 financial disaster. You cannot count on Wall Street and the big financial institutions to do the right thing when left on their own.
Tony Hackney
Lenexa
Coincidence?
Mere coincidence or ominous omen? The winning midday Pick 3 numbers on Election Day were 666. As all good Christians know, this is considered the mark of the Antichrist.
Keep that in mind for the next four years, folks.
Anne Graf
Gladstone
This story was originally published November 12, 2016 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Readers talk about election, unity, motherhood, GOP, KCI, diversity."