Readers talk about Veterans Day, election, KCI, deportation, protests

Special thanks

I would like to express my heartfelt thank you to all who planned and participated in the Veterans Day ceremony at the National World War I Museum and Memorial on Friday. Special thanks go to Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, Mayor Sly James and Col. Norma J. Bradford, whose remarks and address deeply touched the audience of U.S. veterans, their families and friends of the museum.

Their themes were those of honoring the gratitude and debt to our veterans by “respecting the peaceful transition of government” and of holding true to the ideals of our country. Their eloquence and dedication stirred the audience to a standing ovation after each presentation. The ceremony was a profound and unifying one and will live on in memory and, I hope, in deed.

Ann L. Nelson

Fairway

Sleeping longer

I can say from experience that too many high school and middle school students experience exhaustion and depression from lack of sleep because of early school start times.

Classes should start at the recommended 8:30 a.m. to give students the health benefits they need as well as to increase test scores and attendance.

In fact, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study analyzing the 2011-12 school year showed that fewer than 20 percent of middle and high schools began at 8:30 a.m. or later, meaning kids are only getting six to seven hours of sleep when teens are supposed to get eight to nine hours.

Because of this, the first two periods are a blur for most students. Studies show teenagers aren’t fully awake until 9 or 10 a.m. because their body clocks are shifted two hours later than younger children and adults.

Many argue that later starts disrupt after-school activities and sports and it costs a lot of money to change these and teachers’ schedules. But the benefits greatly outweigh the costs. The National Sleep Foundation states that students who get more sleep do better academically and have higher standardized test scores and a better quality of life.

Corey Johnson

Blue Springs

Deportations

Non-Hispanics like me, even though I’m 88, must organize against possible looming deportations such as those Mary Sanchez cited (11-12, 2A, “Will Trump feed young ‘Dreamers’ to the wolves?”). A couple of regrets from history come to mind: first, the failure of non-Japanese Americans to cry out against internment of their fellow citizens during World War II. And second, the words of Pastor Martin Niemöller:

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Norm Ledgin

Overland Park

KU app

David Singleton

Kansas City

Help the kids

My 14-year-old sister came home from school with stories of offensive jokes told at her school, and of friends fraught with post-election anxiety. Like my sister and her friends, all our children and teens are especially susceptible to the toxic stress that results from these distressing conversations currently permeating our lives.

As parents, mentors, physicians and educators, we must take steps to help children combat their anxiety:

▪ Talk with and listen to your children about what they are experiencing and hearing in the aftermath of the election. Allow them to express their emotions, and reassure them that they will be safe.

▪ Limit their access to media, or watch the news with them. Discuss the implications of the news, and allow them to ask questions.

▪ Practice relaxation methods, including deep breathing.

▪ Watch for signs that the child or teen may not be coping well, including sleep disturbances, headaches, changes in appetite, social withdrawal and irritable moods. If these symptoms occur, get professional help.

Additional resources to help your child cope with stress can be found at child health websites such as healthychildren.org or childrensmercy.org.

Gayathri Kumar

Kansas City

Slavery, prisons

The 13th Amendment declares that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

Let’s admit that slavery is illegal in the United States but that “involuntary servitude” is not. You only have to be “duly convicted” and imprisoned.

How might that work to the white ruling class’ advantage? Well, maybe we can use it to keep a good percentage of young black men off the streets, out of school, not working at profitable labor and not serving as father figures to children. This would put them at a decided disadvantage as part of a population that cannot vote its way out of poverty and drug abuse and experiences violent confrontation with the police and with each other.

Of course we’d have to have a large prison system to house and control this population. It would be a self-perpetuating “school” for recidivism, ensuring that these men never vote, never become responsible, never know the comforts of the middle class and mostly die at a young age, relieving society of responsibility for their well-being.

I needn’t wonder what kind of world that would be. It is one we already possess. It is a way of oppressing a people we had at one time enslaved.

Sure, some slip past the societal net that ensnares most, but they are only lucky examples of what white folks say is the possibility of the American dream.

Karta Purkh Khalsa

Kansas City

Obama’s legacy

Never in my lifetime have I seen a president and first lady who more closely identified with everyday low- and middle-income people like myself. It’s clear that although they now have the means to live the lifestyle that most of us can only dream of, they never forgot where they came from.

From President Barack Obama’s inviting musicians such as Earth, Wind and Fire to perform at the White House, to first lady Michelle Obama joking about “leaving the place clean so they can get their security deposit back,” most of us can see a little bit of ourselves in how the Obamas carry themselves.

Through eight years of obstruction, racism and outright lies that would have brought down others, the Obamas persevered to become one of the most popular first families in our country’s history.

Eddie L. Clay

Grandview

Moving on

To all of those who are overcome by anger following the 2016 presidential election and are protesting in the streets, it’s time for a serious shift in mindset. While as a strong feminist and opinionated young woman I was disappointed by the results, I have since realized that it is time to live with the results and focus on moving forward.

It is time for a shift in mindset to optimism and hope. Rather than allowing anger to fester within us and divide us even further, it is time to focus on how we can heal.

Anger and defiance is not the solution. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Choosing to focus on personal dissatisfaction is selfish and destructive.

While I would’ve personally desired a different outcome, I am making the choice to be a leader and focus my energy on unifying my community and my nation as whole with my confident and optimistic attitude. I encourage my fellow Americans to do the same. It’s time for healing and unity, not outrage and protest.

Riley Kelley

Kansas City

New view on KCI

After spending four hours at Kansas City International Airport, I have changed my mind about opposing a new airport.

I was at the airport in the gate area an hour before my flight to Phoenix. Approximately 40 minutes before boarding time, they announced our flight would be delayed one hour due to only one runaway available.

The small food station inside the gate had been busy since I arrived. An hour prior to our new departure time, the food service closed up without announcing they were closing with a gate full of passengers still there and waiting. Oh, and by the way, it just so happened to be 6:30 p.m. by now.

I had not eaten prior to coming, thinking I could get a bite in Phoenix. Thank goodness for the apple as big as a softball and the energy bar I bought before the food service closed.

So count my vote as a yes for a new airport. Maybe then we won’t feel like cattle in a holding pen with no food and nowhere to go.

Karen Payne

Platte City

Experience

No one would be treated by a doctor who had no training or experience in the medical field. Most people wouldn’t even get their hair cut or their lawn mowed without proof of experience and multiple references.

So why do people want a president, the most important job in the world, who has absolutely no experience in the political system? I keep hearing the word “anti-establishment” when referring to Donald Trump’s qualifications, and to me, that just means “inexperienced.”

There are a hundred reasons why he should not be president of the United States, but I think this may be the most dangerous. His inexperience and lack of knowledge in world affairs could be devastating to this country.

Allison Gossick

Prairie Village

This story was originally published November 14, 2016 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Readers talk about Veterans Day, election, KCI, deportation, protests."