Readers discuss autoimmune disorders, Penn Valley Park, Trump, warm November

Clinical trials

In 2014, I was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, a neurological disorder characterized by progressive weakness and impaired sensory function in the legs and arms.

One important way we can make advancements in providing better treatment for autoimmune disorders such as CIDP is through clinical trials. However, for these trials to be useful, people of diverse backgrounds, racial/ethnic groups, ages and locations need to participate.

Let’s consider this: African-Americans make up 12 percent of the U.S. population but only 5 percent of clinical trials participation. Hispanics constitute 16 percent of the U.S. population and only 1 percent of clinical trials participants.

Participation in clinical trials gives you the opportunity to make a difference. If we want more treatment options, we must change the way we think about clinical trials.

Here in Kansas City, the Black Health Care Coalition has joined this effort by participating in the “I’m In” campaign.

I’m in on clinical trials. Please join me and make a difference for others.

Marjorie Williams

Kansas City

Clean up KC

I live near Penn Valley Park and love to walk in the area. But one Saturday morning, my wife and I were shocked to see that someone had dumped an entire truckload of old tires in the park.

As we walked around the lake, we noticed the entire shoreline was covered with debris.

I thought back to one year ago, when we joined the throng of 800,000 to celebrate the Royals. Only three arrests that day, and the crowd demonstrated a great deal of civic pride. Where has it gone?

I think the city needs to put trash containers in the park and signs that ask people to use them. I think the park needs to be regularly patrolled to enforce no-littering rules.

As for a major cleanup effort, I think the city should offer panhandlers the opportunity to work picking up trash. We could pay them $10 per hour.

If we put 40 people in the park for two days, I think a great deal could be accomplished and would cost only a few thousand dollars. It seems to me to be a win-win situation.

Stephen L. Roeder

Kansas City

The results

To the 60,961,185 voters who elected Donald J. Trump as president, you do not realize what you have wrought.

By voting with your gut instinct, you failed to apply sufficient intellectually vigor to your decision; rather, you bought, lock, stock and barrel, the sales pitch of a snake-oil salesman who cares about nothing and no one but himself. In so doing, you have made this imposter the most powerful man in the free world.

The result of your choice has confirmed the belief that America’s best days are undeniably behind us.

Gene Troehler

Overland Park

Thanks for family

Consistency, thou art a jewel. It has carried the Jungmann family through 78 Thanksgivings as of this year.

In 1938, mother Vera Jungmann Waltmire, age 21, and dad JJ, age 36, hosted the first celebration. During World War II, my uncles, who were serving overseas, said, “Go ahead with dinner. We will be thinking of you.”

Once, 50 guests attended dinner, and 25 stayed overnight. Aunt Nadine is the oldest surviving family member at age 94.

Theresa Cotter

Belton

Tomato redux

This isn’t about politics; it’s about my tomato plant. I planted one between bushes, and it’s still blooming because of our unusually warm weather. Lots of green tomatoes and small ones coming out of blooms.

So, while everyone is thinking about politics, I’ll be having fried green tomatoes.

How many of your other readers have tomato plants still blooming in November?

Janet Thomas

Grandview

This story was originally published November 19, 2016 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Readers discuss autoimmune disorders, Penn Valley Park, Trump, warm November."