Letters: Readers discuss the Congressional Ethics Office, world peace and responsible citizenship
Unethical
So, on the first business day of the new Congress, we wake up to read that the Republicans want to strip power from the Congressional Ethics Office. (Jan. 3, 9A, “House GOP votes to gut independent ethics office”)
Perhaps this is because they want to bring back earmarks, which is how Congress bribes itself to get favored status for pork and special provisions for contributors.
Most, if not all, of our elected representatives from both parties are in office because of bribes, which aren’t defined as such because they themselves write the definitions. Many of them expect, as compensation for their service, to change hats when out of office and become the bribers, working for the lobbyists at many multiples of their former salaries.
The poster child for corruption should be former Rep. Billy Tauzin from Louisiana. Tauzin headed the 2003 effort to establish the Medicare drug plan with its commandment that government shall not negotiate drug prices.
Tauzin then promptly joined the drug-industry lobby and was paid more than $10 million as thanks for a job well done.
I guess they want to defang the office of ethics because, for them, there is no such thing.
Shel Roufa
Leawood
Editor’s note: House Republicans rescinded the plan Tuesday afternoon.
Responsible citizen
We are responsible for our democracy. We must be knowledgeable about our Constitution and its protections. We need to be knowledgeable about our history and how we became the greatest democracy in the world.
Speaking truth to power will be the biggest challenge we will face in the coming years. When you hear something you know is not true, you have the responsibility and the right as a citizen to speak up. This is not the responsibility of just the media. It is the responsibility of every citizen.
The pushback to falsity must be quick and unrelenting. Examples:
Falsity: “I won in a landslide.”
Citizen: “No, that is not true.”
Falsity: “I won in a landslide, believe me.”
Citizen: “No, that is not true.”
Falsity: “I won in a landslide even though millions of undocumented immigrants voted illegally.”
Citizen: “No, that is not true.”
As many times as a lie is repeated, it is our duty to stick to the facts and push back. A democracy demands a courageous, educated populace to speak truth to power — or we will lose it.
Bernadine Kline
Liberty
World troubles
First, I want to make clear that I believe both Israelis and Palestinians have a right to their own countries and self-determination. But the settlement issue sounds a lot like when as a kid, I (Israeli) would grab a lollipop from my brother (Palestinian) and lick it so he couldn’t take it back.
Second, nothing will change between the United States and Vladimir Putin’s Russia until someone hacks all the oligarchs on both sides and destroys their money hoards or their sub-rosa schemes to make more.
But the solution to either issue will never help anyone throughout the world who wonders where his or her next meal is coming from.
Jim Semadeni
Kansas City
Combat terror
The year was only a few hours old when an act of terrorism kicked off 2017 — just one hour old, actually, for those in Istanbul.
With news like this, which has unfortunately become all too common, we wonder what can be done to prevent such senseless violence. Digging out and exposing the roots of terrorism are the most effective ways of eradicating it.
Addressing poverty and humanitarian crises in developing countries is possibly the most effective way to combat global terrorism. When people maintain control over their finances, earn money for their families and gain access to education, they are no longer susceptible to the promises of terrorist organizations that would use them as human bombs.
How to combat this? Call your congressional leaders and encourage them to vote for acts that promote aid in developing countries. It takes only a second, but it could help increase the meager 1 percent of the U.S. budget that is currently being spent on aid.
The outcome is a win-win: Children are fed and educated, and terrorists find it more difficult to spread their message of hate.
Emily Marshall
Kansas City
This story was originally published January 3, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss the Congressional Ethics Office, world peace and responsible citizenship."