Letters: Readers discuss Trump’s black supporters, free press and right to work
Trump’s friends
There’s my African-American! President Donald Trump must be desperate to prove that he has black friends when he chooses to align himself with Omarosa, Kanye West, Don King and Ben Carson.
I’m sure each of these people has some redeeming qualities that may inspire Trump to see in this motley crew what most of us, including many African-Americans like myself, cannot see. After all, this is not exactly an “A list’’ of esteemed African-Americans in the black community.
With Trump’s win seemingly more akin to a coup than a bona fide election, it would have been only fitting if his coup de grâce had been to top off his victory by choosing the man most reviled by black America to swear him in: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Eddie L. Clay
Grandview
Free press
It does not matter what side of the fence you are on. A free press is essential to a democracy. To allow our elected officials or their surrogates to tell out-and-out lies cannot be tolerated.
Spin is one thing, but undeniable falsehoods are something else. Write or call your members of Congress and tell them you will not stand for selective press access or no access. This is serious stuff for all of us.
Mary Jo Longstreth
Kansas City
Right to work
One of the advantages of a federal system is the ability to profit from the experiences of other states. Since the Missouri legislature is considering a right-to-work law, it may be useful to view the record of state right-to-work laws.
Data provided by the Department of Labor and the U.S. Census documents that right-to-work laws are not beneficial to workers. Workers in right-to-work states have lower wages, higher poverty, less access to health care and poorer education for their children.
Based on this record, Missouri’s right-to-work law may in reality be a right-to-work-for-less.
Jerry Brekke
Maryville, Mo.
Republican repeal
These are sad days for millions of Americans who received health care through the Affordable Care Act, especially those misguided souls who voted Republican against their own best interests. With no concern for these people and with no replacement plan in sight, Republicans are prepared to repeal this legislation for no other reason than they now have the power to do so.
The ACA is an extremely complex piece of legislation. It’s based in part on Romney Care and was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012. It isn’t perfect, but nobody ever claimed it was.
Republicans did absolutely nothing to improve it. Instead, they invested all their time trying to repeal it.
This is another example of rich white Republicans doing what they do best: taking rights and privileges away from less fortunate Americans. When will they learn that America can only be great when we are all great, not just 1 percent of us?
Be sure to watch for photos of your Republican representatives congratulating themselves for denying you access to health care. Remember what they did to you the next time you vote.
Scott Roby
Lenexa
Stock watch
The Dow Jones Industrial Average topped 20,000 on Jan. 25. Much is being made about this new high, as well as the climb since Donald Trump became the president-elect and his inauguration: roughly 1,400 points.
The new high is notable and it is good, especially for those owning stocks, and it is one indicator of a healthy economy that has at least the potential of eventually being good for all.
When President Barack Obama was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2009, the Dow was 7,949. Subsequently it rose and fell, as it always has in modern times. In July 2016, it was in the 18,000s, where it stayed (for the most part) until the growth spurt starting in November.
Obama has been criticized by many regarding a host of issues, but let us not forget that during his eight-year watch the Dow rose over 10,000 points (roughly 133 percent), even before the spurt attributed by many to Trump’s becoming the president-elect.
Let us all hope the growth of our economy will fare as well under the guidance of Trump over the next four years. We will be watching.
Merrill Stiles
Overland Park
No chance
The Star’s Jan. 22 editorial spoke of “Giving Trump a Chance.” Asking me to give President Donald Trump a chance is like asking me to have a serial killer babysit my grandchildren in the hope that he will change his ways.
Lee Judge’s cartoons, on the other hand, make my day.
Patricia Shamseldin
Shawnee
This story was originally published January 27, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss Trump’s black supporters, free press and right to work."