Letters: Readers discuss Barack Obama, journalism and ‘paid protesters’
Land mines
Since the election of President Donald Trump, the actions of Barack Obama, Democrats, liberals and the communications arm of those groups (the mainstream media) fall between pathetic and pitiful.
Contrast the smooth transition of George W. Bush’s administration helping Obama to the purposeful chaos and disruption by the Obama administration laying “land mines” for Trump.
Obama, in his usual delusional self, said he thought his message was not understood by the American people. But the message was well understood: eight years of failed leadership and a seriously flawed candidate to carry on those failed policies.
The current liberal Democrat bomb throwers guarantee to keep their party a chaotic, meaningless noise on the political scene.
The future of the Democratic Party resides with politicians such as Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and former Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia, who understand how the government of a representative republic should function.
Bud Frye
Olathe
Tweets in print
Depending on the day, The Star should devote a section small or large to the day’s tweets from President Donald Trump. In this age of alternative facts and fake news, it would be helpful to balance the stories with the words from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.
Should the tweet differ from the story, the readers then have another way to make up their minds in what they believe. His words have consequences.
Peter E. Krull
Kansas City
Facts are facts
I oppose President Donald Trump and his band of advisers for using fear and lies to appeal to and motivate their base, but I am writing to spotlight a very real fear: their relentless attacks on the media.
Trump and the people who surround him consistently lie and put forth facts and figures that are almost immediately shown to be untrue. Examples abound, but his incorrect references to the rising crime rate and immigrants “pouring across the border” come to mind. They have their own set of “alternative facts” based on what Trump chooses to believe.
The administration is making concerted efforts to delegitimize the media by casting doubt on their work to investigate, call out the lies and misinformation and give us the facts. Although some people choose to ignore the lies, it is imperative that each one be exposed.
Facts are facts — there are no alternatives to them. A free and open press is a hallmark of a democracy, and this administration is moving toward making us a third-world country by disparaging the media and circumventing them through Twitter and administration spokespeople spewing lies.
This is truly something to fear.
Judy Sherry
Kansas City
Learning curve
So health-care reform is a complicated subject. A border tax affects a segment of American retail and consumer business. Imposing a tariff on Mexican products results in Mexico buying corn and soybeans from other countries.
I am sure Midwest farmers love this potential situation.
Are we seeing the slow education of an America president? Did President Donald Trump flunk Economics 101?
James Tira
Overland Park
Wishful thinking
President Donald Trump’s belief that more nuclear weapons will make us safer is consistent with his view that global warming is no big deal. It appears to be based on an underlying belief that nothing we do can damage the planet.
If only he were right.
Lawrence C. Marsh
Kansas City
Boycott list
Please list all the corporations that are making irrational decisions to drop product lines for political reasons. It would help me choose where not to spend my money.
Lou Bresette
Kansas City
Paid to protest?
I believe protester Emilee Rose was in error when she addressed her Feb. 28 letter in The Star to Democratic leaders. They don’t know anything about the subject she’s addressing, because it’s the Republicans who have made the claims that protesters are paid.
Perhaps she should send an invoice to her Republican congressmen — the ones making that claim. They seem to know all about it. They must be the ones cutting the checks.
Maybe if they get too many invoices, they’ll quit making such unsubstantiated claims.
Signed, another not-paid protester.
Dolores Owen
Kansas City
This story was originally published March 6, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss Barack Obama, journalism and ‘paid protesters’."