Letters: Readers discuss courage in the face of ALS, Ann Coulter at Berkeley and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Great spirit
May I nominate Michelle Melland and her entire family for Kansas City’s “Profiles in Courage” award? (April 26, 12A, “Fully paralyzed, she writes book reviews — using only her eyes”)
Her inspiring life and her dedicated husband as she journeys through the agonies of ALS give us all hope that we may face our small burdens with faith and optimism. That beautiful smile and that precious kiss lifts all our spirits.
God bless you, Michelle.
Sandra Reeves
Trimble, Mo.
Other jobs?
I listened to President Donald Trump extol his success at creating jobs while he was talking to aluminum manufacturers Thursday. He seemed proud of his “new jobs” record.
What I didn’t hear mentioned was the tens of thousands of retail jobs being lost — not to foreigners but to technology. Perhaps he’ll figure out how to destroy the internet and save those jobs.
Richard Berner
Overland Park
No leadership
Once again we have seen people who call themselves liberals using rioting and threats of violence to trample the First Amendment. (April 27, 2A, “Coulter says she will pull out of Berkeley speech”)
Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Jerry Brown and all you who call yourselves leaders of the Democratic Party, why don’t you say anything?
Gov. Brown, why didn’t you offer the California Highway Patrol or National Guard to help with security?
The First Amendment is for everyone, not just liberals. By keeping silent, you are encouraging and enabling these assaults on everyone’s freedoms, including your own.
You should condemn these acts as loudly, as harshly and as frequently as you would if a liberal speaker had been targeted.
Whether I’ve named you or not, until you do that you are all a disgrace to the Democratic Party, and are unfit to call yourselves leaders.
David Lund
Kansas City
Fond farewell
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will retire from NASCAR at the end of the 2017 season. Voted by auto racing fans as NASCAR’s most popular driver 14 times, he will leave a hole in the fan base.
His is the connection to the Southeast, where NASCAR started.
Several years ago, I read an article that said Earnhardt would be a far better car owner than he ever was a driver. JR Motorsports has been showing this prediction to be true. The Xfinity Series cars for JR Motorsports run up front week after week.
It takes sponsorship money to put quality equipment on the NASCAR track. Earnhardt’s popularity says the man knows how to make contacts. It looks like a major advantage for him in the future.
NASCAR will race at Kansas Speedway on May 13. It is a time to say thank you for a lot of years of hard work and good racing action.
The best to you and your family, Dale.
Richard Blaisdell
Kansas City
Alzheimer’s help
Alzheimer’s disease is a national crisis, but perhaps one that doesn’t attract the national attention it deserves.
What’s more, it is the only leading cause of death in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed. Inaction on this issue will destroy our medical system, there is so much work to do.
As an Alzheimer’s Association advocate, I have fought tirelessly for increased National Institutes of Health funding for Alzheimer’s research.
Congress doesn’t care much for budgets, but I urge Reps. Lynn Jenkins, Roger Marshall, Ron Estes and Kevin Yoder, as well as Sens. Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran, to support the $400 million increase for fiscal year 2017 and $414 million increase for fiscal year 2018.
I hope they will also cosponsor the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act to bolster the hospice care workforce.
Historic increases have been made to fund Alzheimer’s research in the last two years, but more must be done.
James Covel
Alzheimer’s Association
Wichita
Familiar name
The April 24 Star reported that the speed limit will increase on part of U.S. 71, from about 75th Street to just north of the “3-Trails Crossing interchange.” (1A, “Speed limit going up on part of U.S. 71”)
3-Trails Crossing? Where the heck is that? Who came up with that lame name?
Please refer to that interchange by its familiar name and proper name — the Grandview Triangle. Then readers and motorists will know what you’re talking about.
Bruce Erickson
Lee’s Summit
This story was originally published April 28, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss courage in the face of ALS, Ann Coulter at Berkeley and Dale Earnhardt Jr.."