Letters: Readers discuss Eric Greitens’ athletic abilities, paying taxes and the NFL
Tough guy
Does Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens have some sort of small-man complex? Every time he’s in town, it seems he is engaging in some sort of physical activity designed to show us that he’s a tough guy.
We know he was a Navy SEAL, but it seems he has to continually keep reminding us (or perhaps himself?) that he’s tough. In his early campaign ads, Greitens was shown shooting an assault rifle and blowing up things.
We’ve seen him doing his requisite push-ups more than once, and his latest tough-guy challenge was scaling a climbing wall. (Oct. 12, 4A, “Gov. climbs walls to promote policy idea to help veterans”)
I wonder if all these machismo actions are a smokescreen to compensate for a lack of intellect on issues that really matter, such as public education, community policing, taxes and sensible gun control laws.
Susie Fairley
Olathe
Show patriotism
On Sept. 11, I committed an act of radical patriotism. It was not criticizing the football players who take a knee or hugging a flag.
No, what I did that I consider to be radically patriotic these days was I paid my quarterly taxes.
I did this because I believe the federal and state governments are the best vehicles for protecting the rights of citizens and are also the best institutional way to respond to disasters and to provide for the common good.
I paid my taxes to show support for those in uniform, from servicemen and law enforcement to road workers and garbage collectors.
As the conversation about tax reform takes place in Washington and around the country, what I find missing in the debate is the call to all — from individuals to U.S. companies with money parked offshore — to do their patriotic duty.
Talking about reforming the tax code only on the basis of “what’s in it for me” is not a good way to run a democratic government, though it may be how you run a mafia family or an oligarchy.
Here’s my invitation to you. Whether you are in the Tech 30 stock index or President Donald Trump, join me in doing something radically patriotic this year: Pay your taxes, thankfully.
Rev. Merle Brockhoff
Kansas City
No street ‘fixes’
South Plaza is thriving and functional.
Main Street south of Ward Parkway once was lifeless, with little to do and few choices for dining out. Today there are 18 eateries along Main and 15 more within our boundaries. It is a civil and safe place to live, eat, work and love.
Kansas City has wasted tens of thousands of dollars bullying us with unwarranted changes to fix something not broken. City officials have messed up traffic access to the library.
Now they want to force flashing LED stop signs wired to the traffic signals in our calm environment.
Speeding tickets are infrequently issued, and accidents are minor and rare. Cars, buses, bicycles and pedestrians interact in a calm and orderly manner because before Main was dead-ended, the area was designed to accommodate.
Professionals warn that humans have limited visual attention. Drawing drivers’ attention to Las Vegas-style flashing lights at all four corners with pedestrians crossing elsewhere is foolishly risking attention blindness and increased injuries.
We were forced to file a complaint with the Department of Justice, whose finding is due any day. It is unethical to waste more money.
Keith E. Spare
President
South Plaza
Neighborhood Association
Kansas City
Phony controversy
The controversy over kneeling during the national anthem at football games is a diversion from our real problems. There were only a few protesting until President Donald Trump entered the picture.
Players who protest are risking endorsements and are more likely to be released by their teams. The NFL should have contacted ESPN, NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox and pressured them to avoid showing such protests or commenting about them.
In short, free speech protected by the First Amendment is not newsworthy. Within a month, the protesters would be just a few if any and their message would be conveyed in less controversial ways.
Then we could concentrate on North Korea, health care, hurricanes and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Edward Duffe
Olathe
Turn it back
Given example after example, I can only assume that if Barack Obama had planted a tree, President Donald Trump would search for it to chop it down.
Nancy Asire
Kansas City
This story was originally published October 12, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss Eric Greitens’ athletic abilities, paying taxes and the NFL."