Letters: Readers discuss Obamacare price increases, the Koch brothers and Royals ads

Flag attire

Let’s see if I’ve got this straight: Conservatives in this country are outraged that some NFL players have decided to take a knee in protest during the national anthem, because it supposedly shows disrespect for the flag. But conservative darling Willie Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” wears a U.S. flag as a bandana, and that’s OK? Kid Rock takes an American flag, cuts a hole in it and wears it as a poncho, and you want to make him a senator?

Jim Burkhart

Kansas City

Major injustice

Great editorial concerning Lamonte McIntyre’s release after 23 years of wrongful imprisonment. (Oct. 17, 10A, “Kansas must compensate wrongly convicted Lamonte McIntyre”)

The fact that Kansas owes the man nothing is criminal. His case made no sense, and he lost out on earning a living for all that time, plus, as stated, trying to catch up on technological knowledge and adjusting to life outside of prison.

His outlook on life is remarkable, and I wish him all the best in the future and hope he will eventually receive compensation.

Linda Lockwood

Kansas City

Health care woes

I just want to thank Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Kansas City for announcing it will not be offering Obamacare coverage in the Kansas City area. That’s what I get for 15-plus years of being a customer.

There was an exception if you had a “grandfathered” policy from before 2013 (which I had until last year). The problem is that the premiums on those policies were astronomical and went up 20-40 percent a year.

So last year, I had to get a group policy for my wife and me, with a huge deductible, to make it affordable.

Now I’m stuck trying to find coverage on the ever more troubled Obamacare exchanges. But, hey, I’m not paying my “fair share,” according to liberals — so tough luck for me.

Dave Krause

Overland Park

Claire gets it

I think Sen. Claire McCaskill understands the economy pretty well, which is why she is withholding her support for the tax plan being currently floated by the White House.

Barb Domke

Kansas City

Better ads, please

I’m a loyal Royals fan who listens to almost all their games on the radio. This exposes me to 162 games of radio sponsor messages. Too often their inane dialogue and amateurish production values became tiresome after a dozen hearings, not to mention the negative effect of exasperating ads being repeated hundreds of times.

The cumulative result is to turn off listeners — or worse, send them to the competition. If advertisers want to create a good impression, please have mercy on those of us who must listen, and at least make the ads as entertaining as the Royals’ games.

Nancy Clark

Kansas City

Peaceful example

As U.S. citizens, our Bill of Rights guarantees that NFL players may peacefully protest what they see as the unfair and discriminatory treatment of people of color in our society.

Some of us have forgotten that. Obviously, NFL owners have. How else to explain Colin Kaepernick’s unemployment?

At the same time, the players’ right to protest doesn’t necessarily make their actions right. When the means of protest becomes bigger than the issue, the players have to ask themselves if there could have been a better way to express their views.

One wonders if they are prepared to advance their cause without fanning the flames of insult and bigotry — an action that would encourage substantive discourse and not the resounding gong of opportunistic politicians and in-your-face talking heads. One wonders if that is even possible in today’s divisive, partisan world.

Maybe we all should take a knee and pray for the voice of reason to rise out of the vast wilderness of narrow-mindedness we find ourselves in.

One wonders, what would Martin Luther King Jr. do?

Tom Bickimer

Lenexa

In the way

Once again, the South Plaza/Brookside area is the lucky recipient of another race, walk or parade. One tries to be a good sport for these public events and not whine, but our area seems to be the chosen site for these events time after time and weekend after weekend.

I note that the route for Saturday’s Kansas City Marathon completely surrounds our home and neighborhood, rendering transportation and plan-making difficult.

I’m not sure what body approves all these events, but this is a large city. Can some of these events be staged in other parts of the metropolitan area from time to time?

Glenn Bradford

Kansas City

This story was originally published October 19, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss Obamacare price increases, the Koch brothers and Royals ads."