Letters: Readers discuss liberals trashing Trump, tax breaks for the wealthy and Marcus Peters’ message
Supporting Jews
I am a retired 82-year-old pastor who served a mainline Protestant denomination for decades. My first connection with a Jewish family was when Herb Friedman and I were in the same Boy Scout troop. I remember going to Herb’s house for an evening meal. I asked what the special items on the side table represented. Family members shared the meaning of those Jewish items.
As a pastor wanting to include all religions, I would frequently ask, “Can we include our local Jewish friends in this event?” In recent years, I have talked with three clergy friends who have lived in the Jerusalem area. All three note that Israel holds “all the cards” year after year in its relationship with Palestinians.
President Donald Trump has created a sad, terrible situation. (Dec. 7, 1A, “Trump recognizes holy city of Jerusalem as Israeli capital”) His action will cost many lives. And who will die? Humans of many faiths, all children of God.
William W.
McDermet
Raymore
RIP, GOP
The old Republican Party is dead, and the reasons are clear. The party’s continued efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, to support a president who is without ethics and to support accused sexual predator Roy Moore of Alabama all show the party to be without ethics or values (Christian or other).
Republicans have proposed $1.5 trillion tax bills in the House and Senate, which could eliminate deductions for personal and real estate taxes, state and local income taxes, medical expenses and personal casualty losses (too bad, disaster victims) and could penalize graduate students.
People who believe tax reform is for the low and middle classes are deluding themselves. These bills reduce corporate taxes by huge percentages without any requirement of small businesses or corporations to hire additional U.S. workers, raise pay rates or bring back manufacturing to the U.S.
These bills are written for the wealthy, including President Donald Trump and his cronies, by eliminating the alternative minimum tax, estate taxes, etc. The bottom line is that the Republican Party has been bought and sold.
Jennifer Randle
Overland Park
National debt
Strange how liberals are suddenly worried about President Donald Trump’s tax reform adding $1 trillion to the national debt during the next 10 years. Where was their concern when the nation added $9 trillion during President Barack Obama’s eight years in office? Didn’t they realize that was nearly as much debt as all the presidents combined before him.
Sounds to me like they are more interested in trashing everything that Trump does than with helping to make America great again. Heaven forbid he succeeds because they will never again be able to fool anyone into believing their illogical ideology.
Thomas Hay
Kansas City
GOP tax plan
The GOP is borrowing money our unborn grandchildren haven’t earned yet to fund tax breaks for their wealthy donors. Let’s hope this newly created $1 trillion deficit is enough to satisfy these benefactors. It helps explain why the GOP is so staunchly pro-life — the unborn are their loan collateral.
George Lafferty
Fairway
Not dating
In Wednesday’s Star, there was an article headlined “Senate GOP won’t follow Trump in backing Moore” (8A). It said, “Moore’s campaign continues to divide Republicans worried that their party may be irreparably damaged by supporting a candidate accused of sexual molestation and misconduct decades ago as a young prosecutor who allegedly dated teenagers, one as young as 14.”
When a 30-year-old man is involved with a 14-year-old girl, that’s not called dating. That’s statutory rape or molestation. There’s nothing remotely resembling “dating” about it. Until people are willing to call it what it is, people like Roy Moore will continue to get away with it, and young women will continue to be afraid to report it.
Annette Bright
Overland Park
Loud and clear
A personal note to Chiefs defensive back Marcus Peters: You have said that you are refusing to stand for the national anthem to send a message. I suppose tossing the official’s flag into the grandstand is another way of sending a message. (Dec. 7, 1B, “Paying for his actions”)
And that message is clear to me: You are immature and do not deserve to wear any jersey of any National Football League team.
Message received. You make me proud — not.
Rick Long
Grain Valley
This story was originally published December 9, 2017 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss liberals trashing Trump, tax breaks for the wealthy and Marcus Peters’ message."