Andrea Ramsey, Lake of the Ozarks safety and Kris Kobach

Listen to her

My friend Andrea Ramsey was recently forced out of the Kansas Democratic congressional primary after decades-old allegations surfaced. She has been denied the chance to clear her name, and I write to support her right to due process.

Almost every woman I know has her own #MeToo story. This movement is necessary and long overdue, and I am awed at the strength of victims to stand and be heard.

The #MeToo movement — which I support and applaud — is about empowerment and rooting out systemic sexism, wherever we might find it. We risk derailing the enormous societal benefit this movement is bringing if we don’t listen carefully and act accordingly.

Andrea’s voice matters.

I am proud to have Andrea’s endorsement of my campaign for U.S. Congress in Kansas’ 3rd District against extremist Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder.

I stand with women. And I stand with Andrea.

Brent Welder

Bonner Springs

Water safety

Anthony Piercy’s dismissal from the Missouri Highway Patrol was an obvious outcome of the drowning of Brandon Ellingson two years ago under Piercy’s watch. (Dec. 17, 4A, “Trooper in handcuffed drowning case terminated from patrol”) However, those of us who live at the Lake of the Ozarks and the state’s other lakes fear we will experience more of the same until the Water Patrol is back under the control of people who know the ins and outs of policing on water.

This isn’t just a call for better training of a Highway Patrol division, but for the return to a full-time water-based police force. Otherwise, the Ellingson case promises to be only the first of many situations that should have been avoided.

Susan Croce Kelly

Gravois Mills, Mo.

Orman calculus

I just read Steve Rose’s Dec. 16 column about how Greg Orman might win the Kansas governor’s seat as an independent. (11A, “How Orman could be elected Kansas governor”) I feel confident that if Orman runs as an independent, we will end up with Kris Kobach as the next governor.

With such a large number of Republican candidates running, Kobach’s name recognition will win him the Republican nomination. Regardless of who wins the Democratic nomination, Orman will split that vote in the general election — thus, giving us Kobach as the governor.

I have no problem with Orman running, but if he does, he I wish he would do it as a Democrat. I, for one, do not want to see Kobach as our next governor.

Wili McKinney

Lenexa

An easy call

Go ahead, Republicans. Shut down the Russia investigation. It’s less than one year to an election, and Americans are against Trump 2-to-1.

What could possibly go wrong?

Mark Hastert

Kansas City

Information access

Paying bills, research, entertainment, shopping, employment — no matter what you use the internet for, the recently-passed net neutrality deregulation will ultimately restrict your freedom online, and it will put another tax on the average American.

FCC deregulation of the internet will enable internet providers to restrict content from rival corporations or charge extra for access to competitors’ websites. This will restrict the ability to find information for products, services and entertainment.

Internet providers will allow the information highway to crumble, as they construct “toll booths,” where fees will increase for content and access — thus restricting those of us who depend on the internet to find competitive services and product pricing.

We once had a thing called the Yellow Pages. Local and national companies paid for their information to be displayed on the printed page, allowing consumers to find services that best met their needs for free.

Those Yellow Pages books were free to those looking for good and services. Now internet providers will have absolute control over information for consumers.

Think about it.

William Hoffmann

Bonner Springs

Big question

I just received the standard letter from Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri explaining how the new tax bill would do great things for the country.

My reply, because I did not want to be too negative, was that we will have to see.

My only question back to him was how much would our president benefit from this new bill.

It is now time for the president to release his tax returns.

Michael Jaromin