A patriotic employer, good choices for children and murder

Full support

I am blessed to have the opportunity to work for Dialectic Engineering in the heart of Kansas City. The first time I put in for leave for my U.S. Army National Guard annual training, I asked how I would submit my request without pay.

My boss looked at me and responded, “You’re on salary and you’re serving our country.”

Dialectic paid full benefits while I was on those orders and for other training during the years. I recently was sent to Advanced Leaders Course in Fort Gordon, Ga., for 6 1/2 weeks. My company ended up paying my full salary while I was gone then, too.

The folks at Dialectic reach out to me while I’m away, and they check on my family and offer to help in any way possible.

It’s not just my job here. It’s also my second family.

How does a very humble soldier properly thank a civilian company willing to go above and beyond to take care of its employees?

Heidi Hintenach

Kansas City

Innocent choices?

As adults, we make decisions on behalf of our families, communities and country. These decisions, both good and bad, affect the lives of those around us. However, no one experiences a more significant effect than the youngest members of our society.

The recent decision to separate families at the U.S. border is an example of a policy that was likely enacted without considering its implications on young children.

Leading researchers at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University have conducted extensive research documenting how traumatic experiences and prolonged stress, experienced early in life, can derail children’s development and have lifelong implications.

Young children depend on parents to meet their most basic needs — food, clothing, shelter, love, affection and encouragement.

When considering the vital support parents provide, it’s easy to see how separating families can cause serious trauma.

When we make decisions based on the competing interests of adults, there is always a loser. If we make decisions with the best interest of our future in mind, we all win.

So, let’s ask ourselves the No. 1 question: Is it good for the children?

Dean Olson

Lee’s Summit

Draw conclusions

Another mass murder, and the same divisive rhetoric is expounded in the media: mental health, the availability of firearms, the NRA lobby and on and on.

Why don’t the FBI, local law enforcement and other agencies perform an exhaustive background investigation into each of these criminals (if they haven’t started already)? Thousands of data points could be gathered, including early childhood development, school performance, relationships at different grade levels, leisure interests, television and gaming activities, possible obsessions, work relationships and more.

If there are commonalities among these murderers, perhaps potentially troubled people could be identified and professional intervention be initiated.

Steve Maurin

Kansas City, Kan.

No welcome mat

I registered as a Republican in 1968 and am still registered as one. But I can no longer vote Republican, and the reason is twofold.

The first and most important is that I am a fiscal conservative. Ever since President Ronald Reagan, the party has cut taxes and spent like a drunken Democrat. For our grandkids and great-grandkids, we need to get this under control What the Republicans just did with their tax bill added $2 trillion to the national debt.

The second reason is the Republicans’ supposed “big tent.” This says all groups can join the party. Not anymore. I am an atheist and support a woman’s right to choose.

I am sure I am no longer wanted by my party. Your loss.

Thomas Galbreath

Independence

Open your eyes

When will our national representatives pay attention to the reasons for the upsets in recent elections? They must remember that Donald Trump did not become president by the popular vote.

Wake up, lawmakers. Voters have had enough of you ignoring your constituents and doing nothing.

Our turn to vote is coming up very soon.

Mary Jo Carr

Kansas City, Kan.

Inconvenient idea

You know the old saw that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander? The Supreme Court just cheated labor by ruling unions cannot force workers to pay into their collective-bargaining funds.

There should be a similar rule for corporations that they cannot use an individual shareholder’s share of profits for lobbying without permission of that shareholder.

Sound fair? Reasonable even? The GOP won’t like it.

When oh when will we elect representatives to look out for the little guy?

Ron Platt

Overland Park