Letters: Readers discuss Supreme Court confirmation, smart guns and thanks to Roy Blunt
Do something else
I am amazed that a few college students, politicians and people who have too much free time would get their underwear in a bunch over a work of art. (July 12, 4A, “Ire from governor, others brings down a flag at KU”)
These people would do better to volunteer at agencies that need help.
Secretary of State Kris Kobach tries to act manly by riding in a Jeep with a fake gun. But he has never served his country in any manner close to what men and women in uniform have done to protect that flag.
Jack Stultz
Lenexa
Be consistent
Four months before the November general election, President Donald Trump has nominated Brett Kavanaugh to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.
On March 2, 2016 — nine months before that year’s general election — Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts wrote to me: “I do not support rushing through a (Supreme Court) nominee before Americans have an opportunity to vote in November.”
Roberts and his Republican colleagues need to adopt that same position for the Kavanaugh nomination. Otherwise, they leave themselves open to charges of hypocrisy now and political obstructionism then.
Richard A. Hathaway
Olathe
Time to get smart
The July 1 front-page story, “Gun theft ‘victims’ are arming criminals” can be viewed as an opportunity to talk about smart guns.
A smart gun is personalized to the owner’s fingerprint. An electronic sensor assures that it can be fired by only the owner. It is a means of preventing children from shooting parents or siblings, teen suicides, spousal shootings and firearm crimes that result from the theft of guns from homes, vehicles or businesses.
Many school shooters have used weapons belonging to family members. If smart gun mechanisms had been in place, uncountable lives — including those of police officers — would be saved.
Let’s encourage firearms producers to endorse this means of protecting children from violence.
Mary Fran Zeller
Overland Park
Fight hunger
Thousands of VFW and auxiliary members will be in Kansas City from July 21 through July 25 for the 119th VFW national convention. Although this meeting will center around improving the lives of veterans and service members, it will also address an issue that affects one in four military family households: food insecurity, which is lack of access to enough nutritionally adequate foods to live an active, healthy life.
Nearly 14 percent of the Kansas City area faces food insecurity, but it’s even more startling that 20 percent of the households Feeding America serves has at least one member who has served in the U.S. military.
In June, the VFW and Humana teamed up with local food banks After the Harvest and Harvesters to launch Uniting to Combat Hunger, which set out to provide 50,000 meals to local individuals in need, including veterans. We expect to exceed our target, but our efforts won’t stop because we are committed to combating food insecurity and supporting service members.
No one should be food insecure. We will continue to work together to help individuals who do not have access to enough nutritionally adequate foods.
Keith Harman
VFW National
Commander
Delphos, Ohio
Worthe S. Holt Jr.
Vice president
Office of the Chief
Medical Officer
Humana Inc.
Fishers, Ind.
Thanks, Sen. Blunt
Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri has long been a champion of medical research, and I was thrilled that he recently pushed for a $2 billion funding increase for the National Institutes of Health. Thanks to his hard work, this is now part of the Senate budget bill.
Since the economic downturn in 2009, the United States has lagged in medical research funding. But thanks to our lawmakers, we’re getting back on track.
If passed by the House of Representatives, the proposed funding will go to the National Cancer Institute, childhood cancer research and programs through the Centers for Disease Control that prevent and detect cancer. We need this investment to support new cures and treatments for cancer, but also to keep it from occurring in the first place.
Sen. Blunt, thank you for looking out for cancer patients, survivors and their families. I urge Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer and the rest of the House to follow the Senate’s lead and pass these crucial funding increases.
Mark A. Runyan
Eldon, Mo.