Political labels, switching to soccer and the Space Force

Royal forever

Mike Brinkman was so right in his letter Friday urging Royals fans to stick with the team. (12A) I wish there were more fans like him.

If some of the 800,000 people who attended the World Series celebration parade would support the team, maybe that would give it more money to do better things and rebuild.

The manager and coaches are working hard every day to be better, so let’s all support them. I am a loyal Royal, win or lose. I love our Royals.

Eunice McCune

Sedalia

Easy, wrong labels

Liberal, moderate, conservative — what do these labels really mean? Our news media have fallen into the bad and sloppy habit of assigning them to political candidates.

What are gun control, abortion, school funding, voting rights, immigration law and taxes? Liberal issues? Conservative ones?

Of course, politicians are quite happy to skirt the real issues rather than talk sense. It is far easier to paint your opponent as some kind of radical rather than to educate the electorate on the issues and arrive at common-sense solutions or discuss why there will be winners and losers with every decision.

I guess I am hopelessly naive to believe the electorate really cares about the issues and is ready to do the work required to understand the pluses and minuses of every vote. It is far easier to attach a label on your opponent than to explain what and why you have taken a position.

With politicians acting like this, is it any wonder lawmakers cannot work as a body to accomplish something of value? We get what we deserve, and finally we are paying the price.

In my 84 years, I have never seen a more dysfunctional government and electorate.

David Zoller

Kansas City

Soccer convert

I’m a old football nut. I played high school football and watched every TV game, no matter who was playing. For 30 years, I had Chiefs season tickets.

No more. I quit. Today’s million-dollar NFL players think their opinions of equal justice mean more than their fans, their country and the company that employs them.

I have switched to soccer. Have you watched? When the teams go on the field, players often hold hands with youth soccer players. They stand, some with hand on heart, for the national anthem. They play non-stop for 90 minutes with a halftime break. There are very few substitutes or stoppages for injuries or penalties. These players are fit athletes who love the game and sportsmanship.

You don’t see altercations, and their scoring celebrations are tame compared with football. I’m not totally familiar with the players and news coverage of them yet, but I don’t remember many being accused or convicted of beatings, rapes or robberies. I’ve been converted.

Ed Jones

Lee’s Summit

Important liberty

My father was a veteran of World War II with two Purple Hearts. He told me this: A country cannot remain free without freedom of the press. He could never support suppressing or censoring the press.

He did not go fight the war so we would become what we were fighting against. So it is with great pride that I will say to President Donald Trump and his lockstep followers in the Senate and House of Representatives: I do not now, nor will I ever, believe the press is the enemy of a free America. I would argue instead that anyone who tries to suppress the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment is indeed the real enemy of a free America and should be removed from office by the free and democratic process of our elections.

I sincerely hope that every congressional supporter of the president in his war on one of our most cherished freedoms finds him- or herself unemployed after the second week of November.

William Crowdes

Blue Springs

Spaced out

This country desperately needs infrastructure improvements. Our bridges, roads and sewers in most areas need updating. Instead, we’re getting a Space Force. (Aug. 10, 1A, “Pence outlines plan for new Space Force by 2020”)

We need improvements to our health care system. Medical bills and premiums continue to rise. A healthy economy needs healthy workers. But instead of trying to improve the situation, we’re getting minimal-coverage insurance plans and a Space Force.

This country needs to figure out a way to solve the growing federal debt. This will be a massive burden to future generations. Instead, we’re getting tax cuts that mainly benefit the wealthy and a Space Force.

We need some common-sense gun-safety regulations. Our children are being murdered in their schools. But instead of discussions on how to solve this problem, we’re getting thoughts and prayers and rah-rah speeches about a Space Force.

The immigration system needs reform. This country needs a certain level of legal immigration to help the economy thrive and grow. But all we’re getting is chaos at the border and a Space Force.

So, let’s all get excited about what logo to choose for the Space Force. And while we’re at it, maybe we can decide on the secret handshake and the decoder ring.

Denise Brown