Greg Orman, Alzheimer’s and getting beyond partisanship
True colors
As a recently retired teacher of government and American history after 47 years in the classroom, I think it is time for fundamental re-examination of what our country is supposed to be.
We call ourselves Americans and proudly hail Old Glory — our flag of red, white and blue — as a symbol of who we are. Unfortunately, we have become a country of red versus blue, without anything in between.
Listening to President Donald Trump, the Democrats — the blue if you will — are thugs, obstructionists and other bad things. And if you listen to the left, you will hear that the Republicans are nothing but racists, money-grabbers and worse.
Both viewpoints are wrong and offensive.
It is time for us as individuals to rise above the name-calling, hatred and divisiveness of both sides of the aisle that have brainwashed us to belittle and distrust the other guys.
No one wants unprotected borders. Everyone wants safe schools, improved infrastructure, a strong military, a vibrant economy and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Maybe we should shut down our CNN/Fox News fix, start talking with our neighbors and show our true colors of red, white and blue. Because American ends in “I can.”
Michael Brinsko
Overland Park
Misguided appeal
I would like to know what Greg Orman expects to accomplish by running as an independent for Kansas governor. If he can’t pick a team, he at least should be able to list qualities that one side or the other appreciates and values.
Self-described as a Princeton graduate and successful businessman, he claims to appeal to both major parties by shocking “the partisans with a dose of common sense.” Does this remind you of anyone?
He claims he can unite us by eliminating the us-versus-them mentality of the two-party system. Sorry to state the bald truth, but Kansas doesn’t have a dependable middle ground, thanks to the hard-right politicians elected.
If we want moderation, we have to oppose Secretary of State Kris Kobach, period — not support someone who claims to be a combination of both sides.
It sounds good on paper, but we are an uncomfortable blend in Kansas. We used to be a progressive, free-thinking state but are now under occupation by the far right.
By Orman’s self-definition, voting for him will take votes away from state Sen. Laura Kelly. Vote against Kobach, fine. But vote for Kelly if you want the change we need in Kansas.
Ellen Murphy
Mission Hills
Blunt’s assistance
More than 110,000 people in Missouri are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and more than 314,000 family members and friends serve as their caregivers. As the full-time caregiver for my mom living with Alzheimer’s, I know firsthand how stressful this job can be. It can be exhausting to provide around-the-clock care for someone who doesn’t always recognize me, but I do it out of love.
I was delighted to learn that the U.S. Senate, thanks to Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt’s leadership, has approved a bill that would significantly boost federal support for Alzheimer’s research. The $425 million increase for the National Institutes of Health is a drop in the bucket considering the annual cost of Alzheimer’s is nearly $300 billion, but more funding for research is critical to families like mine waiting for a cure.
The increase isn’t final, so we must encourage Congress to push through the $425 million in the final appropriations bill for the next fiscal year. And we must also support the Concentrating on High-Value Alzheimer’s Needs to Get to an End (CHANGE) Act, which would help improve early detection and improve Alzheimer’s care for patients and caregivers.
Thank you, Sen. Blunt. We are counting on you to keep supporting people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.
Daisy Duarte
Springfield, Mo.
Skin in the game
I have a couple of thoughts regarding delays reporting results for the recent primary in Johnson County. I’m concerned this is the second time in critical elections that there have been problems getting timely results out of the Johnson County Election Office.
Two things could be considered:
First, the late reports were because of a problem with software code on the voting machines. In the business world, there would be a monetary penalty on the vendor of the machines for failing to deliver as promised. In other words, we should ask for financial compensation from Election Systems & Software.
Second, if Johnson County Election Commissioner Ronnie Metsker still has faith in ES&S, then he should be prepared to back that up with his reputation. If we have this problem in the November general election, then he should tender his resignation.
Metsker needs to impress on ES&S how important this election is to his reputation and livelihood. It can’t just be another “oops” without consequences.
Martin Birch
Olathe