Letters: Readers America’s generous past, easy Kansas voting and renaming The Paseo
Who we were
Once, when the world was aflame, and fear filled every corner, we said, “Do not fear; hate and evil can never triumph.” And we sent all we had: our very best — our riches, our energy, our blood.
Our young men marched headlong into the likelihood of death, praying that some would survive and succeed. Our women, young and old, worked around the clock to arm them, and somehow found time to nurture and protect the children who would be our parents.
When the war was won, we welcomed those it had broken and we healed them, and they repaid us a thousand times over. With their labor and intelligence, they joined us.
And though our ways of worship, our skins and our tongues seemed foreign at first, we grew miraculously together, Americans all, an alloy stronger than we had been before.
And when a new threat reared up and threatened us with nuclear weapons within a hundred miles of our coast, we said, “Take them away,” and they did. And when they tried to build walls to separate humanity, we said, “Tear them down,” and they did.
The world loved us then.
How long will it remember who we were?
Rich Leppert
Kansas City
No barriers
I have just returned from my obligatory hands-on training course conducted by the Johnson County Election Board. This was in addition to an extensive four-hour training class.
As I am processing all the information we are expected to know and duties we are required to perform, I had to respond to The Star’s recent editorial about voting in Kansas. (Oct. 28, 16A, “Kansas 9th-hardest state in which to vote”)
In Johnson County (and indeed I believe all of Kansas), anyone can request an absentee ballot. It can then be mailed at the voter’s leisure (or dropped off on Election Day, if preferred). Early voting has been going on for days.
And although Kansas does not have same-day registration, you can submit a provisional ballot on Election Day and vote. Your ballot will be considered by county canvassers before the results are certified.
Everyone who comes to the polls can vote, but those without photo IDs will be given provisional ballots.
The Star’s editorial board seems to object to requiring photo ID (and proof of citizenship). I wonder what standards — if any — it would apply to the voting process.
I am newly impressed every time I attend these election training sessions by the dedication and commitment of the election board employees and volunteers.
Doug B. Jones
Leawood
Back and forth?
Birthright citizenship was instituted in the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment, which states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
But President Donald Trump told the website Axios on Tuesday that he could make a change with only an executive order. (Oct. 30, KansasCity.com, “Trump: End birthright citizenship for some U.S.-born babies”)
If that’s the case, then any future president should be able to override the Second Amendment by executive order.
Michael Cunningham
Kansas City
It won’t change
In 1949, my dad was transferred from Chicago to Kansas City. Dad drove our car into the city via The Paseo.
We kids have never forgotten the beauty of a city road with trees and parkway.
Our new home was a half-block off that street. It will always be “The Paseo” in our minds.
Rosemary Banta
Lee’s Summit
Home to roost
Mary Lou Rath wrote a recent letter to the editor about the difficulties her company, CottonBelle in Belle, Mo., is suffering as a result of the tariffs implemented by the president. (Oct. 21, 20A)
Belle is in Maries and Osage counties. According to The New York Times’ 2016 election analysis, 79.1 percent of Maries County and 82.6 percent of Osage County voted for Donald Trump. Although it would be easy to sympathize with her, it’s more than reasonable to remind her that her neighbors and employees wanted Trump as president.
In other words, she’s getting the government they voted for.
Trump said all along that he was going to shake up the status quo as it related to trade. He spoke about how the United States was getting ripped off, and that he was going to get rid of deals that were bad for us.
Now that he’s doing it, though, some of his supporters aren’t quite sold on the idea. They’ve figured out that it’s hitting them hard in the pocketbook. Farmers and others who wholeheartedly supported Trump are now finding out exactly how much their support truly costs — in their dollars and cents.
Lane Sekavec
De Soto