Letters: Readers discuss the root cause of KC’s high murder rate and the shutdown blues

Missing on the list

Kansas City’s murder rate has been a serious problem for many years, so I was pleased to see the Sunday editorial addressing it. (18A, “What can Kansas City do to prevent another 100-plus homicides in 2019?”) It featured several prominent Kansas Citians addressing the murder problem. But sadly, most suggestions were familiar ones.

No one suggested the need for strengthening marriage and the family. The breakdown of the family is the root cause of this mayhem.

The problem will be with us until the dissolution of the family is addressed.

George J. McLiney Jr.

Mission

Spread the pain

I hate the idea of politicians using federal government shutdowns to leverage political advantage in the funding process. Since 1980, this tactic has been used at least 14 times.

Shutdown lengths have varied from overnight to several weeks. Throughout, federal employees have served as hostages by one party or the other, or by the president at the time.

My view is that members of all three branches — executive, legislative and judicial, and their staffs — should go without paychecks, just like the other federal employees affected, as long as the shutdown lasts. And I mean all their staffers — in Washington, D.C., and their district and state offices at home.

Perhaps if the pain were felt closer to home by the principals who institute these shutdowns we wouldn’t have so many or they wouldn’t last so long.

What’s good for the goose …

Michael L. Pandzik

Shawnee