Letters: KC readers discuss leaders’ character, the Cuban embargo and why people hunt

Character matters

I am one of the many millions who voted against Donald Trump for president in 2016 and then again in 2020. I heard a wonderful sermon several weeks ago by my minister. He discussed several things about this election. I so agreed with his three qualities that every voter should use in selecting candidates: good character, compassion and competence.

Based on those criteria, I find it extremely difficult to accept that so many Americans chose to vote for Trump. In the four years he has been in office, we have seen a complete erosion of good character. To add insult to injury, he has had the devotion of so many Republicans even to this day. And as a Christian, I see so many in the evangelical movement continue to support him. They must totally ignore Scripture about how we should live our lives.

I will pray fervently for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris that they may lead by example and work to heal this divided land. I want them to restore us to decency, truth and kindness.

May God bless America and make it truly great again.

- Mark W. Johnson, Trimble, Missouri

Get in line

When COVID-19 vaccines are available, in what order should they be given? First and foremost, health care workers and first responders should receive the vaccine. I have seen suggestions that the elderly should be next in line. As a 67-year-old, I strongly disagree with that proposal.

In order for people to return to work and get our economy back, I suggest first should be essential workers, such as those at grocery stores and drugstores, who have been working in the trenches throughout this pandemic. Next should be our school personnel and daycare providers. And then prioritize people trying to return to their jobs, some of whom are struggling to put food on the table.

Last on the list should be the elderly, because most of us can shelter in place and stay safe.

- Deborah Wadhams, Stilwell, Kansas

Justice denied

It has been almost three years since John Albers was shot six times and killed by an Overland Park police officer while backing out of his driveway. I met his mother, Sheila, as she was passing out wristbands dedicated to John’s memory.

As a parent, I can’t imagine losing a child at such a young age. I can’t imagine losing him at the hands of one sworn to “protect and serve.” And I can’t fathom the pain of knowing that his killer was never tried in a court of law, and was instead paid $70,000 to go away.

I’ve heard the police chief and mayor plead ignorance and invoke bureaucratic discretion on the matter. And now the city has asked a judge to toss out The Kansas City Star’s suit that would release the records of the officer’s severance agreement.

Let’s stop pretending that this is just a case of a “bad apple,” insufficient training for officers or the power of police unions. It is a systemic and heavy-handed attempt to conceal a gaping wound on the face of a city called one of the “best places to live” in the U.S. Its residents deserve better. The Albers deserve compassion. John deserves justice.

- Rev. Dr. Brandon Frick, Olathe

Open up to Cuba

It’s been more than five decades since the U.S. implemented its embargo against Cuba, and it has been an unmitigated failure, creating hardship for the Cuban people and denying economic opportunities for Americans, especially farmers.

Surprisingly, many leading voices for ending the Cuban embargo don’t come from the left but from Midwestern Republicans, including Sen.-elect Roger Marshall, who has called the Cuban embargo “outdated and unnecessary” and has co-sponsored several bills to lift restrictions on Cuba.

Cuba imports 30 million bushels of wheat a year, its second biggest import after oil, mostly from France. For Kansas farmers, this is a wasted opportunity, to say the least.

Only 90 miles from U.S. shores, Cuba presents massive opportunities for Kansas farmers. Wheat from Kansas could be exported to Cuba in much greater quantities than from France and more quickly and economically. American wheat would bring down prices for the Cuban people, improve food security on the island and bring much-needed income to Kansas farmers.

This issue can unite die-hard left-wingers and rural conservatives. There is no reason to continue this failed policy toward Cuba. I hope that in the Senate, Marshall will make this issue a priority.

- Brendan D. Davison, Shawnee

Popular problems?

If you published John Kass’ column, “If Electoral College dies, will Bill of Rights be next?” to show that The Star’s columnists are better than Tribune columnists, mission accomplished. (Nov. 22, 17A) It is a masterpiece of illogic.

Yes, there is a law of unintended consequences in the social sciences. Kass does nothing to show that this consequence would occur. Would amending the Constitution to elect presidents by popular vote lead to also amending the Constitution to make individual rights subject to popular vote? I doubt it. Amending the Constitution is hard, as backers of the Equal Rights Amendment learned.

The Bill of Rights was in force last June, but that did not stop the Trump administration from using tear gas to force peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C.

Kass suggests that presidential candidates would ignore the “flyover states” if the popular vote were adopted. They already ignore Missouri and Kansas, because those states always vote Republican.

He adds, “When people are diminished, they grow sullen and their anger builds.” There are many angry people in America now. After Joe Biden was declared president-elect, someone assaulted my Biden lawn sign with such force that the metal stand was bent.

- Robert O’Rourke, Leavenworth

Hunting is natural

Now that it’s hunting season, I see people getting mad with hunters. Some say that you should just let nature take its course and don’t bother wildlife — but humans are part of the animal kingdom. The animals that hunters take aren’t wasted or killed just to be killed. They are used for food and clothing, and they help some people survive.

A prime reason for hunting is to get food from an animal. People eat store-bought beef and chicken, so why is it so bad if you get the meat yourself? Many people hunt deer because they like the meat. They are humane, making very precise shots to kill the animal instantly.

If an ecosystem gets overpopulated with one species, it can throw off nature’s balance. One of the main purposes of legal deer hunting is to control the population of these animals.

- Chance Cameron Ledbetter, Blue Springs

This story was originally published November 29, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Letters: KC readers discuss leaders’ character, the Cuban embargo and why people hunt."