Letters: KC readers discuss constraining Biden, Trump’s legacy and anti-mask petitions

For the best

As hard as it is for me to believe that we, the American people, have elected two people with the beliefs, ideals and principles of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, it is now undoubtedly a reality.

The best possible thing all of us, Republicans and Democrats alike, can do is to accept this and move forward, hoping that our Congress, Supreme Court, Department of Justice, FBI and the entire American population do their constitutional duty and limit the destruction that the incoming administration will do to our democratic republic. 

- Don McCullough, Manhattan, Kansas

Some perspective

Now that the election is over, perhaps it is time to look at the accomplishments of President Donald Trump’s administration. His star achievement was tax cuts — 83% of which went to the top 1% of taxpayers, causing a record deficit before the pandemic.

Trump challenged Congress to come up with an immigration plan and then refused to sign it. He told us he was a builder, but we still don’t have an infrastructure plan. We’re still waiting for his beautiful health care plan. Withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership cost us influence in the area, and his trade war with China cost us all through increased tariffs and caused an eight-year high of 595 family farmers to file for bankruptcy in 2019 alone. This is even with Trump increasing farm aid to a record $46 billion. Aid now makes up 40% of farmers’ income.

Trump will leave office as the only person to lose the popular vote twice. He is one of three presidents to be impeached. He is the only president to leave office with fewer jobs than when he started. His overall economic growth is lower than any other time since World War II. Our industrial production had fallen into a recession even before the pandemic. He now has 39 weeks in a row of at least 700,000 new jobless claims, and the economy at one of the lowest points in the last 70 years.

I will not get started on his leadership with the coronavirus, his multitude of scandals or his lack of leadership on climate change. All in all, he is leaving quite a legacy.

- Dennis Way, Roeland Park

Public safety

I’m starting a petition to ban the use of seat belts. Sound ridiculous? It is, just like the petition banning face masks being circulated in Leavenworth by the secretary of the Leavenworth County Republican Party. There are similar petitions in Tonganoxie and Lansing.

It was determined years ago that seat belts save lives, just as face masks are proven to save lives during this deadly pandemic. Seat-belt laws save lives, lower insurance premiums and claims, preserve available hospital beds and keep families from the sadness caused by the loss of family and friends in auto accidents. I would love to have someone explain to me the difference between seat-belt laws and face-mask regulations.

Using face masks helps to save lives, reduces hospital bed occupancy, saves insurance costs, helps get businesses back open and puts our economy on the road to recovery, not to mention avoiding the sadness experienced by far too many people in our country. If face mask mandates are unconstitutional, then our country has tremendous work to do on the rewrite.

Please save lives and support small businesses. Be a patriot and true American. Wear a face mask.

- Terry L. Campbell, Basehor

This story was originally published December 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Letters: KC readers discuss constraining Biden, Trump’s legacy and anti-mask petitions."