Overseas wars, vital police and Kansas school funding

Families first

My younger son is a U.S. Army combat brigade rifleman. I’m very proud of the young man (he’s 23), and he’s very proud to be a U.S. soldier.

However, when we nearly went to war with Iran in autumn 2019, my son was a soldier on deployment to the Middle East. I spent nights tossing and turning.

And now that we’re nose to nose with both China and Russia, my son is still a soldier, on his third overseas deployment. I want no more restless nights, thank you.

So for those who advocate for hard confrontations over far-distant lands, I ask you:

Do you have family members in the armed forces?

If the answer is no, then you have no standing in the argument, as far as I’m concerned. Being brave with someone else’s children is dirty pool.

Too many Americans have died in overseas conflicts. We need to rethink our distant alliances if that would ensure avoiding dubious confrontations, potentially leading to conflicts that kill and maim young Americans.

I don’t owe the world my son.

- Keith Pittell, Prairie Village

Phantom menace

If you defund the police, when crime strikes, who are you going to call — Ghostbusters?

- Michael Smith, Independence

Not my fault

In his Monday Star guest commentary, Sen. Roger Marshall blames vaccine hesitancy on misinformation from federal bureaucrats. (7A, “Misinformation and flip flopping from federal bureaucrats causing vaccine hesitancy”)

In fact, that misinformation is attributable to the beloved leader of his own party: “We have it totally under control.” “This is a flu.” “One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.” “I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning?” “This is going to go away without a vaccine.”

However, the nation did live up to Donald Trump’s America-first policy by leading the world with more than 25 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 400,000 deaths when his presidency ended.

So, Sen. Marshall, who failed to “share the science surrounding the vaccine to the American public,” as you wrote? Not only do Republicans lead the nation in vaccine hesitancy, but they also lead the nation in ignoring science (first evolution, then climate change, now vaccine efficacy). Blame the bureaucrats; your acolytes will believe you (and no one else matters).

Trump and sycophants like Marshall remind me of a spoiled brat: It’s always someone else’s fault, and “I don’t take responsibility at all.”

- Robert Powell, Independence

Safety on?

Every gun made and sold in the United States makes us all less safe.

- William R. Lenz, Kansas City

Fund the schools

Kansas school districts are planning for the 2021-22 school year, but I don’t know why. The Kansas GOP Legislature has been busy doing all sorts of things except funding K-12 education. It is even talking about tax breaks for the folks in Leawood.

If I remember correctly, a deal was worked out between the Legislature and the Kansas Supreme Court. If the Republican-dominated Legislature fails to abide by that deal (which includes adequately funding schools), the court could shut down K-12 schools in August.

The Legislature doesn’t seem to care, but a lot of Kansans do.

- Joseph Hodnik, Olathe

Put us to work

Why are we not asking more questions about Kansas’ unemployment system? I have been unemployed since Jan. 21, and cannot sign in via the internet or get through by telephone. I sent a letter and got a message back informing me to call.

Kansas, hire unemployed people to man your phones. This is poor planning on new software.

- Elaine Hiedeman, Kansas City, Kansas

This story was originally published April 27, 2021 at 10:25 AM.