Letters: KC readers discuss post office rates, Hawley’s fight and Schmitt for Senate
Not their fault
Yes, some U.S. Postal Service prices have gone up and some deliveries will be slower, but please keep treating our post office employees with respect and kindness. They’re not responsible for these changes.
- Leo M. Schell, Manhattan, Kansas
That’s one word
Gobsmacked (adj.): the reaction one has when the Chiefs make an open-field tackle.
- Jim Dunn, Parkville
Shining example
A high standard is being set by the Kansas City Redistricting Commission, which is charged with redrawing City Council district boundaries. League of Women Voters observers have noted that the commission has consistently provided access to its meetings through live and recorded broadcasts; open, candid and genuine deliberations; and well-publicized notice of meetings.
In addition, the commission has made clear its guiding principles, including one person-one vote, equity in size, adherence to the Voting Rights Act, compactness of districts and retention of community integrity.
Although there is still much work to do, we commend the commission for its strong start. Other state and local redistricting efforts would serve the public well by adhering to the level of transparency and principle shown by the Kansas City Redistricting Commission.
- Anne Calvert, President, League of Women Voters, Kansas City, Kansas City
Sen. Showboat
In politics, as in comedy, timing is everything. On Sept. 28, Sen. Josh Hawley righteously demanded that Gen. Mark Milley resign as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff over the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. (This display of dudgeon should get Hawley the 2024 GOP vice presidential nomination.) He was riding high.
On Sept. 30, however, Melinda Henneberger’s column “‘Risk became real’ thanks to Josh Hawley” appeared in The Star. (8A) It told of how this product of Rockhurst High School, Stanford and Yale became the prime U.S. senator driving the conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election.
This is a bigger matter than Afghanistan. Gen. Milley deserves the Good Conduct Medal for not smacking this punk upside the head.
Two millennia ago, the Roman orator Cicero asked, “What republic is ours?” That’s a good question today.
- Robert O’Rourke, Leavenworth
All in for Schmitt
I trust Eric Schmitt. He is truthful, sincere and a fighter for us. This is why I am supporting him for the U.S. Senate.
As Missouri’s attorney general, Schmitt is fighting the good fight for those who want more freedom and less government. I have gotten to know Schmitt through the years and have watched him take action on the issues I care about the most. You always know where he stands, and unlike some in government and politics, he’s a good listener.
Schmitt cares deeply about our state and country. He knows our country was founded on freedom and that those freedoms are slipping away as government becomes more powerful.
Schmitt is also fighting for our children’s freedom. He believes, as I do, that the decision to mask a child for hours at a time at school should be a decision that parents make.
I applaud and support Eric Schmitt for standing up and defending the freedom and liberties of all Missourians.
- Mary Hill, Liberty
Keeps giving
It’s been years since we registered for our wedding. John picked a breakfast tray, and I’m so glad.
Little did I know how special our tray would become. Soon, we heard scampering, whispering in the kitchen, the whir of the microwave. Pretending to sleep, we anticipated our feast and received breakfast-in-bed, delivered by our sons.
Although the food wasn’t great, their smiles always were, as they slowly carried the too-heavy breakfast tray and presented it to us in bed. They were proud, confident and satisfied from the task of preparing and delivering a meal to their parents.
Last week, I was surprised to receive the breakfast tray again. The food this time was delivered by our 16-year-old. It was edible and even tasted good. Most important, I discovered a napkin on the tray. Written in purple marker was, “I love you.”
I thought back to all the lunchbox napkin notes I’d written, thanked God for my family and realized that what we do matters. I’m thankful for the breakfast tray that John spotted all those years ago and for all the acts of kindness in our home and in this world.
- Carla Thomas, Lee’s Summit
This story was originally published October 7, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Letters: KC readers discuss post office rates, Hawley’s fight and Schmitt for Senate."