KC’s mask mandate, patriotic Republicans and Gabby Petito

Rule ignored

The Kansas City mask mandate was just extended into November. But who are we kidding? The mandate has very few teeth. Large numbers of people and businesses just ignore it, and there seems to be very little enforcement. It’s kind of a joke.

- Laura Martinez, Kansas City

GOP truth

Donald Trump recently announced that the “real insurrection” happened not on Jan. 6, but on Election Day 2020. This statement follows his claim of victory in Arizona after an unofficial “audit” confirmed that he lost — by more than the official tally and the official recount.

Trump has consistently failed to prove claims of fraud. His .000 batting average is so awful that his former lawyer, Sidney Powell, now asserts that “reasonable people” would not believe their fraud claims.

Yet two-thirds of GOP voters do believe them.

Where are our senators? Why have Sens. Josh Hawley and Roger Marshall directed their supporters toward such a shameful and un-American pursuit? We expect our enemies to do that.

They should look to Sens. Jerry Moran and Pat Toomey, who upheld their oaths to defend our Constitution. Moran said objecting may “lead to short-term political benefits for some, but would risk undermining our democracy.” Toomey noted: “A fundamental, defining feature of a democratic republic is the right of the people to elect their own leaders. The effort by Senators Hawley, Cruz and others to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in swing states like Pennsylvania directly undermines this right.”

Hawley and Marshall should apologize to their constituents for baselessly undermining our electoral process.

- Curtis A. Loub, Manhattan

Get your care

The annual Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plan enrollment period, Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, is when millions of people eligible for Medicare will sign up, switch or leave a health care plan to fit their coverage needs for 2022. Here are some tips for how to safely prepare for Medicare annual enrollment amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Look online: Companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans provide helpful information, including prescription pricing, benefits and lists of in-network providers on their websites.

2. Connect with experts: Sign up for online workshops and meetings with a licensed sales agent who can answer your questions.

3. Keep it confidential: Give your Medicare number only to your doctor, pharmacist, hospital, health insurer or other trusted provider to protect from scammers.

Leverage resources to ensure you safely select the best plan for your needs. Go to Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227).

- Liz Peterson, Regional vice president, health services, Humana, Kansas City

Help poor kids

The days are getting shorter and the nights longer. Soon, winter will be here. For some kids, that means visions of playing in snow. For others, it means worrying about whether they will have a warm place to sleep.

Congress has an opportunity to take a leap and address poverty in a significant way to ensure that every kid has a place to stay warm from harsh Midwest winters. Included in the current proposal for Congress are two critical changes: making the 2021 changes to the earned income tax credit and child tax credit permanent, and expanding the Housing Choice Voucher Program. These changes would help tens of millions of Americans afford rent, child care and other basic needs to stay warm and happy through all seasons.

Some people worry about how to pay for this bill. However, they should think about the millions who are not sure how they will pay for necessities that most people take for granted.

I urge our members of Congress, including Sens. Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley, to demand that the 2021 earned income tax credit and child tax credit provisions are made permanent and that Housing Choice Vouchers are expanded in the final recovery bill.

- Sarah Miller, University City, Missouri

Racism? No, ratings

I hope the media frenzy swirling around the murder of Gabby Petito helps end the search for her fiance, Brian Laundrie, and gives her family some solace.

The use of this tragedy by some activist groups as an example of social bias irks me, however. The claim that if Petito were Black, no one would care is unfounded. Yes, the coverage is extensive, but who makes those decisions? Certainly not you and I.

It’s not racism — it’s ratings. Maybe the major networks should look in the mirror.

- Tony Bradley, Kansas City

Teach them all

With all the recent incidents of racially offensive or insensitive conduct in our metropolitan school districts, and the school authorities who say they are “dealing with” or “investigating” these incidents, I have a suggestion: Each student found to be involved in said activities and their parents must enroll in diversity training before they are allowed to attend school in person. They should not be allowed to attend or be involved in any extracurricular events until they’ve completed the program.

That might be a wake-up call for all those involved — even the school districts.

- Susan Tozier, Olathe