Letters: Readers discuss foreign languages, Star’s extended stories, voting day
Language reality
“Short take: The realities of foreign languages” (Oct. 8, 8A) really misses the importance of learning a foreign language.
In this country, Spanish is spoken by tens of millions of citizens. The number of Spanish-speaking citizens is growing by the millions each year.
In many parts of the United States, people who do not speak Spanish might find it extremely hard to find employment. Nobody should be upset; that’s just the way it will be.
I have been to more than 100 schools on six continents. Every student I met spoke two or three languages, some kids five. One little girl in Switzerland asked me how many languages I spoke. I said one. Then, with a shocked look on her face, she said, “Are you stupid?” Well, I replied, “No, I’m an American.”
We are not stupid, we just need to become bilingual. Make it a requirement that every student in our schools becomes bilingual.
- Jim Peters, Basehor, Kansas
Wildlife backers
The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is important for Kansas and the Shortgrass Prairie (basically the western third of Kansas) because it would provide nearly $1.4 billion annually to state and tribal wildlife agencies.
Thank you, Sen. Jerry Moran and Sen. Roger Marshall for co-sponsoring this bill, which would make sure at-risk species such as the lesser prairie chicken are not be placed on the federal endangered species list. This would provide greater regulatory certainty for industries, including mining, energy, agriculture and others. It would also help create jobs — for every $1 million invested in species and habitat conservation, between 17 and 33 quality jobs are created each year.
RAWA would create up to 33,600 jobs nationwide with its investments into local conservation efforts, and those conservation efforts would be compounding. By improving habitat for one species, all species benefit, including wild game such as mule deer, because they share habitat with lesser prairie chickens.
By supporting this bill, Sens. Moran and Marshall are doing their part to protect wildlife across the United States and in Kansas. Hats off to them as they help recover wild animals and their habitat on public lands and waters.
- Kurt Ratzlaff, Wichita
Extended stories
Since the advent of your “extended story” features, I have not read a single one. They are narrowly focused, overly long and of little interest, save to few. If you are looking to save money and resources, redirect more of both to local stories and spare us the time of flipping past page after page of a marginally relevant story.
- Dan Dooley, Overland Park
Get ready to vote
Election day for local government and school board races in Kansas will be Tuesday, Nov. 2. Are you ready?
Learn about your candidates through your local newspapers and virtual candidate forums online. Find your polling places at Vote411.org, where you can also read how some candidates answered nonpartisan questions posed by the League of Women Voters on several issues.
Call your county election office to get a mail-in ballot or apply online at KSvotes.org. You can mail your ballot or hand carry it to your election office. Also, check with your county election office for early voting hours and locations.
Take your government-issued photo ID when you vote. For a list of acceptable IDs, visit www.gotvoterid.com.
If you do not have your ID with you at the polls or are not on the voter rolls as registered, you must be offered a provisional ballot. Contact your election office immediately after Nov. 2 to see what you can do to increase the chances of your provisional ballot being counted.
- Amber Stenger, Shawnee
This story was originally published October 13, 2021 at 12:00 AM.