Why don’t normal people care about the Jan. 6 attacks? Because the workers are ignored
Workers ignored
The media and liberal politicians live in a fantasy land where we are supposed to be heartbroken over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Why are normal people not getting as upset as wealthy liberals and politicians? Because American “democracy” has not functioned for the worker in many years.
Look no further than “pro-worker” Democrats and Republicans alike who threw railroad workers under the bus when they threatened a strike for a healthy work-life balance and to see more of the wealth they produced.
A Princeton study demonstrated that the U.S. is an oligarchy, not a democracy. Politicians will wake up after Election Day wondering why they lost when their campaigns centered around culture war issues, along with pandering to business interests.
Workers produce everything, and when both parties fail to recognize this simple truth, political violence is a predictable outcome. If we want to heal our division, the first step is for workers to be treated with the respect they deserve. If that doesn’t happen, the future of politics in the United States looks grim, unfortunately.
Nobody cares about your phony moral values when you would have a landlord get a check before a family gets a home.
- Ethan Riscovallez, Prairie Village
Whose side?
From a 1958 humor collection, attributed to Ed Ford: “Trouble is there are too many Democratic and Republican senators and not enough United States senators.”
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
- Teddi Oppenheimer, Overland Park
Protect dogs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is failing in its responsibility to enforce the Animal Welfare Act, allowing dogs to suffer at the hands of exploitative breeders. To better protect dogs trapped in the puppy mill industry, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced Goldie’s Act.
Goldie — known only as “Golden Retriever #142 — suffered and ultimately died in a USDA-licensed puppy mill because of the USDA’s inaction. USDA inspectors repeatedly failed to remove her from the gruesome conditions that she and other dogs were living in at an Iowa puppy mill. The USDA witnessed Goldie’s suffering and deterioration over seven months but took no action to save her. She is one of countless dogs that have suffered the consequences of the USDA’s failure to properly enforce the Animal Welfare Act.
Goldie’s Act would require USDA inspectors to intervene when animals are suffering and institute meaningful penalties for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. It would require inspectors to inform local law enforcement of suspected cruelty and neglect.
As a resident of Missouri’s 5th Congressional District and a longtime dog owner, I urge Rep. Emanuel Cleaver to co-sponsor and pass Goldie’s Act to protect vulnerable dogs and puppies.
- Robert White, Lone Jack
Chief choice
So the five-member Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners — only one of whom, Mayor Quinton Lucas, represents Kansas City, and two of whom are serving expired terms — is about to appoint a new chief of police? (Sept. 26, 7A, “This is not the time to pick a new KC police chief”) So the same search company that delivered us former Chief Rick Smith is about to have one of its choices confirmed as chief, thus cementing our status as a colony within the state of Missouri?
Say it ain’t so.
- Gordon Risk, Kansas City
Where it goes
There has been much public interest about foreign entities — close to half being Chinese — owning many tens of thousands of acres of Missouri farmland.
How much tax money in the form of U.S. farm subsidies and new Missouri tax credits will be paid to China? Who are the top 10 recipients by dollars and percentage?
Will big, rich farms receive most of the payments?
- Paul Hirth, Olathe
This story was originally published October 13, 2022 at 8:30 AM.