Readers react to Guantanamo detainees, the Iran agreement and the Central Exchange
Guantanamo closing
Please don’t send Guantanamo detainees to Leavenworth (8-15, A2, “New site for detainees being sought”). Kansas has been terrorized enough by the Brownback administration and the Legislature.
Steve Weeks
Overland Park
U.S.-Iran agreement
The Iranian deal is a good deal for all. Its rejection would mean almost certain war with Iran.
Its acceptance will mean that war is averted for now and maybe longer. Its acceptance may eventually lead to the warming of relations between Iran and the rest of the world, with a resulting increase of peace and prosperity for all.
Opposition to the deal doesn’t make sense to me, and much of that opposition seems to rest on very dubious grounds.
First, this is not a peace treaty. It is a limited but important multinational, United Nations-sanctioned agreement on limiting Iran’s nuclear ambitions with a very strong international verification design.
Second, this is not the Munich/Chamberlain agreement. It deals with no matters outside of nuclear technology.
Third, it relieves the plight of the Iranian people, potentially building some goodwill and at least opening the door a crack for future peaceful relationships.
Last, should all else fail, we can take military action.
Its acceptance then would only be to our, the world’s and Iran’s benefit. War is avoided in the short run, the Iranian people’s lives improve with the sanctions lifted and war might be avoided in the longer run.
Vic Burton
Kansas City
Learning in Denver
I recently had the opportunity to travel with a group of incredible women who, like me, care deeply about Kansas City and making our city a better place to live, conduct business and raise a family. A big thank you to Central Exchange for organizing the first Senior Leadership trip to Denver.
We heard from the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce president and its board members and staff, as well as from community-development experts from the Denver Downtown Partnership and start-up hub Built In Colorado.
Although Denver is experiencing significant economic growth, it also has many challenges. It was inspiring to see these organizations tackle their community’s problems head-on with strategic thinking, collaboration and determination.
Kansas City, like Denver, has a lot going for it these days. We are on the rise in the nation’s eyes, yet we also face unique challenges.
I think I speak for the more than 20 women on our trip. We are energized to take what we learned from Denver to build on our momentum to make our community even better.
Gloria Jackson-Leathers
Director
Kauffman Foundation
Kansas City
Greatest generation
The Aug. 9 feature story by Brian Burnes, “The generation that survived,” profiling six local World War II veterans was an inspirational reminder of why we owe the Greatest Generation such an enormous debt of gratitude.
Matthew Keenan
Leawood
GMO food questions
Does genetically modified organism mean any organism with some of its DNA borrowed from another organism and manually inserted? That interests the lobby for legislation to prevent or to allow genetically modified food labeling.
Are there histories of GMO companies relating to public health or public food choices?
Do GMO plants produce seeds that are intellectual property, owned by the corporations that created them? If so, what effect could seed ownership have on farming, local economies and local self-suffiiciency?
Do GMO seeds ever crowd out traditionally derived seed types from ecosystems or markets?
Do commercially owned seeds affect the self-sufficiency of farmers? Who has conducted studies on the long-term use of non-GMO crops for feeding humanity?
What effects have GMO businesses had on the global food market? How does America’s change to monocrops relate to GMOs? Are GMOs historically tied to the demise of small farms?
How do GMO farming methods affect soil quality and water use?
Does the government give subsidies or tax breaks to the owners of GMOs? Overall, has the use of GMO foods increased or decreased the need for toxic pesticides and herbicides on crops? Why?
What are the effects of GMO crops on ecosystems and biodiversity?
Anne Gatschet
Kansas City
Trump’s skills
In the Aug. 6 Republican debate on Fox News Channel, moderator Bret Baier first asked the 10 candidates to raise their hands if they did not pledge to support the final Republican nominee and did not pledge to not run as a third-party candidate.
Only billionaire Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump raised his hand. Trump’s refusal to pledge brought boos from the crowd.
However, he still got future support via pledges of endorsement of the final GOP nominee — should it be him — by the nine candidates who did not raise their hands. Perhaps Fox News should also have asked the other seven candidates for the same pledge during the 4 p.m. “happy hour” debate that day.
Trump declined to pledge, but he keeps his leverage and options open for negotiating with Republican Party bigwigs wary of his poll status and intentions.
Politician or not, Trump does seem to have a knack for navigating the tricky waters of politicking.
Sig Zobans
Independence
Clinton computers
The federal government should use the Clintons’ server. It doesn’t seem to get hacked (8-18, A6, “IRS says info theft is broader”).
It must be more secure.
Alice Smith
Lee’s Summit
Minimum wage
I think conservatives and independents should reconsider any opposition to the proposed minimum wage increases in Kansas City because the higher income of affected employees will almost certainly increase the city’s earnings tax revenue.
This would relieve some of the middle-class tax burden by finally getting the poorer folks to “pay their fair share,” as those heartless Republicans often demand.
As for single-parent families that would take a hit on local and federal subsidies when their wages keep increasing to nearly double, they would be inclined to terminate their employment in order to keep their benefits, thus creating jobs for impoverished single workers without families who often do not qualify for benefits.
And no tears should be shed for the profit-hungry employers who typically pass on business costs and taxes to their customers. It’s unlikely their profit margins will decrease, and they will be happy to collect the increased sales tax for a higher-priced hamburger and pass it on to City Hall.
Food prices have been rising for years, and very few people complain about it and people haven’t stopped eating out. So let the taxes on this proposal roll in.
Robert Devine
Excelsior Springs
Cheering the Royals
I was a kid in the 1940s and was a great fan of the Blues, and then the Athletics, and then the Royals. After the 1980s and the Major League Baseball strike, I lost interest.
The late 1990s with Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa revived my interest. Then the steroid problems turned me off again.
Then came last year with the Royals’ fantastic run to the playoffs, the pennant and the World Series, and I was revived again. Now, with the Royals in first place since opening day, I am a fan again.
This is not just because they are winning, but the way they are winning.
▪ With a double steal to get an extra man in scoring position, and both scored.
▪ With a bunt that led to a score.
▪ With an inside-the-park home run. (Do you remember Willie Wilson?)
This is old-time baseball, and it works. I like it better than watching batters stand at home plate and wait to see whether their drives clear the fence.
Also, the one-for-all-and-all-for-one spirit and a happy clubhouse are very pleasing. We were 90 feet short last year, so maybe this year we go all the way.
Go Royals!
Bob Granger
Peculiar
This story was originally published August 22, 2015 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Readers react to Guantanamo detainees, the Iran agreement and the Central Exchange."