Readers sound off on President Obama, Yogi Berra, fossil fuels
Change Obama-style
Our Republican friends are very charitable in describing President Barack Obama as inept. He is anything but inept.
He has kept his original campaign pledge to fundamentally change our country, doing so in short six years. Our nation is now an envious class of takers, who will elect Hillary Clinton in 2016.
She will win with her core support of 47 million people who now live on free stuff. Mission accomplished.
Joe Neuner
Olathe
Missing Yogi Berra
One of the world’s great unintentional philosophers finally found the fork in the road and took it (“Yankees Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra dies at age 90”). We’re all unique, but Yogi was a lot more unique than most.
Clyde Waltermate
Raytown
Cutting fossil fuels
Heartland Presbytery, the administrative and spiritual body of more than 100 Presbyterian churches in Missouri and Kansas, voted Tuesday to endorse an overture to the national church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), to divest from fossil fuels. As one Presbyterian said, “The Midwest is just catching up with the rest of the country.”
In fact, Heartland Presbytery is catching up with much of the rest of the world. Divestment from fossil fuels is an international movement begun in 2008 by 350 organizations to “hold our leaders accountable to the realities of science and the principles of justice.”
The exploration, extraction and burning of fossil fuels is destroying Earth, and we must go in another direction, one already charted by alternative energy forms.
The national body of Presbyterian churches will vote on this issue at its June 2016 General Assembly in Portland, Ore. Divestment by the Presbyterian Church of its $200 million from fossil fuels would tell these companies, their supporters, financiers, world leaders and especially our U.S. legislators that we must change course.
But most of all, we would say, “If it’s wrong to wreck the planet, it’s wrong to profit from that wreckage.”
Nicola Juricak
Kansas City
Trump’s great wall
Donald Trump for president? Really? A guy who wants to build a wall like the East Germans did after World War II?
A guy who makes insulting comments about Hispanics and women and whose hair looks like a pile of shredded wheat cereal? I’m still not convinced it’s real, just glued on real good.
Do we really need a billionaire running the country? How many Republicans are running? Sixteen? Have you ever been to a circus where the clowns keep jumping out of the clown car?
As for Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush and Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, do we really want to establish a hereditary monarchy?
We need to elect a down-to-earth working man like Harry Truman, not a bunch of rich politicians.
Tom Dodson
Kansas City
Bristol Palin musings
I constantly read articles where Bristol Palin criticizes the president or someone else. My questions are very simple.
Who is she to criticize anyone, and who really cares what she thinks?
I’m not sure why the press publishes anything from her in the first place.
Bill Grossnickle
Kansas City
Shocking Brownback
With all the positions Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has taken about the federal government, he accepts federal funds? I’m shocked, I tell you. Shocked.
Henry Rompage
Lenexa
Planned Parenthood
I’m grateful that the U.S. House of Representatives voted to defund Planned Parenthood after undercover videos apparently showing Planned Parenthood’s involvement in the sales of aborted baby body parts, a federal crime.
Now we need to accept that women’s health is not at risk if Planned Parenthood is defunded because there are so many clinics nationwide offering services minus abortions. So to say that women’s health is at risk is false and is a political tool used by liberals.
As for those who say that Planned Parenthood doesn’t use taxpayer dollars on abortions, I join the many who say that money is “fungible.” So it should be obvious that if it can use taxpayer dollars to pay other bills, such as rent and utilities, it would free up money to pay for abortions. It’s quite logical to conclude this.
Michael Rachiele
Prairie Village
Clinton’s candidacy
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton accuses the Republican Party of waging a war on women. At the same time, she and the entire Democratic Party give unwavering support to the human sacrifice to the god of pleasure, abortion.
Can there be a greater offense against women than killing them?
George J. McLiney Jr.
Kansas City
Chastain’s rail plan
Someone needs to provide the people a plan to make Kansas City great again. Fortunately for me, outsiders are now in.
I have such a plan — a new transit initiative designed to rejuvenate the city around a light-rail spine, stretching from the Cerner campus at Bannister Road to Kansas City International Airport. This electric spine includes stops at the Kansas City Zoo, Troost Avenue, the Plaza, Union Station, downtown, the Northland and Twin Creeks.
My plan, which would improve long-distance transit connectivity, also includes a fleet of mini-electric buses to expand the service area around the rail stations and a commuter rail system, so not only can we connect the Northland to the Southland but the city to the suburbs.
Union Station would be the system’s regional hub where rail and bus lines flow together. Unlike the city’s isolated 2.2-mile streetcar line, my citywide rail system would actually help the city’s underperforming bus system and get people to jobs without it taking three hours and three buses to get there.
A major selling point of tomorrow’s successful city is a great public transportation system. At least Kansas City now has a plan for one.
Clay Chastain
Bedford, Va.
Kansas whine
Is anyone else getting sick and tired of the Kansas crybabies, mostly Johnson County residents, complaining about Gov. Sam Brownback? They sound like spoiled 2-year-olds wanting more funding for this and that, mostly their blue-ribbon school systems.
Get over it. You folks live in one of the richest counties in the country. Stop your bellyaching. Want to see real need? Live in Kansas City, as many of us do, and go visit the inner-city schools. That’s real need.
In the meantime, stop blaming the governor. You elected him. Or is it that he might have found the solution to big government that you also complain a lot about?
Bob Tobia
Kansas City
Folly Theater show
Two entertainment gems collaborated the evening of Sept. 19 at the Folly Theater, and the result was magical.
Bill Shapiro presented his “Cyprus Avenue Live” series in collaboration with the Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company, and we were able to enjoy fabulous rock ’n’ roll music interpreted by graceful, athletic and creative dancers.
Bill belongs in the DJ section of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the historical perspective he provided was magnificent. The dancers brought the music to life and made the audience feel and move to every beat and word. The entire evening was pure joy, and I did not want it to end.
Kansas City has a wealth of entertainment talent, but Bill Shapiro and the Wylliams/Henry dancers are at the top of the list. They are not to be missed, and I hope they return together again soon. Bravo to both.
James T. Cook
Prairie Village
Help from stranger
I recently fell in the back parking lot of St. Joseph Hospital. My body was partially blocking cars.
Four cars drove around me as I lay there. The fifth car stopped.
An elderly man came to help me up. He waited until I got in my car and drove off.
I want to thank this man. We all have busy, complicated lives. How very sweet it is when we help each other through it.
Bridget McGilley
Kansas City
This story was originally published September 25, 2015 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Readers sound off on President Obama, Yogi Berra, fossil fuels."