Readers share views on war, GOP, character | The Kansas City Star

Threats to humanity

The original intent of modern medical science has been to save lives.

Although it was a noble gesture, it has resulted in a disruption of the natural order of population control described in the mythical mission of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

As we see in each day’s news, entire hordes of humanity are dying in boats at sea or are being stopped at the borders and beaches of more favored nations.

Forgotten since his appearance in World War II, a fifth horseman is saddling up and being welcomed in certain venues by power-hungry individuals who intend to use him.

His nickname is “Nuke.”

William H. Finnegan

Independence

GOP threat

Once again we are being threatened by the antics of a bunch of whiny crybabies not getting their way.

Last time it was Obamacare. That didn’t work then.

Never mind that Obamacare has actually helped millions of people who didn’t have health insurance.

It would be different if there were a viable replacement instead of just the idea of abolishing it and leaving millions without needed coverage.

Our elected officials are there to act as representatives or agents of the people. That means we call the shots because they work for us. It is past time they realize this and do their jobs.

Treason is defined as an act against the government. It seems that a bunch of whiny Congress people shutting it down is an act against the government.

They should be tried for treason. It cost us billions in revenue last time.

Our country was created through many, many compromises. Can you imagine where we would be if we had this useless bunch of people back then?

We’d still be someone’s colony. I doubt the Native Americans would still have their country because most of Europe was settled on stealing the land for themselves.

Carol L Neill

Overland Park

Judging character

As we enter another presidential election, we will be looking at many qualifications in the candidates, such as their vision for the country, their competence and their deportment as shown throughout their careers.

We need to see where they stand on foreign policy and economic policies.

The one that should be examined first is their character, for as Greek philosopher Heraclitus declared 2,000 years ago, “A man’s character is his fate.” And although a good character does not assure a successful term, it is the face before ourselves and the world.

There are many running for the office of president of the United States, and all, save one, seem of good character. The lone outlier is Republican Donald Trump.

The only recent world leader who compares to Trump was Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi, a multibillionaire media magnate and womanizer known for government corruption. He served three times as prime minister before being convicted of tax fraud and was banned from public office.

His would be our fate if Trump were elected.

John Nelles

Shawnee

Global marketplace

Admittedly, I don’t understand the ins and outs of the stock market and why just about everything that takes place around the world affects which way the market goes on any given day.

That being said, it still makes me angry that a country like China, which steals our military secrets and hacks into our computer systems practically at its leisure, can adversely effect my 401(k).

That’s hitting way too close to home to suit me.

Eddie L. Clay

Grandview

Sanders for president

Here is a short yes/no quiz:

1) Do you think big money influenced Kansas election results last November?

2) Were you disappointed with the results?

3) Did you vote?

If you answered yes to all, please read on. If not, it’s OK to skip to the next letter.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Democrat, is running for president, and he has a compelling populist-based campaign platform. Check it out at berniesanders.com.

A key commitment is to defend our democracy against big money creating an oligarchy as the Koch brothers have done in Kansas.

As Bernie said during a recent webcast, “Enough is enough.” Check him out and decide for yourselves.

Kermit Trout

Overland Park

Curb antibiotic use

The Subway restaurant chain recently stated in Nation’s Restaurant News that it has been “working toward the elimination of antibiotics” in its products. Although encouraging, Subway still needs to set concrete deadlines for switching to meat raised without routine antibiotics because there is no time to waste.

Nearly every major public-health organization agrees that overuse of antibiotics in food animals risks antibiotics failing when we or our loved ones need them most. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the U.S. alone more than 2 million people get sick and 23,000 die from antibiotic-resistant superbugs each year.

The biggest contributors to the growing resistance are factory farms that administer routine antibiotics to healthy food animals to make them grow faster and to prevent disease from unsanitary conditions.

Numerous restaurants, such as Chipotle, Panera, and McDonald’s, have already made commitments to serve antibiotic-free meat, which caused a ripple effect of change in the meat industry.

If Subway, one of the world’s largest restaurant chains, commits to serve meat raised without antibiotics, that ripple will turn into a wave and force meat-industry producers to stop the overuse of antibiotics.

Lauren Hirsch

Missouri Public Interest

Research Group

St. Louis

Internet openness

Net neutrality proponents may have celebrated when the Federal Communications Commission passed sweeping new rules in February, but the fight for Internet openness is far from over, and the new FCC rules that many have chalked up as a win are actually almost certain to be overturned in court.

The core problem with the FCC’s approach is that it conflicts with the federal Communications Act, which requires very light regulation for what are called “information services” while allowing more stringent rules for “telecommunications” such as the old Ma Bell telephone monopolies.

Internet access is clearly an information service, and the FCC has regulated it as such for years. But the new rules take a complete about-face and reclassify broadband under the stricter telecommunications regime.

For those who care about net neutrality, there is only one way to cure these legal defects and survive the coming onslaught in court. Congress must pass legislation to make the core open-Internet protections permanent.

There is growing interest in both parties in legislation along these lines that would shore up net neutrality while jettisoning the legally suspect reclassification approach.

Anyone who cares about long-term protection for the open Internet should urge Congress to do so quickly before the courts strike down a victory many worked so hard to win.

David Balto

Washington, D.C.

Republican greed

I put no faith in the Democratic or Republican parties. Both are serving greed, not God or the Bible.

But this is particularly true of Republicans. How can anyone believe them given current Republican policies?

Read Matthew 25:31-46: Jesus tells the goats at his left to “depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” because they have not fed the hungry, given drink to the thirsty, clothed the naked, etc. That’s a basic recitation of Republican policy today. Into the eternal fire, Republican goats.

Read Jeremiah 22:13-17: In part of this passage, God says, “Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? says the Lord.”

The passage is a total condemnation of current Republican policy. Woe to the greedy. The eternal fire is waiting.

Dave Pack

Lenexa