Readers react to House Speaker John Boehner, Pope Francis and President Barack Obama
Boehner quits
Was House Speaker John A. Boehner crying during the pope’s address to Congress last week because he knew his time to resign was on the horizon?
Carolyn C. Wheat
Knob Noster, Mo.
Dear Your Holiness
I admire what you are trying to do. As Americans, we do help the needy. One hundred years ago, churches took care of the poor, getting people back on their feet in times of struggle.
Today our government spends billions of taxpayer money on welfare programs. Churches and nonprofit groups still help.
The U.S. is the first country to respond to world disasters, spending billions, which helps increase our national debt into the trillions.
The Catholic Church is the richest organization in the world. You do some good.
Here are my recommendations:
▪ Take all of your billions or trillions and spend it on the needy. Then borrow trillions more for the needy.
▪ Start your world environmental tour in China and Russia. You get them on board. We are already doing much more than they are.
▪ Talk to all the dictators in oppressed countries about human rights violations. Then stop in the Middle East and talk to Muslims about human rights. Maybe discuss the pros and cons of Sharia Law.
▪ Next, set up housing for migrants in Vatican City.
After you do the above, then come and lecture the U.S.
You talk a good game. Let’s see some action.
James Campbell
Kansas City
Obama’s honesty
I am offended by writers who accuse our president, Barack Obama, of being dishonest. If you don’t like his policies, tell us what you dislike or provide a better solution.
If you know of dishonest statements or maneuvers, give us the facts. Otherwise we will just think you are: 1. stupid, 2. uninformed or 3. evil.
Corky Lewis
Lee’s Summit
Funding education
In his Sept. 24 letter to the editor, Dave Trabert, president of the Kansas Policy Institute, states troubling statistics regarding the effectiveness of Kansas public schools in preparing students for higher education.
The letter boils down to “If it’s broke, don’t bother to fix it.”
Mr. Trabert thinks that increasing funding won’t do any good. Because the Kansas Policy Institute is a libertarian, “free-market” outfit, its solution would undoubtedly be privatizing education.
Private companies answer to corporate boards and shareholders. Results would be judged based on a financial balance sheet, not on quality education. Students would receive only as much education as a corporate board decided wouldn’t cut into the company’s profits.
If we have a public-education issue, then let public funding address it. Let schools answer to the public that funds them.
Our children’s education is too important to leave to the Koch brothers and others like them in a libertarian-tilted free market.
Liz Craig
Mission
Couple’s dinner gift
My husband and I (both senior citizens) were walking to our table a few weeks ago at Nick and Jake’s when a little boy with a big plate of veggies waved to us.
He was just 17 months old. The parents were very young looking and very pleasant.
It took us back to the time that our children were that age and how important it was to us that they get healthy foods.
We shared our thoughts with the young parents, and they soon left.
We had ordered our food. What a surprise when later we found that the young parents had paid our bill.
Thank you. We hope you will see our thanks. You will always remain in our thoughts and prayers.
Betty Waechter
Overland Park
Women’s health
As a longtime Planned Parenthood supporter, I’ve seen firsthand the caring and respectful treatment of the women (and men) who go to Planned Parenthood for birth control, comprehensive sex education, breast exams, HIV testing, cancer screening, pre-pregnancy care and other reproductive health care, including abortion.
I’m proud that Planned Parenthood recognizes that abortion is a deeply personal decision made by a woman, her doctor, her family and her faith without interference from politicians or others.
In fact, Planned Parenthood’s push for greater access to comprehensive sex education and birth control has actually helped decrease the number of abortions in the U.S. the past five years by 12 percent as reported by The Associated Press.
The push in Congress to cut funding for Planned Parenthood would adversely affect more than 700 clinics across the country and millions of Americans. It’s already a law that federal funds cannot be used for abortions except in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest.
Visit www.plannedparenthood.org for information on comprehensive, age-appropriate and medically accurate sex education.
There’s a page for teens, as well as one to help parents talk to kids about sex and sexuality.
Joyce Richards
Leawood
This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Readers react to House Speaker John Boehner, Pope Francis and President Barack Obama."