Readers share views on Easter gifts, politics, candidates for Missouri governor
Animals for Easter
Every year, many people buy adorable baby chicks, ducks or bunnies as Easter basket adornments.
These animals are without a doubt hard to resist.
However, they grow up to be adults, and most of the owners are not prepared to provide for the needs of these larger, higher-maintenance living beings.
Many times, these animals are released into the wild to fend for themselves.
This always ends badly for the animals.
Domestic ducks cannot fly, so they are unable to escape predators and do not survive the harsh winters.
Domestic rabbits do not have the survival skills of their wild cousins.
Chickens wandering loose are often killed by wild predators or domestic dogs.
Please consider limiting your Easter animal purchases to the chocolate variety and spare these animals the inevitable suffering associated with a poorly thought-out buying decision.
Shelley Homan
Olathe
Committee show
Anyone aspiring to a career in government, here’s fair warning: If called to testify at a congressional committee, things may not go well.
The Democratic administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Regina McCarthy, last week was questioned by Republican members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on the poisonous water problems in Flint, Mich.
It became glaringly evident the committee’s goal was to deflect blame from Michigan Republican Gov. Rick Snyder and the Michigan Republican/tea party administration, which cut the funding for the Flint water source.
The Republican committee members did not actually offer questions.
Rather, they made scripted accusations, generally ending with “you should resign or be impeached.”
When Ms. McCarthy attempted to answer, she was rudely cut off.
Bill Emerson
Kansas City
Disastrous road
Missouri Republican candidates for governor have clearly signaled what their program would be if elected (3-18, A6, “Missouri’s GOP hopefuls for governor face off”):
1. Further erode the middle class by enacting “right to work” (right to be exploited) laws, further weakening workers vis-a-vis employers and resulting in lower wages and benefits across the board.
2. Reduce income taxes, thus reducing the state’s already inadequate ability to provide needed services and make repairs to our crumbling roads, bridges and water systems, and eventually increase regressive taxes to make up for deficits.
3. Trim regulations, thus weakening protections for the public on safety, financial exploitation, and air, water and food pollution.
This, apparently, is what passes for public service in the eyes of these four aspirants to the governorship of Missouri.
The election of any of these would add insult to the existing injury of a Republican-controlled legislature, which is doing its best to take Missouri down the same disastrous road as our neighbor, Kansas.
Albert de Zutter
Kansas City
Political humor
Of all the capable individuals in this country, we have the most incapable running for the highest office in the land. Plus, the new president of the United States will be the leader of the free world.
There are no perfect politicians. That’s a given.
But what we are seeing in both political parties is ridiculous.
And I am sure people watching in the rest of the free world feel the same.
If I didn’t know better, I would think I was watching a Mel Brooks movie.
Funny? Not really.
Alex Margiotta
Prairie Village
Trump worshiper
I don’t know why any Evangelicals would support Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The only god he worships is himself.
Richard J. Gier
Lenexa
Presidential?
It is a shame that the greatest country in the world has two leading candidates for president of questionable caliber.
One is an overbearing bully and blowhard.
The other is a habitual liar who always shirks responsibility for her actions.
What has our great country come to?
What are the voters thinking?
George Hook
Lee’s Summit
This story was originally published March 21, 2016 at 6:40 PM with the headline "Readers share views on Easter gifts, politics, candidates for Missouri governor."