Readers share thoughts on guns, TV ads, atomic bomb
Unsafe gun bill
I am so disappointed with the Missouri legislature for passing SB 656 (5-14, A1, “Guns, voter ID dominate end of Missouri session”).
More than 70 percent of Missouri residents oppose permit-less concealed carry (with no safety training, by the way), but members of the Missouri General Assembly don’t care what voters think — only what the gun lobby tells them to think.
What is so unreasonable about requiring gun owners to be trained in safe carrying, handling and storage of their weapons?
The legislature won’t stop until Missouri is No. 1 in toddler shootings (the state is currently No. 2) and every fistfight ends in a murder.
Hopefully, Gov. Jay Nixon will veto this bill.
Sara Lott
Raytown
TV mute salvation
On TV viewing, here are just a few comments on the fine advertising viewing choices:
We have two nerds at the fast-food drive-in whom everyone knows about. We have a multitude of ambulance chasers we all know by name. We have some gruff-sounding character telling us about having meat.
There’s some nut who obviously has had a bad reaction to an under-the-counter medication screaming about having tile and wood, and there’s the guy selling siding with that annoying two-word catch phrase that he wrote a long time ago.
Thank goodness for the mute button.
Charles Lundy
Liberty
U.S., atomic bomb
We have an outstanding source of information at the Truman Library about President Harry S. Truman’s decision to drop the bombs (5-17, Commentary, “Why Obama can’t apologize for Hiroshima”). It allows you to understand why and how the decision was made.
Bill McGruder
Overland Park
Medical marijuana
The National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws Kansas City encourages people to attend our Saturday chapter meeting featuring speakers from Missouri Cannabis Nurses. We urge all readers to become informed on the topic of medical cannabis and the many ways it can help those most in need.
We will cite empirical evidence from medical professionals to challenge the misinformation in the media.
Our group and other local organizations, including Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, New Approach Missouri and Show-Me Cannabis, are available for comment before articles are published. This would allow readers to be exposed to both sides of the argument.
These organizations work tirelessly and compassionately for families with sick children and loved ones. Using a 21st century approach, we advocate for all whose lives could be saved by safely using cannabis with their doctors’ approval.
We invite the community to join us at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Plaza branch of the Kansas City Public Library to learn about the medical benefits cannabis can have and to bring awareness to this important subject.
Jamie Kacz
Executive director
National Organization
to Reform Marijuana
Laws Kansas City
Kansas City
Better oral health
Our heartfelt thanks go to the Missouri legislature for taking steps this session to improve the state’s oral health and to support the ability of adults to work, children to attend school and communities to be healthy.
We especially thank Sens. Gary Romine, Rob Schaaf, Kurt Schaefer and Wayne Wallingford, and Reps. Sue Allen, Jay Barnes, Tom Flanigan, Marsha Haefner and Donna Lichtenegger, and Gov. Jay Nixon.
Medicaid-eligible adults have dental-care coverage for the first time since 2004. This saves the state money as emergency-room use for dental conditions decreases. Sometimes people with untreated dental conditions require hospitalization, far exceeding costs of dental care.
Telehealth legislation paving the way for sensible use of new technologies will increase access to dental care in many underserved areas. SB 579 awaits Gov. Nixon’s signature.
HB 1717, also awaiting Gov. Nixon’s signature, is a simple notification bill supporting local involvement in decisions. Discontinuing fluoridation with no community input is a trend, costing people in increased cavities. Fluoridation safely reduces cavities for everyone.
While Missouri faces many oral-health challenges, we look forward to seeing the positive effects of these important policy decisions.
Gary Harbison
Executive Director
Missouri Coalition
for Oral Health
Jefferson City
This story was originally published May 18, 2016 at 7:42 PM with the headline "Readers share thoughts on guns, TV ads, atomic bomb."