Readers react to NRA, worldwide greed, Orlando tragedy
Labels on shooters
President George H.W. Bush was a trusted, honorable man. Although not totally within his control, the ad with the infamous Willie Horton clip in Bush’s 1988 presidential contest against Democrat Michael Dukakis somewhat tarnishes Bush’s record on civil rights.
President George W. Bush, does not share his father’s honorable reputation. Without recounting all the sins of the son, focus instead upon his devious attack on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. President George W. Bush swelled his ranks using the “threat” of gay marriage.
All Bushes support the National Rifle Association, which prevents meaningful background checks, including any reference to terrorist watch lists and mental-health alarms.
But the first President Bush should still be admired.
They avoid the temptation of labeling Dylann Roof, charged in the 2015 shooting deaths of nine people in a black Charleston, S.C., church, or Omar Mateen, who killed 49 early Sunday in Orlando, Fla., or Robert Dear, charged in 2015 in the shooting deaths of three people at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic, as “radicalized terrorist Republicans.”
Tom Stroud
Overland Park
Worldwide greed
If world management is starving and bleeding its citizens, whose fault is that? Why can’t everyone see that our biggest problem is greed?
How can we put a stop to this worldwide problem? It seems those in charge of all the corruption are part of the justice system.
Everyone knows that just one spoonful of sewage in a gallon of ice cream makes it all unfit for consumption. How can anyone clean up that contamination?
I’m as stumped as everyone else. We just can’t eliminate everyone who claims to be in charge.
William Leroy Elwood
Osceola, Mo.
Orlando tragedy
Like most Americans, we are devastated by the tragedy in Orlando, Fla. Lives lost, lives ruined, lives forever changed.
This crime seems particularly horrifying as it combines two toxic elements — pure, unadulterated hate and the use of an assault weapon.
We are no longer surprised when someone motivated by hatred is able to easily obtain an assault-style weapon and rounds of ammunition, turning a place of celebration into a site of devastation and mourning. We are simply asking again: What will it take to regulate or stop the sale of assault rifles in this country? They do not belong on our streets.
How ironic that the June 13 As I See it column, “Restricting concealed carry only makes cities like KC less safe,” advocates against gun regulation. The Gun Violence Archive reports that the Orlando massacre was the 133rd mass shooting in 2016. How many more must we endure before legislators stop allowing the National Rifle Association to impede any sensible legislation?
Our hearts go out to the families who lost loved ones in Orlando, but it will take more than sympathy and vigils to address the disease of gun violence in our country. Something more powerful must be done to keep us safe.
Judy Sherry
President
Grandparents Against
Gun Violence
Kansas City
Bathroom fight
So Kansas is going pay for lawyers to challenge the restroom directive (6-2, A11, “Kansas fights transgender restroom rule”). Last I heard, Kansas is broke.
How can the Sunflower State pay for lawyers when it doesn’t have enough money to keep the schools open? If the schools are closed, nobody will use the restrooms anyway.
Kansas officials should spend taxpayers’ money on the schools.
Jerry Felkner
Kansas City
Osterheldt column
What a beautiful tribute penned by Jeneé Osterheldt to her mother, Eudora Althea Osterheldt (6-12, D1, “In the end, love won”). I especially loved Jeneé’s observation that “life is a learning experience.”
We all seem to go through life with expectations that our loved ones, and others we meet, should fit into our perception of who they should be. To see and to accept others as they stumble but continue to get back up and move forward is such an uplifting part of life's journey.
Jenee's tribute to Eudora touched me because it shows that a relationship that has been strained can always be mended and made stronger. I applaud anyone who hangs in there, fights the good fight and keeps on keeping on.
The hope is that the difficulties in life that do not destroy us can only make us stronger.
Marianne Weber
Roeland Park
This story was originally published June 15, 2016 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Readers react to NRA, worldwide greed, Orlando tragedy."