Readers weigh in on Benghazi, guns and Sam Brownback
Benghazi report
The Star’s print headline that the Benghazi report didn’t “scorch” Hillary Clinton is ridiculous (6-29, A1, “Inquiry doesn’t scorch Clinton”).
It’s appalling that a newspaper would focus on shielding Clinton from responsibility, especially since she was clearly responsible.
As secretary of state, the leader of the State Department, it was her idea to overthrow Moammar Gaddafi, which destabilized Libya. Her State Department denied requests from our embassy for extra security.
She told her daughter and the Egyptians that Benghazi was a terror attack but then told the American people the attack was inspired by a YouTube video, purposely attempting to cover her mistakes and shelter President Obama weeks before the 2012 election.
During the attacks, she did not perform like a secretary of state but like a politician, interested only in appearances and political correctness.
Much of this we know because her secret email server was discovered during this investigation.
She put politics ahead of the truth, our ambassador, our embassy personnel and the American people. These are just a few of her mistakes, all documented in the Benghazi report.
If this isn’t scorched, I don’t know what is.
Brad Wahle
Lee’s Summit
Alleviating fear
I can appreciate the effort Allyson Ralls put into her opinion piece about gun control (6-27, As I See It, “Lawmakers must do more to end the fear of gun violence”). I disagree with her opening comment that it is government’s responsibility to protect us individually.
Although government-mandated individual protection is a noble thought, the task is logistically impossible. The government cannot place a police officer on every street corner 24/7.
Rather I suggest Ms. Ralls consider taking any one of a variety of self-defense courses available to the public, some involving firearms and some without. Adopting a situationally aware lifestyle would go a long way in alleviating her fears of attack.
I am a retired Colorado police officer living with my family in the Kansas City area. I have a college-age daughter attending an area university.
She has a Missouri concealed-carry permit and is well-versed in defensive-force decision-making, situational awareness, conflict avoidance and recognizing aggressive body language. She goes about life, and to her classes, not fearful but aware of how to recognize, avoid and exit dangerous situations.
She has also shared those individual safety skills with her girlfriends.
Bruce Luedeman
Independence
Irresponsible
Gov. Sam Brownback continues to take funds from any source he can find to cover the massive shortfall of cash in the state’s general fund.
How long does it take him and his Republican legislators to get their brains to work to start reversing all the irresponsible and misguided ideas they have pushed through and made into laws?
They are causing problems with the education of our youth and delaying highway projects needed for safety and growth in southeast Kansas as well as the entire state.
It is time for Gov. Brownback and his Republican cohorts to get their heads out of the sand and start making the changes needed to get our state back to what it was before Brownback took office.
Brownback, do all of us and yourself a big favor and resign. Find someplace where you can’t do so much damage and try to regain a little self-respect.
I don’t think we Kansans should have to take any more of your irresponsible leadership.
Edward L. Keating
Fort Scott, Kan.
Republican unity
I am fascinated by all the anti-Gov. Sam Brownback venting. But it brings out a Republican trait that threatens to destroy our democracy. I would bet serious money that if Brownback could run again, the lockstep Republicans would re-elect him.
Democrats, on the other hand, are not quite so lame. Hence, the Ronald Reagan Democrats. In other words, if presented with a candidate they think is better than the Democrat, they will sometimes vote for him.
That is not the case with Republicans. They have already rallied around the most unqualified person who ever had the arrogance to run for the office of president.
But just remember, if Donald Trump is elected and destroys our country, it will be the Democrats’ fault because they had the temerity to run probably the most qualified candidate to ever to run for office.
Kip Harris
Kansas City
This story was originally published June 30, 2016 at 3:19 PM with the headline "Readers weigh in on Benghazi, guns and Sam Brownback."