Readers weigh in on Donald Trump, Sam Brownback and Johnson County

Carnival barker

Watching the huge crowds attending the rallies of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and the size of the turnouts of his primary voters reminds me of the European press when President George W. Bush was re-elected. The headlines were “How can Americans be so stupid?”

There is nothing in Trump’s thinking, speech or actions that provides a semblance of the qualities and character to think that this year’s version of P.T. Barnum should be considered presidential, let alone be commander in chief of the military.

Martin Kaynan

Olathe

Candidate Trump

Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump is an embarrassment. He is a wannabe leader who spews only hatred for other countries, religions and races.

It’s sad that there are so many angry and frustrated people who support him without thinking about the nonsense he bellows. Build a wall on the Mexico border costing $10 billion but, hey, Mexico will pay for it.

A 10-year-old would laugh at that.

Keep Muslims from entering the country, even returning citizens. That ridiculous.

Trump says he has a secret plan to take out the Islamic State, but he can’t tell because it wouldn’t be secret then. Darn! He spoiled my plan to loan the government my magic Superman ring to take care of problem.

Trump rants like a child.

A man at one rally said he’ll vote for Trump because Trump “tells it like it is.” Fact checkers list that up to 49 percent of “it” are lies. Trump’s degrading comments about women have been put into a video ad. He can’t say the media have it in for him with misquotes.

How can anybody ignore this constant garbage and even think of voting for him? I can’t imagine.

Carol Bennett

Overland Park

Angry veteran

I was angry after reading your recent article, “Armed forces amid policy shift” (7-1, A1).

I served in the Army Reserves. I have tried to seek benefits as a veteran who received her honorable discharge after eight years.

However, whenever I seek compensation or benefits, I’m asked if I was called to active duty. Although I had my duffle bag ready and was inconvenienced to work jobs that allowed for my weekend drills and summer annual training, I was never called on active duty. I wish I had been.

I know people who have not served one day in the military yet receive consistent checks because of other family members who served. Yet, I’m one who served but is told I’m “not eligible.”

Now I have to read about a military policy that pays for transgender surgery and goes out of its way to help transgenders — but folks like me who served eight years aren’t considered veterans.

We wonder why our country is having so many problems. Citizens like me aren’t considered important enough to be deemed worthy of compensation and true honor.

Laraine Turner

Kansas City

Politically correct

Political correctness has nothing to do with people being offended by someone else’s speech. Avoiding offensive language is called being polite.

Political correctness is about imposing liberal views on everyone by forbidding all other views from being expressed and punishing those who dare to speak. It’s really political oppression.

It has been used to silence and persecute those who do not hold liberal views. Under political correctness, there can be no freedom.

It is the opposite of the First Amendment and does not belong in our society.

David Lund

Kansas City

Ignoring citizens

I wonder what it is with the executive branch of government that causes it to ignore its constituency. I wrote to the Kansas Historical Society regarding a personnel issue. It never responded.

I shared this with Gov. Sam Brownback’s office via its website and never got a reply. I called the governor’s office and spoke to a woman who stated that she would direct my call to the appropriate party.

I got voicemail, left several messages but never got a reply. I attempted to contact the governor’s office by fax — none of the numbers listed on the office website was working.

It seems that Gov. Brownback has imposed a system of isolation from the people of Kansas. Perhaps he thinks his problems would be over if we just went away.

Robert Rybolt

Hanover, Kan.

Johnson County

Thanks, Johnson County Republicans. You guys purged any moderate Republicans and helped elect an ultra-conservative Gov. Sam Brownback and his supporters.

Now the Brownback cartel is taking money from your own kids to the tune of millions of dollars.

Since the Brownback cartel has been in charge, it has assaulted and raided education funds, highway funds, retirement funds, rainy day funds and services for the elderly, disabled and poor, caused the credit rating for the state to fall and raised taxes on everyone with sales taxes.

It also gave a huge tax break to the wealthiest in our state.

The Brownback cartel is bringing hardship to thousands of Kansans by refusing millions in federal Medicaid money that would provide medical care for many people.

Thanks, Johnson County Republicans, you must like trickle-up taxes. The rich pay less and the rest pay more with cuts to all state services.

Remember in November, the Brownback cartel doesn’t want moderates, so vote for Democrats.

Arnold Mall

Kansas City, Kan.

This story was originally published July 4, 2016 at 12:11 PM with the headline "Readers weigh in on Donald Trump, Sam Brownback and Johnson County."