Their silence says it all: Moran and other Republicans don’t support our military | Opinion
Silent senators
OK, do Republican senators have respect for military members and their families? When I heard Donald Trump say former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley should be executed for treason because he spoke the truth about Trump’s actions and comments, I was outraged. (Oct. 1, 22A, “Trump’s attacks on Milley spur call for gag order”)
My late brother was career Navy with eight years of submarine duty; my dad served in the Navy, mom in the Army, husband in the Marines, grandson is career Army, and I was in the Air Force Reserve as a flight nurse.
I am appalled by the silence of Republican senators hearing these remarks. Sen. Jerry Moran usually is a great advocate for the military, and yet not any public comments from him. Sen. Tommy Tuberville has blocked all military appointments because he doesn’t agree with its abortion policies — again, silence from Moran.
Respect for our military should be non-partisan and non-political. Trump’s former chief of staff, Gen. John Kelly, revealed that Trump called our dead soldiers “losers” and did not want injured military members at his rallies because “it didn’t look good for him.”
Again, silence from our senators. Good grief! What will it take to have the courage to speak out against Trump? Silence is compliance.
- Sue Thompson, Mission
Gaetz on faith
I must have been in an alternate universe when I thought I heard Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida respond to a reporter’s question regarding separation of church and state by saying the Founding Fathers meant the state was to stay out of the church’s business but not vice versa. Huh?
Did I zzzz through history class? Did pilgrims, Quakers and other denominations travel this-a-way because they wanted to take a cruise to the colonies? And while Gaetz is still heady with the Kevin McCarthy ouster as speaker of the house, perhaps he would also like to define “church.” After all, not all churches look alike. Even Christian churches have different parameters regarding faith. Remember the old saw that Jesus was a Middle Eastern Jew before Christianity came on the scene.
I guess I must have heard the distorted megaphone of Gaetz’s political ambition. After I pick up my dropped jaw, I’ll run for earplugs.
- Marilyn Schaeffer, Kansas City
A dog’s tale
Stella.
Growing up, nothing in my life was ever permanent. My family never stayed in one place long, and I always yearned for the feeling of comfort and security.
On my seventh birthday, my parents surprised me with an American Eskimo named Stella. Everything in my life was perfect, the sinking feeling in my chest was gone, and I was finally happy.
I cannot thank my parents enough for giving me my first true best friend.
Dogs develop an emotional attachment to us that makes us learn things about the world and ourselves we did not know before.
We all need to have a dog in our lives.
Dogs require a lot of maintenance, and people shy away from dog adoption because of this. But for humans struggling with disabilities or mental health, taking care of a dog and accomplishing something small every day can help improve a person’s health tremendously.
Stella changed my life.
Even though she is not here anymore, she taught me so much, and we created memories that I’ll cherish forever.
Dogs are truly a man’s best friend.
- Ava Wilmes, Blue Springs
Enough already
Please, we understand that you feel offended when one of your own is subjected to unfair treatment, but really, how often must we read (usually front page) about the Marion County Record?
Then, it is not unusual for the front page (above the fold) to report inane info while issues that people should hear about are buried elsewhere. Case in point, we are advised that a pompous congress person has been required to move to a smaller office. (Oct. 5, 1A, “Acting House speaker orders Pelosi to vacate Capitol office”) Wow, that’s big news? But mortgage rates at a 20-year high of 7.5% or a report that 1 in 8 families had a drop in income last month — these stories find their way to Page 6.
Please start considering what matters to us rather than your personal gripes or offenses.
- William Hobbs, Overland Park
Special K
My husband and I moved to Lee’s Summit from California in 2020. We were big San Francisco Giants fans and season ticket holders.
We have been to a lot of games at Oracle Park, and I can say without any question that Kauffman Stadium is worlds better than that fancy downtown ballpark in San Francisco.
First is parking. Oracle Park has none. So you have to find an independently owned garage or parking lot. Minimum $40, and during high-demand games it goes to well over $100. Officials want people to use public transit, which doesn’t really exist coming from the north like we did. We had a minimum 90-minute drive each way because of traffic congestion.
Our first game at Kauffman, I was in love. A real color guard on the field, and the people and players stood for it.
Families everywhere. A parking lot for tailgating. We left our house and were parked 20 minutes later. We have been season ticket holders ever since.
Don’t create another Oracle Park for the Royals. It would destroy the family-oriented atmosphere that Kauffman has.
- Lisa Israel, Lee’s Summit
Royal bust
The Royals lost 106 games this season. (Oct. 4, 7B, “What’s next for Royals after historic 106-loss season?”) In the Premier League (English soccer), at the end of each season the worst three teams are relegated to the second-tier league. The Royals deserve to be relegated. Owner and CEO John Sherman called this season a “year of evaluation.” There’s my evaluation. Kansas City fans deserve better.
- Chuck Osborn, Atchison, Kansas
Crucial care
This summer, I attended Missouri Scholars Academy, a program for proficient high school juniors. There were hundreds of us, all bright and curious. We laughed, danced and sang together, but an issue was glaringly obvious: Most of us struggled with mental health.
In recent years, mental health has been worsening for adolescents, which shows the current mental health system isn’t effective. In particular, accomplished young scholars are at risk of suffering mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety because of their perfectionism and tendency to overthink. It’s clear that the Missouri legislature must act on this issue, either by allocating more of its budget to train teachers to meet the needs of high-achieving children or by giving them access to free or low-cost mental health services.
Still, some may argue that the most accomplished learners shouldn’t get extra attention because they’re a minority, but they are the future. They make up our future leaders, doctors, scientists and engineers, and it is crucial for us to help them flourish and achieve their potential.
- Sophia Son, Lee’s Summit
