What’s with all the Kansas City guys in shorts and sandals during freezing weather? | Opinion
Shorts weather?
What’s with the men in this area wearing knee-length shorts, sandals with no socks, stocking caps and two shirts under a sub-zero hoodie — in the middle of winter weather?
- C.D. Rinck Sr., Mission
Think first
The online headline of the Rev. Darron LaMonte Edwards’ recent Star guest commentary read, “As a Christian, I support Israel. As a Black man, I understand Palestine’s struggle.” (Nov. 1, 11A, “As a Christian, I support Israel. As a Black man, I hear others”)
I hope he can use something more than religion or race to formulate his opinions. Reliance on those tribal identities produced the problem we now see between Hamas and Israel.
Perhaps the intelligence of his mind in concert with others’ could produce a solution.
- Walter R. Jorgensen, Tumwater, Washington
Help us teach
In the era of evolving technologies, increasing wealth division and heightened political tension, it is often the younger generations who are lost in political conversations. I would like to highlight a problem we face not only here in the United States, but around the world. One of largest contributors to the poverty cycle is lack of access to education. Education is a right, but it is all too often considered a privilege these days.
In September 2017, the Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development Act was signed into law. It benefited more than 122 million students and educators. The READ Act was pivotal in maintaining the strength of our public education throughout COVID-19. However, it expired Sept. 30, and the reauthorization of READ awaits the approval of Congress. Without this bill in place, the fight for equitable education will falter.
As constituents of Rep. Sam Graves and Sens. Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt, we need to urge our members of Congress to make our education and the education of younger generations a priority.
Education is a right, and I urge my elected representatives to sign onto the bipartisan legislation of the READ Act.
- Olivia L. Linzy, Liberty
For Vietnam vets
These days approaching Veterans Day would be a good time to give a history of the Kansas City Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It’s been in place for more than 35 years now.
I started Vietnam Veterans and Friends, and with the help of many veterans, family members, friends and the Kansas City community, this important project was realized and accomplished.
- Robert C. Gay II, Kansas City
What works
The fence did not help. Israeli Yocheved Lifshitz’s report about her lived hell while being held hostage by Hamas is a window into the problem and the path to overcoming conflicts around the world. (Oct. 31, 8A, “Israeli media, also traumatized by Hamas attack, become Israel’s messengers”)
Fences don’t stop conflicts. It is impossible to successfully barricade part of our global community because it is perceived as an enemy. Frustration and anger ultimately boil over, releasing trauma and devastation on all sides. Even the ocean did not work as a fence on 9/11.
The attitudes creating the fence must change. “You can’t negotiate with people who want to kill you,” is the counterargument. The reality is, we must talk to people who want to kill us to end the conflict and find a mutually agreeable way forward. We learned it in Vietnam and Afghanistan, and will learn it again unless we change.
The antidote is peacebuilding, working to end perceived threats and making people’s lives better and more secure instead of worse and more threatened. Federal peacebuilding funds for atrocities prevention, reconciliation programs and complex crises response total less than $100 million compared with a defense budget to counter our enemies of more than $800 billion. That illustrates the path we are on and the change we have to make.
- Steve Kellogg, Independence
