Letters to the Editor: Readers take aim at deceptive lawmakers and 'evil' in schools

Don't let GOP rewrite history of Jan. 6

Shame on Missouri House Representatives Eric Burlison and Mark Alford for signing sleazy Matt Gaetz’s proclamation declaring that former President Donald Trump “did not engage” in insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.

They and 58 other GOP representatives with amnesia signed the declaration, desperate to influence courts and state election officials who are weighing whether Trump is eligible to run for public office under the 14th Amendment’s ban on insurrectionists.

Folks, Jan. 6 was not a peaceful protest. It was not citizens responsibly expressing their First Amendment right to free speech. It was a vicious attack on our democracy and innocent lives were lost in the violence and chaos. It was an insurrection directed by a person not willing to accept the will of the people and who disrespected our Constitution by inflaming his supporters to wage war on our nation’s Capitol.

Missouri voters, stop drinking the Fox News Kool-Aid. Trump is a toxic cancer dead set on establishing an authoritarian government that will further weaken America on the global stage and chip away at the personal freedoms we hold dear.

Call these cowardly Missouri reps and tell them to get a spine and do their jobs instead of holding press conferences to appease the former guy. Eric Burlison’s office number is (202) 225-6536 and Mark Alford’s number is (202) 225-2876.

Don’t be intimidated. It just takes a couple of minutes to make a call. The folks who answer the phones are polite and professional. Just state your opinion, give them your zip code and they’ll convey your opinion to their bosses.

We Missourians have got to wake up and start voting our consciences, not just our party.

Kathy Fridge, Springfield

Voters must "oppose evil" in school board election

In the Feb. 11 News-Leader the subhead on the front page story states "one of the gifts that Missouri was given is … an attempt to keep public education nonpartisan." This totally misses the root of contention within our school board. This is not Republican vs. Democrat. This is conflicting world views between “we can be neutral towards evil” and “we have a duty to oppose evil at every turn.” There is no common ground of agreement between these beliefs.

There is a lifetime of opportunity to choose evil (unfortunately), but we should not be grooming our children to believe that evil is a neutral or desirable choice. Rather, we should encourage them to choose good. We need to teach them the ability to engage in critical thinking, and to be able to express themselves in speech and writing. We should prioritize knowledge and understanding of history, mathematics, and science.

Our schools are in decline because of the false belief that we are obligated to be neutral toward evil. As Edmund Burke has said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” That is the real root of contention within our school board.

Dr. Ronald Glas, Springfield

Every vote needed to protect against Trump

Note to anyone who hears Special Counsel Hur’s words characterizing Biden as elderly — and decides not to vote for Biden, not to vote at all, or to vote for a third-party candidate. You owe it to America, to democracy, to the future, and to the WORLD to consider the following:

Biden calls on serious, steady, qualified, experienced people to help him do the gigantic job of the presidency. And he allows those men and women to do their jobs.

A mind-boggling number of those who worked closest with Trump have spoken forcefully about the dangers he presents. Here is a partial list (from CNN) of former allies who have warned America about Trump: Pence, Barr, Mattis, Esper, Haley, Christie, Tillerson, McMaster, Bolton, Kelly, Mulvaney, Scaramucci, DeVos, Chao, Grisham, Bossert, Cobb, Spencer, Griffin, Cohen, Newman, Matthews, Hutchinson.

They use these words: "unfit for office," "puts himself over the Constitution," "shouldn’t be anywhere near the Oval Office," "integrity and character issues," "wannabe dictator," "just out for himself," "absence of leadership," "domestic terrorist," "undermined American democracy baselessly," "an idiot," "relentlessly puts forth claims that are not true," "harming the country," "cannot stand by the man," "most grave threat to our democracy that we will face in our lifetime."

If the choice for president turns out to be between Trump and Biden — both men of advanced years — where should you place your vote? Not voting or voting for a third-party candidate is most likely to result in the election of Donald Trump.

Under Biden’s administration, more people are working than at any point in American history. Biden has turned around our economy; begun rebuilding our infrastructure; expanded benefits for toxic-exposed veterans; orchestrated the first meaningful gun violence reduction legislation in 30 years; protected marriage for LGBTQI+ and interracial couples; appointed Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and appointed federal judges of diverse backgrounds; rallied the world to support Ukraine against Russian aggression; offered historic student debt relief for middle and working-class families; delivered on the most aggressive climate and environmental justice agenda in American History.

Biden has my vote. He MUST have yours. We cannot survive four more years of Donald Trump.

Debby Baugh, Springfield

Don't fall for GOP deception on initiative petitions

STAND YOUR GROUND. Does it come as a surprise to you that the U.S. is among the world's declining democracies? As destructive as Trump has been on a national level, the battle to save democracy is actually being fought at state level by voters like you.

Since 1975 Missouri's constitution has reserved for the people the right to propose, enact or reject laws and amendments to the constitution by initiative, independent of the general assembly. The Republican super-majority in Missouri's legislature is fighting to repress citizen involvement — not just to reform, but to silence voters — killing direct democracy through initiatives.

The GOP — greed over people — claims to fight for smaller government. Fascism gives all authority to the privileged few enforced by the military and police. There is nothing small about that except the character of those pushing it. Who will defend Main Street from Wall Street? Democrats.

Recent legislative proposals would increase costs, double the number of required signatures, and require a 2/3 majority vote for passage of citizen petition initiatives; while legislative amendments would continue to require only a simple majority. Sound like a rigged deck?

Watch out for proposals that eliminate the section of the Missouri constitution that guarantees the initiative process be independent of the general assembly.

Now is the time to STAND YOUR GROUND. Know and fully understand all issues on the ballot before election day. Do not be deceived by GOP deceptive wording.

Democracy functions by means of checks and balances. Elect Democrats so the Republican super-majority will no longer have free rein to damage and eliminate democracy in Missouri — ignoring the state motto: LET THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE BE THE SUPREME LAW. Elect Democrats who will fight to enforce the motto and all it represents.

Jan Lancaster, Springfield.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Letters to the Editor: Deceptive lawmakers, 'evil' in schools