The Star’s editorial got it wrong: Obama and Clinton didn’t try to divide Americans | Opinion

Not equivalent

The Star’s Sunday editorial “Hawley and Schmitt are right we’re divided. Fighting won’t fix it” (16A) notes Sen. Eric Schmitt’s rhetoric, correctly calling his aspersions toward people on the left divisive. It goes on to link that rhetoric with Barack Obama’s reference in 2008 to rural conservatives who, in response to apparent government disinterest in their struggles, “cling to guns or religion,” and it further suggests, based on that and on Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” comment, that progressive and far-right GOP rhetoric are equally to blame for dividing us.

That’s nonsense. Obama was attempting to explain his lack of support among rural Pennsylvanians at the time, trying to understand where they were coming from. He expressed himself poorly, maybe, but compared with Schmitt accusing people on the left of despising “patriotism, religion, community and merit,” Obama was throwing kisses.

And Clinton, in the context of America’s foundational ideals, certainly simply spoke the truth.

The editorial board surely knows both sides are not equally at fault for the divisions threatening the republic. That it felt required to write otherwise speaks to the rubber backbone of the board, and to our country’s dim prospects.

After all, if the paper is afraid to print the truth for its own sake, the fourth estate might as well not exist.

- Rev. Steve Hatfield, Liberty

Excellent service

The Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department is truly on the ball and a very well oiled machine. Within one hour of my recent phone call alert to its lines, a work team had removed a tree lying across a street and swept it clean and clear.

A huge thanks must go to department forester Mike Overcash and his incredible team of workers. They certainly fly all the high flights.

- Frank Berry, Kansas City

Eat for health

Inflammatory bowel disease can be either Crohn’s disease or colitis, and it remains a painful gastrointestinal-tract disease that affects children and adults. Because of increased Western diet consumption fueled with high sugar and fat, global statistics stand at around 7 million IBD-diagnosed cases worldwide, with increased diagnosis in children.

As patients with IBD struggle with what to eat and what not to eat, researchers at the University of Kansas Medical Center have comprehensively reviewed scientific articles and described their findings in a paper, “Health benefits of dietary fiber for the management of Inflammatory bowel disease,” which can be found at mdpi.com

- Kafayat Yusuf, Kansas City, Kansas

Easier care

Most Kansans don’t remember the important action taken by former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on March 31, 2003, but untold numbers have benefited from it.

On that day, Sebelius vastly improved access to essential health care services throughout the state, especially in rural and other medically underserved areas. How? By decisively informing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in Washington that Kansas would no longer require Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists to be supervised by physicians when providing anesthesia care.

Since that day, 900-plus CRNAs across Kansas have provided more than 16 million anesthetics to patients for surgery, labor and delivery, trauma stabilization and other crucial services. Every day, CRNAs work closely, collaboratively and collegially with surgeons, obstetricians, emergency room doctors and other practitioners, just not under their supervision.

As a CRNA myself, I want to recognize Gov. Sebelius for her wise and courageous action, and I also thank our state leaders over the last 20 years for putting their trust in CRNAs. I know I speak for my CRNA colleagues throughout the state when I say that it will be our honor and privilege to provide safe, cost-effective anesthesia care to Kansans for the next 20 years and then some.

- Lindsey Abraham, Overland Park