Unfettered Letters

Kenny Hulshof for governor

“Change” may have been a factor in some of The Star’s candidate endorsements, but it certainly wasn’t in backing Jay Nixon for governor.

The Star calls Nixon “the best candidate to get Missouri moving again” (10/26, Opinion, “Nixon has good ideas, experience”). Only one candidate in the race for the state’s highest office will move Missouri forward, and that’s Kenny Hulshof.

Hulshof has worked to ensure government is responsive and responsible. He will do the same as our governor. Hulshof has a proven record of working across party lines to get real results.

Hulshof has shown integrity and the will to do what’s right, even when it has meant going against party leaders.

We need a leader with the courage to tackle today’s challenges and the vision to lead us forward. Kenny Hulshof is the man for the job.

Cody Gariss
Lamar, Mo.

Be careful with your vote

It amazes me, the trash being sent over the Internet. And it didn’t take long for some idiot to start sending out e-mails attacking the Democrats and John Edwards for having an affair. That person must not have read about Newt Gingrich or Rudy Giuliani’s multiple affairs. How about Sen Larry Craig’s men’s-room follies? Or about McCain leaving the mother of his children to marry a rich woman, and use her family’s money to launch his political career?  The list goes on and on. Are these the family values the Republicans like to talk about? There’s an old saying: People who live in glass houses shouldn’t cast stones. Vote for the candidate who best shares your views. Don’t vote for the party, race, or because of misleading campaign ads, or stupid trash sent over the Internet.

Jim Schultz
Lee’s Summit

Racy e-mails no big deal

Regarding The Star’s article about sheriff candidate Mike Sharp (7/31, Local, “Candidate admits forwarding racy e-mails”): I am so tired of hearing about how “women in the community would be quite upset about this.”

If you looked at every e-mail during the past 10 years of anyone in politics, there would probably be one that would offend just about everyone. I understand that the Kansas City Police Department has a policy regarding explicit e-mails, but is it the end of the world if someone has a laugh with a couple of friends?

With the election coming up, I think we need to focus on the issues that matter, not some e-mails from years ago. Should we go around digging up dirt on everyone in the running for sheriff?

As a woman myself, I receive a ton of e-mail a day, most of it junk. But I do get funny stuff from my co-workers and friends that I probably wouldn’t show my grandmother. I also don’t take offense if a man receives an e-mail photo of a nude woman.

The Internet is full of useless and inappropriate stuff, and it will never go away.

Colleen Kelley
Kansas City

Think before you forward

I have received yet another e-mail about the terrible things that presidential candidate X is going to do and candidate Y is not.

I wish to remain impartial in my affiliation, because this is an issue of fiction versus fact and the idea that people believe everything they receive in e-mail and forward them to so many others without checking out what is being said.

People, get a brain of your own! There is a great Web site called Snopes.com that separates fact and fiction. Before you blindly forward e-mails, which makes you look ignorant, check out Snopes.com and see what the facts really are.

Lesa Gonzalez
Kansas City

Smithfield e-mail

I consider it highly unethical of The Star to publish an e-mail received in error. In this case no damage was done, as it showed that Smithfield was taking a well-reasoned and thought-out approach to this litigation (4/25, Business, “Smithfield to fight hog farm lawsuits”). But it did show that The Star was willing to take advantage of someone’s inadvertent error.

It is clear that you don’t subscribe to the old adage that a gentleman does not read someone else’s mail

Dan Maclean
Kansas City

Editor’s note: The Star published a box with the story explaining why editors decided to write about the e-mail message, which Smithfield Foods Inc. requested that the paper ignore and destroy.

Acrobatic investigation

From an article in The Star (March 22, A-1, “McCain, Clinton files also breached”): “(Condoleezza) Rice told reporters in Brazil. ‘And therefore I will stay on top of it and get to the bottom of it.’.”

How’s she going to do that from up there?

Neal A. Johnson
Kansas City

Don’t forward the e-mails

Most politically correct people no longer discuss politics, as they do not want to offend anyone. They have no wish to contribute to the nastiness that is dividing our country. Yet no one thinks twice about offending us with political e-mail, whether it is thinly disguised as humor or might be fact or fiction.

We are so dismayed to receive this type of e-mail. Since civil discourse has become impossible, we refuse to forward any kind of political message. Perhaps a very real change will come about when the average citizen refuses to aid the hatemongers. They can hit the delete key instead of forwarding malicious e-mail.

Marilyn R. Conradt
Shawnee

Presidential candidate letters

Comparing candidates

Regarding “Their work, their wishes, their words” (2/3, A-17) compiled by Scott Canon: To compare apples to apples, the comparison chart should have listed both Democratic candidates’ educational credentials. Clinton is listed as a “Yale-educated lawyer”; Obama is listed merely as a “lawyer,” rather than a Harvard-educated lawyer. The omission is significant.

Other notable omissions from the Obama bio section: He was the first African-American to ever be elected president of the Harvard Law Review and a constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago

K.O. Strohbehn
Leawood

Clinton and McCaskill

So, Claire McCaskill, you let your children decide who you should back for the Democratic nominee. I also encouraged my children to back you when you were running. They live in Missouri, and I live in Kansas. I am beginning to feel I made a mistake.

Did you tell your children how Hillary Clinton had been fighting for women’s rights and children’s health insurance? She has gone overseas to help women in many countries when she was first lady, and worked on many other good causes.

She also knows how to work across the aisles, as she has done many times since she has been a senator in New York.

I also believe she is more than qualified in foreign policy, armed service policy, health care and, most of all, the economy.

I think you have missed an opportunity to back a great person who would make a great first women president.

Just had to express my opinion from a lady Democrat who caucused for Hillary on Tuesday in Kansas.

Joan Hill
Stilwell

Presidential qualifications

I must respond to Martha Couric’s letter (2/1) where she states she cannot relate to Hillary Clinton because she cannot imagine her unloading a dishwasher or grocery shopping. I wonder if Ms. Couric would express the same criticisms of a male candidate.

Many of us seem to be unable to accept that choices different from our own are valid. This may be especially true for women. We want other women to seem just like us. But there are as many ways for women to achieve success as there are individual women, and we must make the choices that work best for us, as Clinton has.

Hillary Clinton’s choices have allowed her accomplishments that reveal a person of great intelligence, strong ideas, leadership and tenacity. She is ambitious and determined to win the presidency, but I think you would have to say the same of every president we have ever had, with the possible exception of George Washington.

Kay Hopkins
Leawood

Regarding Martha Couric’s letter: How nice you aren’t going to vote for Hillary because she doesn’t “unload a dishwasher, shop for groceries,” etc. What planet do you live on? I’m pretty sure George Bush does not do those things either. Oh, but, of course, he’s a man.

I would bet you’ve had your mind made up for quite a while. Perhaps your husband tells you how to vote. Have you never been out in the world making a living? Some of us have not been so fortunate as to be stay-at-home moms, even though many would like to.

Of course you should not vote for Hillary because she’s a woman. You should vote for her because she is the best person for the job. It took a Clinton to clean up the last Bush’s mess, and it will take a Clinton to clean up after this one.

C.S. Hutton
Butler, Mo.

Women in politics

For almost half a century, I have encouraged women to take advantage of their talents and intelligence to become leaders in their communities.

During most of those years I worked with a women’s educational association, and I took great delight in seeing women move up the ladder in business and in government, and, yes, I do believe that a woman could be a great president.

I am proud today that Kathleen Sebelius is my governor. I am truly pleased that Sen. Claire McCaskill is making a mark in what has long been called the old boys’ club.

However, I am disappointed when I hear or read that a voter is casting a ballot for a candidate just because she is a woman.

This is no different than casting a ballot for or against a candidate because of the color of his or her skin — or because of the church he or she attends.

In these difficult times, our cities, states and particularly our nation need representatives who can bring back the “I’m proud to be an American” feeling.

I urge voters to consider the history and the philosophies of candidates and use this information to vote.

Bill Blair
Overland Park

What do our kids know?

After watching the beginning of Ken Burns’ documentary series “The War,” I can’t help but ponder how much young people will be missing if social studies is not taught and tested in the same way as reading and mathematics.

I know that many schools are trying to find ways to increase and maintain adequate yearly progress at the expense of teaching social studies.

What a terrible loss and disadvantage that we will be promoting ignorance of what defines us as a nation.

History is more than just good television. It is problem solving, critical thinking and conflict resolution — and absolutely essential for a complete education.

Nancy Pence
Overland Park

Indy/KC schools

So Superintendent Anthony Amato thinks “money and politics are driving school-transfer move” (9/7, Local, “KC’s Amato takes aim at motives; He says money and politics are driving school-transfer move”).

I believe he is missing the more important point evidenced by the thousands of petition signatures of individuals who really do think this issue is about education.

Living in northwestern Independence, my husband and I researched the KC schools our children would be attending and found them lacking and the busing issue a definite drawback. We knew the Independence district to be very good and only wished our children could receive a good education in the neighborhood in which they lived and played.

Our children received an exceptional education in a parochial setting, but I believe parents living in Independence should have the right to better education for their children in their own neighborhoods.

Loretta Krawczyk
Independence