Unfettered Letters

Presidential reflection

Now that President Obama has "redecorated" the Oval Office and returned the bust of Winston Churchill to the British, perhaps in its place he will hang a mirror.

Paul M. Klein II
Mission

Returning England’s gift is a bust

I recently heard that President Obama was going to return a bust of Winston Churchill to England. It was a gift from England after the 9/11 tragedy. It had been in the Oval Office since then, and he had it removed and returned.

Is that not a slap in the face of our closest European ally?

Maxine Thayer
Leawood

Keep Powerball American

Very sorry to say, but if Powerball gets married up with other countries (2/10, Business, “In search of big jackpots”), I will no longer play. I personally feel that we have outsourced our lives away, and this is just another example.

It is hard enough to win as it is. I have to compete with other countries for jobs and speak to people I can hardly understand on the phone. I am not about to compete in fun.

I am starting to question my ability to live like an American.

Tracy Cavanaugh
Blue Springs

Comparing Churchill, Blair

Steve Breen’s political cartoon “Legacies” (5/15, Opinion) demonstrates a serious misreading of history.

Winston Churchill had to become Britain’s “bulldog” because his predecessor, Neville Chamberlain, played Adolf Hitler’s “lapdog” trying to appease the rising menace when a show a strength could have contained him. As a result, Hitler and his Nazi “crazies” went on to co-opt Germany’s people and treasure in a worldwide tragedy that led to millions of deaths.

Tony Blair’s successor will not have to play the bulldog because Blair has not kowtowed to the Muslim fanatic fringe, but rather has confronted and contained them at every turn. Fortunately, some people learn from history. Others are bound to repeat it.

Graham Marcott
Fairway

Thatcher Sept. 11 comments

Your coverage of the Sept. 11 remembrances dismayingly omitted both the presence of and insightful comments by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, now age 80, who was an invited guest for ceremonies at the White House.

As prime minister, she was bombed by IRA terrorists. Literally having been blown out of her hotel, the next morning she delivered one of the better speeches of her life.

She and President Ronald Reagan fought the Cold War for many years. They prevailed.

On Monday she said: “With America, Britain stands in the front line against Islamist fanatics who hate our beliefs, our liberties and our citizens. We must not falter. We must not fail.

“We are here to remember to pray for the dead and to share their loved ones’ grieving. But we also need to renew our resolve that, however bitter or lengthy the struggle, this evil shall not prevail.”

In the face of barbarism that “was an attack upon us all,” Lady Thatcher again demonstrated resolute friendship with America. I, for one, am humbly grateful.

J. Scott Brown
Leawood

Blair’s announcement

Since the president’s buddy Tony Blair has announced he will leave office next year because his British countrymen realize things are going to heck and will vote his party out, I see no reason why Bush and his cronies shouldn’t follow suit immediately.

Bush and his reckless policies are not only leading to the deaths of hundreds of our brave young men and women in the unnecessary quagmire of Iraq. They are also putting every American in greater economic, political and military danger than we have probably ever been in.

It certainly would be best if Bush would join Blair and leave now instead of in two years, so we could get our country back on the road to earning the world’s respect and gaining greater prosperity and true safety for all Americans.

John Hetlinger
Shawnee

Learn from British

A short article on Page A-10 on May 26 showed what a democratic government can do when the focus is on solutions instead of politics.

To avert a looming funding crisis as people live longer and have fewer children, the British government unveiled a major overhaul of the state pension system, including an increase of the retirement age and linking benefits to earnings.

The United States has the same problem staring at it.

The future costs of our major entitlement programs — Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — are projected to create enormous, unsustainable demands on the federal budget within the foreseeable future. Yet the administration and Congress are unable to work together even to define these and several other major problems, much less solve them.

Doubtless, it took strong leadership and individual courage on the part of the members of the British Parliament to support changes in the highly politicized state pension program.

In the 2006 congressional and 2008 presidential elections, we will have the opportunity to reject special interests and elect candidates who have insight, workable ideas and courage. But without a strong turnout of informed voters, we will have politics as usual.

Jerry Schmidt
Lenexa