Letter To My Unborn

Letters | Monday, June 20

<strong><span class="subhead">Sex, power, hypocrisy</span></strong></p><p>Yes, Rep. Anthony Weiner got really stupid with his Twitter account. But he did not, as far as we know, risk bringing a sexually transmitted disease home to his spouse, unlike Newt Gingrich, David Vitter or John Ensign.</p><p>I don&#x2019;t know what makes me angrier: the hypocrisy of these God-fearing, family-values Republicans or the totally spineless Democrats and media who let them go on unchallenged.</p><p><p align="right"><strong>Don Cameron</strong></p></p><p><p align="right"><em>Overland Park</em></p></p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Presidential failure</span></strong></p><p>A June 12 letter writer excoriating President Barack Obama&#x2019;s critics wrote, &#x201C;You can tell a lot about a public person&#x2019;s job performance by examining the critics.&#x201D; He refers to the comments of those critics as &#x201C;trivial and sophomoric&#x201D; and without &#x201C;solid footing.&#x201D;</p><p>He goes on to rail against Obama&#x2019;s naysayers as having &#x201C;goofy rallies, inane costumes, phony patriotism and insincere flag waving.&#x201D; How prescient of him. Further, he states that Obama critics offer &#x201C;no real solutions, just name calling.&#x201D;</p><p>&#x201C;Name calling?&#x201D; The entire letter is name calling, and to use the writer&#x2019;s own words, &#x201C;no number of infantile cheap shots&#x201D; by him or those like him will change the attitudes and beliefs of those who are of the opinion that Obama is just not quite up to the task of the Oval Office.</p><p>By the letter writer&#x2019;s standards of judging job performance by &#x201C;examining the critics,&#x201D; George W. Bush would be at the top of the list of great presidents.</p><p><p align="right"><strong>Tom Karczewski</strong></p></p><p><p align="right"><em>Kansas City</em></p></p><p><strong><span class="subhead">U.S. roots behind German strength</span></strong></p><p>A June 12 letter writer discussed Germany&#x2019;s response to the economic recession and unemployment, lauding that country&#x2019;s socialistic safety net for health care and unemployment payments. </p><p>I too admire much of the Democratic socialism of Europe. But friends, there&#x2019;s a reason Germany especially can afford it: It&#x2019;s because of years of American aid to the German economy and years of American taxpayers footing the bill for Germany&#x2019;s national defense.</p><p>After more than 60 years since the end of World War II, we need to close some bases, bring our troops home and start being more economically nationalistic &#x2014; like Germany and China. Let the Europeans fund their own national defense at this point, or by golly let them go under.</p><p>How much longer are we going to passively allow China to manipulate the value of its currency to our disadvantage? Our imbalance of trade with China is nothing short of horrendous, mostly because the Chinese refuse to let the value of its currency &#x201C;float&#x201D; on the world market along with the dollar.</p><p>It is not a level playing field. Yet it just continues without reprisal year after year, to our great disadvantage.</p><p><p align="right"><strong>Ron L. Jinkerson</strong></p></p><p><p align="right"><em>Kansas City</em></p></p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Billboard bill good</span></strong></p><p>In a June 14 editorial, &#x201C;Nixon must take a stand,&#x201D; The Star&#x2019;s editorial board urges the governor to veto HB 430, citing its effect on local control of billboards. </p><p>But most of the local control language in this bill was drafted by the Missouri Municipal League. The only real restriction on local governments is to prohibit a total ban on major state highways. HB 430 would not allow a new sign that couldn&#x2019;t already be built under the current law. </p><p>HB 430 would allow the Missouri Department of Transportation to relocate signs displaced by road construction and allow new technology to be added to some existing signs. Under the bill any relocations or additions of new technology are subject to local approval. Under current law, MoDOT must purchase for fair market value any billboards displaced by road construction. </p><p>This bill would allow MoDOT to simply pay the cost to move an existing sign. The outdoor advertising industry generates an estimated $20 billion in consumer spending in Missouri. Outdoor advertising supports thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of Missouri jobs.</p><p>Any local control concerns as a reason to veto the legislation are baseless. </p><p><p align="right"><strong>William H. May</strong></p></p><p><p align="right"><em>Missouri Outdoor</em></p></p><p><p align="right"><em>Advertising Association</em></p></p><p><p align="right"><em>Springfield</em></p></p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Brownback cuts hurt education</span></strong></p><p>In October 2010, candidate for Kansas governor Sam Brownback stated in writing that he was in favor of focusing education dollars in the classroom and being fully committed to ensuring that every American student receives a top-level education. He said a vital way to keep our education system strong was by retaining good quality teachers.</p><p>&#x201C;I believe that teachers are the backbone of society and recognize their tireless work in educating today&#x2019;s students who are the future of this great nation,&#x201D; Brownback said. </p><p>Gov. Brownback&#x2019;s budget includes the largest cuts to education in the history of the state of Kansas, seriously threatening the fiscal stability for teachers, current and retired, and ignoring all attempts to cut back on tax breaks to corporations.</p><p>Actions speak louder than words. In the governor&#x2019;s actions, I see only hypocrisy.</p><p><p align="right"><strong>Kathryn Moore</strong></p></p><p><p align="right"><em>Manhattan, Kan.</em></p></p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Support Bishop Finn</span></strong></p><p>Even though Bishop Robert Finn has taken full responsibility and apologized to our diocese and to everyone affected by the recent allegations against Father Shawn Ratigan, he continues to be unjustly criticized &#x2014; especially by some in our diocese who have not supported him since he became our bishop in 2005. </p><p>In my opinion, Bishop Finn has what we as Catholics and as Christians all need &#x2014; a spiritual backbone. He has re-established our Catholic identity in our parishes and in our schools by teaching the truths of our faith and emphasizing the importance of our rich traditions. He has demonstrated his humility and compassion by quietly consoling a loved one of someone dying and visiting many in hospitals to encourage and pray with them before a serious surgery.</p><p>He has also been a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable in our society &#x2014; the unborn. </p><p>Because of his strong commitment to life, Bishop Finn would not want anyone, especially a child, to be mistreated or abused. </p><p>We, as Catholics, must unite to destroy the forces of evil that are trying to destroy our Catholic identity and a bishop who humbly reflects goodness and holiness.</p><p><p align="right"><strong>Jenny Ruppert</strong></p></p><p><p align="right"><em>Kansas City</em></p></p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Criminal child abuse</span></strong></p><p>Regarding the June 12 letter in defense of Bishop Robert Finn, writing &#x201C;Let he or she who is without sin cast the first stone&#x2026;&#x201D; I ask if the letter writer would take this same stance if one of the victims were his child?</p><p><p align="right"><strong>Maureen O&#x2019;Brien Salz</strong></p></p><p><p align="right"><em>Overland Park</em></p></p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Intolerable animal abuse</span></strong></p><p>This letter is to the &#x201C;human&#x201D; who used a seven-week-old kitten as a lasso, violently swinging her by her front leg repeatedly and then throwing her out of a vehicle on Interstate 435 just north of Legends this month. I gathered her out of the middle of the road just after a car straddled her.</p><p>Two frightened eyes looked at me, her body frozen in fear. </p><p>She will require a leg amputation. Her front leg is so hyper-extended that it will never heal. It is useless now.</p><p>I will pay for this and spaying her with the help of Nall Hills Animal Hospital and LLDog Rescue. The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City also offered help.</p><p>The road rash and missing nails will heal on their own. Once she is healed, I will find her a home where she will be safe and loved.</p><p>I wish I could include a picture of her so that you can see what you&#x2019;ve done. What is wrong with you?</p><p><p align="right"><strong>Sheryl Granville</strong></p></p><p><p align="right"><em>Shawnee</em></p></p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Educate all children</span></strong></p><p>In my opinion, all the policies we need are in place. Everything we need is there. The problem lies in the lack of enforcement of existing policies.</p><p>Let&#x2019;s end this leniency now. Teachers, employers, law enforcement, the courts, families and friends should be held accountable once they violate our rights as human beings &#x2014; not with a slap on the wrist but with jail time.</p><p>What crime is worse than the imprisonment of an entire people? The teacher who has the responsibility to teach all of her students should be fired and prosecuted if that teacher abuses the children or treats them despairingly because of ethnicity or color.</p><p>School districts that fail to provide English as a second language teachers and services should be prosecuted because they are stealing an education from the children. </p><p>The only way to improve the well being of Latinos is to enforce all civil rights policies with jail time and fines to all employers, states, counties and anyone else who violates them.</p><p><p align="right"><strong>Florentino Camacho Jr.

Letter To My Unborn | Unboxed Writers

Dear Baby,

I haven’t thought of a name for you as yet – your Papa and I are still arguing over it. But whatever we call you, you are always going to be our sweetheart!

Thanks for bestowing on me the honour of being a mother. And for being God’s most unsullied blessing in our life.

As I long to hold you in my arms, I know that my life is about to change forever. Forever beautiful, and I look forward to growing up with you all over again!

When I saw you for the first time during the Ultrasound, you held out your palm and I imagined the lines on them – clear and strong. I felt that your eyes were open and you had an unflinching gaze. It told me that you were ready to take this world head on! You are Destiny’s child, my sweetheart, and I welcome you into this new world.

A crazy world!

A new place to battle for survival, but live it like there’s no other.

Face challenges and challenge yourself.

Be strong, yet humble.

Be happy and make others happy.

Love.

Find out who you really are and carve your own destiny.

Lead the world with your actions, not words.

Live for something. Do something.

Be yourself!

As I will soon hold you high in my arms and watch you looking up to the sky, I can imagine how your brilliance will shadow the sun.

We will guide you, but be your own person.

Let the storms be humbled by your courage.

Let your wings unfurl fearlessly and scale the highest mountains.

Know the good well and the evil even better.

Compete, but with yourself.

Aim for the stars, but be grounded.

Shatter myths, but be rooted.

Love and respect this one chance that God has given you to make this world a better place.

Let your journey to celebrate this life begin.

Welcome home, my sweetheart, welcome home!

Love always,

Maa.

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