Letters to the Editor (March 8)

Supporting proof of citizenship

I am a senior in the Aerospace Engineering department at Wichita State University and a proud U.S. citizen. As a naturalized citizen, I fully support the SAFE Act, which requires proof of citizenship when registering to vote in Kansas.

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 requires stating eligibility and “claiming to be U.S. citizen” under perjury without any proof. But anyone can state anything, and requiring proof of citizenship protects our right as citizens. It’s a common-sense law.

At the recent Republican state convention, I had the blessing to meet secretary of state Kris Kobach and his compassionate and caring wife Heather, who made me feel like I was part of their family. They carry the values that are deeply rooted in every square inch of the great state of Kansas.

Gun responsibility

One task of the first Congress was to clean up ragged edges of the Constitution. The result was the so-called Bill of Rights, which consisted of 10 amendments adopted on Dec. 15, 1791.

The Second Amendment recognized the fact that the revolution would have been lost had the 13 separate states not organized militia units already trained and ready to fight.

Those units live on, but following the French Revolution, they were renamed “National Guard” to honor the Marquis de Lafayette, who was considered a hero of two revolutions.

Switzerland does not call it “Second Amendment,” but it has a similar system that works well.

The government issues a gun to every able-bodied Swiss man. He is required to take classes, become proficient in its use and drill annually. He is required to keep his weapon at home with a supply of ammunition until he’s done serving in the militia.

Kansas is a constitutional-carry state requiring no training. Among the results are owners harmed because they did not know it was necessary to remove the bullets before cleaning a gun, and children harmed by guns left unattended.

We could learn from the Swiss.

Intrust Bank Arena seats remain a pain

Sunday’s paper had an article listing local improvements made to impress the NCAA March Madness crowd, including some changes to Intrust Bank Arena. Sadly, the one thing needed most desperately was not considered — reconfiguring the seating in some areas and buying new seats for others.

I have never been to a more uncomfortable venue. There is no good seat. I have sat high, low, second row on the floor. They are all miserable. There is no room side to side nor front to back. There is no air on the floor.

All persons responsible for this design debacle — arena architects, construction personnel, county commissioners — should be held accountable for squandering ample tax funds.

I, for one, will not be surprised at the rancorous hue and cry I expect to hear coming from Intrust Bank Arena in the next few weeks, and it won’t be from sore losers. It will be from disgruntled tournament attendees who expected a better seat for their money.

WSU short-sighted in possible cuts

An alumnus of WSU who happily acknowledges the great debt of education and professional training I received there, I am quite simply appalled by the idea of student fees being withdrawn from the Sunflower and the Mikrokosmos.

There are some important principles at stake here. One, a healthy democracy depends on educated voters who, two, in turn depend upon the “press” to collect and disseminate the news, the raw information we use to make decisions.

Without the press, we are in the dark. Sometimes the press creates the dark, but that is the price of open discussion. The university should embrace these principles of discussion and dispute. The university plays a crucial role in assuring all of us that students learn the value of the press and respect its function in a free society. It is not a complicated argument.

The Mikrokosmos is equally important along the same lines of argument. Free expression makes us free.

I worked on the Mikro a time ago and later I worked for the Eagle and other papers. The university prepared me for that work. This is a simple testimony.

This story was originally published March 8, 2018 at 4:00 AM with the headline "Letters to the Editor (March 8)."