Letters on ISIS, Muslims, shattered nation
Take the fight to the enemy in its land
The United States has always been generous when helping the victimized, both in resources and military aid when appropriate. Until recently, the United States has helped many oppressed people by fighting beside them in their homeland. Now, we want to take the Syrians out of their war-torn country and bring them to the United States. Rather than join them in defending their homes, we are encouraging them to leave their country.
The Syrians are not bad people. But it is hard to imagine thousands of good people coming into our country (or Canada, which has agreed to take 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February) without some Islamic terrorists blending in, seeking an opportunity to destroy us. Like a Trojan horse, they will come into our country as a friend, only to reveal a cruel enemy, especially with ISIS’ newly acquired ability to fake Syrian passports.
Why don’t we take our strong military to the enemy in its land? Remember our successes in the overseas battles we have won? In World Wars I and II, we defended other countries, as well as our own shores, and we kept the fight outside of our borders.
Steve West, Colwich
Good people maligned
I want to thank the Global Learning Center and the Islamic Society of Wichita for presenting an educational and enlightening program on Dec. 6. About 250 people participated and were warmly welcomed by the members of the Islamic Society. These are caring, working people with families, professions and businesses.
It is inexcusable when good people are maligned and accused of being terrorists and fanatics by our elected leaders.
Sedgwick County Commissioner Karl Peterjohn recently made some comments, providing a “public warning” (“Peterjohn’s ugly rant was unproductive,” Nov. 20 Eagle Editorial). He showed a slide show of people who are named Muhammad. He then recited his list of Muhammads for the benefit of the Sedgwick County Commission. He said he had heard that not all Muslims are terrorists, but found this “irrelevant.” He noted that not all Russians were communists and not all Germans were Nazis. I don’t follow his logic.
Peterjohn owes these people an apology for his ignorant remarks. We deserve better from our elected officials. If Peterjohn is incapable of respecting all the citizens of Sedgwick County, perhaps he needs to find a more suitable line of work and be replaced with someone willing to heal our problems rather than make them worse.
Russ Pataky, Wichita
Don’t hate Muslims
Please don’t hate on our Muslim brothers and sisters. We do not hate on white people because Timothy McVeigh bombed the building in Oklahoma City.
It does not help matters when public figures, such as Donald Trump and Sedgwick County Commissioner Karl Peterjohn, contaminate our airwaves with racist rhetoric.
We cannot judge all Muslims as terrorists. But we can judge all terrorists as terrorists.
Sondra Luke, Wichita
Isolate ISIS
In the 1960s, our great fear was communism. We began fighting a war to defeat this failed ideology. In another part of the world, we simply isolated a recently formed communist government with that failed ideology. Well, it has been 50 years and Fidel Castro may still be alive, but the dream of a communist utopia is long dead. Cuba and Russia yearn for closer relations with this capitalist nation.
Today we fear terrorism. So we again find ourselves at war with a failed ideology. We possess the military power to defeat any army that this failed ideology might put forth, but there will always be some misguided soul who will strap on a bomb and take vengeance on us.
To defeat a failed ideology, there is no need of war; a failed ideology will defeat itself. What we need to do is isolate this failed ideology and wait 50 years. As they live out their lives in this Islamic utopia, the appeal of this dream will also die. That is the way to defeat ISIS and its ideology.
Mike Hubbell, Kingman
Once great nation
What happened to the United States of America that I loved and was proud to be a citizen of? President Obama did not shatter this nation single-handedly. And where is the Kansas I loved?
I confess here in this public way that my picks for president are, in order, Chris Christie, Donald Trump and Ben Carson. I like Christie because he speaks his mind clearly, embodies the honesty and intelligence of Ben Carson, and has experience in governing.
Then there is this mess in Kansas. Did Secretary of State Kris Kobach handpick Tabitha Lehman as election commissioner in Sedgwick County? Did he allow her to hire family members and close friends? And let her refuse to allow the Wichita State University statistician to review the results of Sedgwick County’s election?
I have been a registered Republican since I was of age but now have switched my affiliation to independent. May God have mercy on this once great nation.
Susan Phillips, Wichita
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This story was originally published December 15, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Letters on ISIS, Muslims, shattered nation."