Letters on freedoms, third-party votes, ACA, David Dennis, ‘Doc’

Thankful for the freedoms we enjoy

I am a naturalized citizen, and not a day goes by that I am not thankful for the freedoms we enjoy in this country.

I appreciate liberty each and every single day.

I appreciate the diversity, nationalities and backgrounds of our general population.

I recognize that our economic system gives us power to decide how and where we will spend our earnings and the freedom to make choices.

I would like to keep our troops home, but I support them wherever they are, whether or not I agree with the war they are fighting. I’m always hoping they will come home very soon.

I believe in our Constitution and our Bill of Rights.

I always hope we have the strength, courage and determination to preserve peace without glorifying war.

I am tolerant of the ideas of others and respectful of their right to express them.

I fully realize we live in the greatest country in the world, created by free people, not by kings or presidents.

I care for others in need and do what I can, with my own resources.

Happy Fourth of July.

Vote thrown away?

It’s an election year. Time for Americans to make fools of themselves again by being hypnotized by the “Demopublican” mantra.

Follow the bouncing ball in your mind’s eye and repeat the mindless, self-fulfilling prophecy.

“Why throw away your vote for a third-party candidate when you can waste it deciding the lesser of two evils?”

How ironic that if everybody got together to “throw away their vote,” instead of waste it, it wouldn’t be thrown away at all.

Even sheep have to be herded to be sheared. It takes really ignorant human sheep to voluntarily line up at the polls so they can be sheared.

Something better?

I will never vote for a candidate who promises to “disassemble the Affordable Care Act and replace it with something better.” If they did have something better, how long would the interim be, between the time they stripped away the help the patients are receiving and replaced it with “something better”?

Since they stifled President Nixon’s attempt to establish medical reforms, the opponents had 40 years to supply “something better” – and failed to do so. Why should I believe they will accomplish “something better” in a year, or even five years? And how many people will fall through the cracks in this time?

The ACA, however imperfect, has been built and installed and is in practice. Instead of reviling it and vowing to eliminate it, let’s concentrate on making it work better.

If the detractors of the ACA spent a dime trying to improve the ACA for every dollar spent fighting it, wouldn’t we all be a lot better off?

Vote for Dennis

As a retired brigadier general in the U.S. Marine Corps, I am proud to have served my country for more than three decades as a pilot. Since 2004, I have enjoyed the good life in Wichita and Sedgwick County.

But in the past two years I have become very concerned about the direction the current majority of the Sedgwick County Commission is taking us. They make decisions that are pulling apart the fabric of our community, such as funding cuts and lack of support for nonprofits such as the Sedgwick County Zoo.

The good news is that we can change this on Aug. 2 in the Republican primary with a vote for David Dennis, a lifelong conservative Republican.

Dennis is the type of public servant we want. He asks good questions, has thoughtful answers and isn’t afraid to make tough decisions. As a retired Air Force colonel, he’s managed large budgets and many people.

This is the only chance to change the direction of our County Commission, or we’ll have a majority that’s even more out of control for at least two more years.

Please join me in supporting David Dennis for Sedgwick County Commission on Aug. 2.

Proud of ‘Doc’

I would like to thank The Eagle for keeping us posted on the progress of “Doc” (“‘Doc’ cleared for testing on McConnell base runway,” June 25 Eagle). Like many others, I hope The Eagle will let us know in advance of Doc’s maiden flight, so that we can be outside and looking to the sky when it flies over.

Our presence will not be to honor the horrific deeds performed in battle but rather to honor the men and women of Wichita who built the original planes so many years ago and the hundreds in our community who have brought this plane back to life.

What a testament to our integrity, our work ethic, our sense of pride in community, our open heart of volunteerism and our ability to join together for the good of our neighbors. Wichita is a wonderful, warm and caring city. I will feel much pride in watching this big bird fly again, this time for peace and unity.

How remembered?

All of the talk about school funding has made me, at age 63, stop and remember some amazing and dedicated teachers who positively affected my life.

My first- and second-grade teacher at Washington Elementary School, Gladys Foss, guided me and my parents through some important decisions that ultimately made me a successful person. I was among many of her students who stayed in touch with her through the rest of her life.

Several other teachers come to mind who were extremely dedicated and very wise. One teacher I had throughout junior high was obviously in the wrong profession, as he was mean and hateful.

What this boils down to is that people in almost any position – teachers, leaders, pastors, priests, police officers, etc. – should ask themselves this question: How do I want to be remembered? They should then consider how they treat people. A moment of kindness and caring can last a lifetime, as does a sharp swipe of the tongue.

This story was originally published July 3, 2016 at 12:04 AM with the headline "Letters on freedoms, third-party votes, ACA, David Dennis, ‘Doc’."