Letters on right to protest, liberal press, Clinton Foundation, button batteries
Chanting does not undermine rights
Regarding “Undermine rights” (Sept. 7 Letters to the Editor): The First Amendment guarantees not only the freedoms of speech, religion and the press but also “the right of people peacefully to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” If those people wish to chant “lock them up,” then they explicitly have the right to do so without undermining the Constitution.
The 15th Amendment states that “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged.” In case you wonder about what defines a citizen, please refer to the 14th Amendment, which reads that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” News flash: This does not include illegal aliens.
One final note: We are not a democracy; we are a republic. Yes, there is a difference.
Michael Mackay, Mulvane
‘Liberal’ press
I shake my head when folks speak of the press as “liberal,” as if this is a negative characteristic. The press must be free – that is, liberal. The founders desired it so (corporate pressures on Fox News to be slanted right, notwithstanding). The more disinterested in ideological, corporate and state concerns the press can be, the better informed and the less hoodwinked citizens will be.
Tina Bennett-Kastor, Wichita
Why excitement?
Every year at a charity auction, billionaire Warren Buffett donates a dinner date with himself.
People are invited to meet the president of the United States at his government-provided home simply because they won a spelling bee or football game.
Why is there so much excitement about the fact that Hillary Clinton is willing to offer a handshake and polite conversation to someone who has donated a few million inherited dollars to a charity organized by her husband?
Johnny Sawatzki, Wichita
Battery danger
Batteries, especially button batteries, are accessible to children via various household products. Children under age 5 are especially at risk of accidentally swallowing these button batteries.
Not only do these batteries have a risk of being aspirated (trapped in the windpipe), they can cause extremely serious burns if stuck in the esophagus (food pipe). Lithium batteries, the size of a penny or larger, are the most dangerous, and even dead batteries are harmful when swallowed. In as little as two hours from ingestion, batteries can burn through the wall of the esophagus.
As a training pediatrician, I have already seen the adverse effects of these tiny objects. I urge parents to make sure loose batteries are out of the reach of children. Furthermore, parents should make sure the battery lids of electronics are screwed shut. If parents suspect an ingestion, immediately bring children to the emergency department. Children may have symptoms such as trouble breathing or swallowing, wheezing, drooling or chest pain.
Parents can get more information on the American Academy of Pediatrics Healthy Children website at healthychildren.org.
Arjun Mahendran, Wichita
Letters to the Editor
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This story was originally published September 10, 2016 at 5:03 AM with the headline "Letters on right to protest, liberal press, Clinton Foundation, button batteries."