Letters on removing Taylor, Orman, Brownback, ISIS, museum sculpture, Renee LaFever

Democratic Party must be desperate

The removal of the duly elected Democratic primary nominee, Chad Taylor, from the general election ballot for the U.S. Senate was the most deceptive effort by the Democratic Party to alter election results that this state has ever seen. It will be the subject of discussion in political science classes for years to come.

Taylor won the Democratic primary, but he was deemed as not capable to run against Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., in the general election. Many Democrats determined independent candidate Greg Orman to be a better candidate. Orman has previously run as a Democratic candidate and has financially supported top Democratic officials in the past, such as President Obama.

Taylor was encouraged to remove his name from the ballot. The national Democratic Party sent one of its top lawyers to make sure he was off the ballot.

Has the Democratic Party become so desperate that it would ignore the Democratic voters who voted for Taylor on the primary ballot?

System busted

Greg Orman, the independent candidate for U.S. Senate, may be a charlatan or a saint. But he speaks one truth: The system is busted.

There are too many politicians voting to protect their party above all else – never mind the voters, never mind what’s good for the country, as long as they get re-elected and their party prospers. “Moderate” is a dirty word. “Compromise” is a dirtier word.

Unless someone finds a video of Orman punching out his wife in an elevator or the like, he’s my man.

Earned re-election

I’ve known Sam Brownback for nearly 25 years. He’s the right man to be governor.

The Sam Brownback I know bears no resemblance to the person I see described in media reports during this campaign season.

More than any elected official I have ever met, Brownback is driven by a desire to make our state and nation a better place to live. His love for Kansas drives his public-policy decisions.

Brownback and his team have accomplished a great deal in the past 3 1/2 years. More than 55,000 new jobs have been created in the private sector. More than $270 million has been invested in education. Centers of excellence have been strengthened at our universities.

Brownback promised to change the direction of Kansas, and he’s delivered on that promise. He is sharing his second-term “road map” with the people of Kansas. Every voter should know this: When Brownback is re-elected, he will govern as promised.

Being governor is not for the faint of heart. It’s a tough job, particularly in these challenging times. Brownback will not falter.

I’ve never worked with an elected official who has been more inclusive, thoughtful, insightful and committed to Kansas than Brownback. We’re fortunate to have a man of his character serving as our governor. Brownback has earned re-election.

Arm the women

The U.S. government is giving our money and training to the wrong people. If you want to solve problems in the Middle East, train and arm the women.

The women want three things: They want to be able to feed their children, school their children and have a safe home. The men want to kill whoever doesn’t believe what they do, and they will fight for whoever seems the strongest. Put a $500 bounty on every ISIS member or extremist, and the problem will be solved in a month.

Among the best

I’m amazed that anyone would find “Dreamers Awake” at the Wichita Art Museum not “welcoming” (Sept. 23 Letters to the Editor). In my opinion, it is among the very best works of Wichita’s rich outdoor sculpture collection.

I hated that we lost “The Tables” to the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, and I scheduled a vacation day from work to attend the dedication of Wichita State University’s “Millipede.” That evening I took my grandchildren to visit it. I believe the Wichita Art Museum is very fortunate to have “Dreamers,” and I love the location.

Honored Renee

My family had not heard from my daughter, Renee LaFever, in two days, so we went to her condo and discovered she had passed away. We called 911, and the emergency crew responded immediately. The emergency medical service personnel, police officers and fire responders were all very kind, caring and efficient as they performed their responsibilities. One of the police officers had been a student of Renee’s at Kapaun Mount Carmel High School. One officer stayed with us until the coroner arrived and took Renee’s body.

My family would like to thank Eagle reporter Suzanne Perez Tobias for the article she wrote concerning Renee’s relationship with Kapaun students and faculty members (Aug. 28 Local & State). We also want to thank the administration, faculty, students and parents at Kapaun for the way they have honored Renee.

This story was originally published September 25, 2014 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Letters on removing Taylor, Orman, Brownback, ISIS, museum sculpture, Renee LaFever."