Letters on ISIS, Syria, electing justices, spanking, breast cancer in men, stolen bike, honest people

Proud of how Obama is handling ISIS

I’m so proud of our president for his handling of foreign affairs in regard to the ISIS threat. I’m glad that he put a lot of thought into the situation – measuring the options and looking at all the different aspects of another military action in a foreign country rather than going off half-cocked, guns blazing, like a John Wayne wannabe.

I’m proud that he got an international coalition to work together to combat the radical ISIS group, involving the countries that are most affected in the region. I’m proud that he’s using diplomacy to obtain commitments from those countries so we don’t have to put boots on the ground, endangering our military troops.

This is the way a great president and a great leader works.

Why back rebels?

Should America support the Assad government in Syria, or the rebels who are trying to overthrow it?

Syria has a constitution. It provides for an elected legislature, a president and even a supreme court. An election was held in June of this year. Bashar Assad received 89 percent of the vote, and 73 percent of eligible voters voted.

What is the point of the rebel insurrection? If the public supported the rebels, they would have won the election and no fighting would have been necessary. If the public did not support them (it seemingly did not), trying to overthrow the elected government by force is immoral.

Where does the United States stand on this? We supported the original rebels. I thought we believed in democracy. Yet when it happens there, we support overthrowing it.

OK to spank

Kudos to columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. (“Spanking isn’t always child abuse,” Sept. 22 Opinion). Reasonable spanking by parents is a must in times of training. When administered young enough and often enough, training for obedience and respect can follow. Pitts must be an example.

Elect justices

Our republic has reached a crisis. The problem is the politicization of the judicial branch of our state and federal governments.

The Kansas Supreme Court determined the amount needed for financing schools, and some people even wish to disregard the funding of teachers’ pensions as school funding. The court also determined that referring to a statute was the same as complying with the statute. It then decided not to rule on whether the Democratic Party should have to follow the law and name a replacement Senate candidate, as the law states.

The U.S. Supreme Court approved Obamacare, even though a major provision was improperly classified.

It is commonly accepted that judges on these courts are not chosen for their integrity, or knowledge, but primarily for their political affiliation and beliefs. The result is the open politicization of the branch charged with being the independent, nonpartisan gatekeepers of our nation.

I suggest a democratically elected justice system, which many readers seem to want. Each political party would submit one candidate for each open seat, and then voters would elect the new state and national justices.

Men at risk, too

Men don’t think of themselves as having breasts. So it comes as a surprise to most men to find out that they are at risk of breast cancer.

The fact is that men do have breast tissue. Although it is rare, they can get breast cancer, as I did.

Each year in the United States, about 2,000 men are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 400 men die from it.

Not first theft

Thursday was my brother’s birthday and should have been a great day. He rode his bike to the Walgreens at 13th and Waco. He went inside, thinking his bike would be OK, but someone felt they needed his bike more than he did.

The bike is his only transportation to and from the doctor’s office and to get his groceries. He does not drive. He is on a limited income. He is 60 years old. This is not the first time it has happened to him. He has a lock on it.

If anyone has a bike they are not using, I would appreciate it if they could help him out.

Honest people

To the person who found my little black coin purse and turned it in to the fine gentleman and his two children who manned the drink table by the Mid-America All-Indian Center for the Sept. 13 fun run: I can’t thank you enough. Nothing was missing, and the volunteer wouldn’t take any money. There are some wonderful and honest people in our great city.

This story was originally published September 26, 2014 at 7:05 PM with the headline "Letters on ISIS, Syria, electing justices, spanking, breast cancer in men, stolen bike, honest people."