Readers voice concerns on Iran, economy, elections, abuse reporting | Opinion

Bad advice on Iran?

The recent guest commentary by Chris Carmichael (What’s the plan in Iran, asks retired colonel running for Congress, March 18 Wichita Eagle) speaks very well to the lack of planning and the impulsiveness of the occupant of the Oval Office.

It is apparent that the president either didn’t listen to his advisers or they gave him very poor advice before the attack on Iran.

Either way, the ramifications of the war and an effective exit strategy were poorly understood.

In addition to not following known plans of Central Command for an Iranian war, the president did not heed the advice attributed to the sage philosopher Yogi Berra: “If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”

- Douglas B. Bogart, Jacksonville, Fla.

Raise minimum wage

Kansas workers deserve a wage that reflects today’s economic reality.

Raising our state minimum wage to $16 an hour is not a radical idea, but a practical, necessary step toward ensuring working families can afford basic living expenses.

Housing, groceries, transportation, and healthcare costs have all risen sharply in recent years while the minimum wage has not kept pace.

A full-time worker should not have to choose between paying rent and buying groceries.

Work should provide stability, not constant financial stress.

Increasing the minimum wage would also strengthen our local economy.

When workers earn more, they spend more in their communities. That spending supports small businesses and keeps money circulating within Kansas towns and cities.

Some argue that raising wages harms businesses, but evidence from other states shows that reasonable increases can be implemented gradually and responsibly.

Businesses benefit from lower turnover, improved morale, and greater productivity when employees are paid fairly.

Kansas prides itself on hard work and strong communities. Paying workers at least $16 an hour honors those values.

It is time for our lawmakers to act and raise the minimum wage to meet the needs of today’s Kansas families.

— Delani Agnew, Wichita

Vote for truth, not lies

As we approach the upcoming elections, I am concerned by the state of our discourse.

We are the true stewards of our democracy, a role that requires a voice rooted in respect rather than division.

My perspective is founded in principles I learned during my early career as a photojournalist for several Kansas newspapers, including the Wichita Eagle-Beacon.

In those newsrooms, being published wasn’t an entitlement — it was a responsibility.

I had to earn an education, work internships, and meet rigorous editorial standards daily. My work was required to be truthful; editorializing was strictly reserved for the opinion page. Today, anyone can be “published” in venues where truth is no longer a necessary part of the equation.

As voters, we must demand more.

We cannot afford the distractions of sideshows and mudslinging. Instead, we must demand genuine dialogue and factual integrity from elected officials. As you head to the polls, please base your selections on a variety of sources with foundations in fact.

Don’t be swayed by entities willing to sacrifice one group of people for another. It is through diversity of thought — and the power of the people — that freedom truly reigns.

— Marcus Stratton, Lawrence

Make clergy report abuse

This may come as a surprise to some Kansans. The Sunflower State is an island — legislatively not geographically.

Though surrounding states Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma all have legislation including clergy as mandated reporters of abuse and neglect, Kansas does not.

Why? Good question.

The Kansas House overwhelmingly passed HB 2352 (111-5) in February. The bill was shot dead in the water this week by Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Kellie Warren, who refused to schedule a hearing for the bill.

Why? Good question.

In 2022, Senator Warren also torpedoed SB 420, which called for removing the statute of limitations for child sex abuse crime civil suits. A modified HB 2127, expanding the statute of limitation for child sex abuse was signed into law, April 2023.

Capitol scuttlebutt is Warren opposes HB 2352 for “religious reasons.”

As some Kansas churches have clergy that travel out of state, a pastor or priest can be a mandated reporter one Sunday, but not the next.

Abuse is not arbitrary. It thrives in secret.

Excluding clergy, who often act as counselors and therapists, from reporting abuse and neglect devalues parishioners and puts them more at risk in Kansas than surrounding states. Kansans deserve better.

— Lynette Zwerneman, Livingston, Mont.