Letters on Jesus portrait, voting paper trail, Trump
Should have left Jesus portrait
Three law professors from Washburn University and the University of Kansas said the Chanute school superintendent made the right legal decision to take down the portrait of Jesus that had hung in the town’s middle school for at least 50 years (Aug. 26 Eagle). The district was threatened by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which said the painting violated the first part of the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
The professors are interpreting that prohibition to apply to schools, but Congress didn’t make any law concerning school policies. It’s not freedom from religion. Separation of church and state is not found in the Constitution.
The three professors from secular universities likely have no experience in defending Christians in public schools, and no Christian legal organizations were quoted by The Eagle. Both sides were not represented.
Chanute superintendent Richard Proffitt shouldn’t have caved and should have consulted Christian legal organizations before making any final decision on removing the portrait; they might have come to the school’s defense. His decision is unpopular with the majority of Chanute residents who pay for his salary and the public school’s upkeep with their tax dollars.
BRAD BENNETT
Wichita
Why the secrecy?
“Yea” for The Eagle editorial board for speaking about the carefully guarded Sedgwick County voting machines paper trail that is “too cumbersome” to be accessed by the general public or by Wichita State University statistician Beth Clarkson (“What good is voting paper trail if it’s secret?” Aug. 26 Now Consider This). What on Earth is the trail for? How many dollars (well-spent, if spent productively) are budgeted for this avenue of oversight? Why, indeed, the secrecy?
GWENDOLYN S. HECKATHORN
Wichita
Trump agrees
Nabisco is closing a plant in Chicago and moving jobs to Mexico. I am sure that the people who work in that facility shared the American dream of working hard, putting money in a 401(k) and eventually retiring after a long career. For them this dream has been wrecked.
These workers now have to go on the job market with resumes that say, “Best Oreo cookie baker ever.” They likely will find employment, but for nowhere near what they were paid before.
These workers know that their jobs are going to workers in another country. Most will understand that this is the way it is in capitalistic society. But some will feel this is a failure in leadership; after all, it is not their fault this happened.
When we have a leader who agrees with them and is willing to do something about it, it does not automatically make him racist. If you want to know who that leader is, type “Nabisco moves to Mexico” into your search engine and see whose name comes up.
MIKE HUBBELL
Kingman
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This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 7:04 PM with the headline "Letters on Jesus portrait, voting paper trail, Trump."