Letters on Middle East dictators, illegal immigration, e-cigarettes, Teach for Life

Dictators sometimes best you can do

Donald Trump recently stated that the world would be better off if former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi were still in power.

We would all love to see democracy take root in the region. The problem is that for democracy to work, you need to accept equality for all of your citizens. When the majority can exert its will on the minority, then that minority feels an injustice and will revolt.

In the Middle East, people seem to follow the teaching of their religion instead of a doctrine of equality regardless of one’s religion. As long as the minority has no means to address an injustice (constitutional rights), then democracy will not work.

They seem to believe that a caliphate in which one religion determines the law is acceptable. When you have a situation like that, the best government you can have is one that manages these injustices.

If you want democracy, you have to accept equality. If not, then a strongman like Saddam, Gadhafi or even Syrian President Bashar Assad is the best you can do.

Agree with Ranzau

I agree 100 percent with Sedgwick County Commission Chairman Richard Ranzau’s voting record. We cannot afford to support illegal immigrants. What part of “illegal” do people not understand? These people are here against our laws. We owe them nothing.

I was offended that The Eagle gave space to the cheap, sensational words of the groups wanting to recall Ranzau (Oct. 20 Eagle).

American citizens have sponsored poor countries, helping keep people from being killed in unjust wars, and our national debt is huge. It is time we stopped thinking so much about what others need, and see how we can care for our own people.

If illegal immigrants want children, they should plan to feed, dress and educate them. They should not flood any other country with their children and expect the country to feed, protect and educate them.

American citizens need to say “enough.” We are having difficulty paying our rent, utilities and grocery bills. Charity begins at home. We cannot afford to support illegal immigrants any longer.

Immigration plan?

Regarding immigration, an infiltration by the Islamic State and other saboteurs is not the major concern. I don’t think they would stand a chance against U.S. citizen gun enthusiasts. Anyway, we already have American terrorists, most noticeably in the form of attacks on schools.

However, I have asked about the possibility of strategically placed immigration learning and processing centers throughout America. A chain of command could use trained immigrants who assist incoming immigrants. At least it would be a plan. The answer I received is that it would require government employees, and that would cost the government even more money.

I get it, but the question still is: So what is the plan? Immigration is inevitable and is what America is about, but a little organizational planning would benefit both sides of this issue that America is facing.

Keep out e-cigarettes

Sedgwick County Commissioner Jim Howell’s push to allow the use of electronic cigarettes inside county buildings is premature and potentially dangerous.

Very little is known about the health effects of e-cigarettes on users or bystanders exposed to the aerosol these devices emit. E-cigarettes have not been approved as smoking cessation devices, nor have they been subject to basic health regulations.

A growing number of studies that examined the contents of e-cigarette aerosol have found heavy metals such as lead and nickel as well as high levels of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.

If the concern is to protect and improve employee health, prohibiting e-cigarette use inside county buildings would be best advised. The county would set a good example for kids, nonsmokers could continue to enjoy the health benefits of smoke-free air, and smokers trying to quit would have a supportive smoke-free environment. Should some choose to use e-cigarettes, they remain free to do so outdoors where their choice is less likely to harm the health of others.

There is no substitute for clean smoke-free air. Let’s do the right thing and keep e-cigarettes out of county buildings.

Gaining education

Thank you, Eagle, for the article about Balbir Mathur’s new vision (Oct. 26 Eagle). Teach for Life gives children who live in poverty around the world the opportunity to gain education that currently may be out of their reach.

Trees for Life includes several volunteers working together as partners in a grassroots effort toward sharing our knowledge and skills about teaching young children with the world.

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Letters on Middle East dictators, illegal immigration, e-cigarettes, Teach for Life."