Letters on refugees, Muslim leaders, legislative pay raise, KU economics center, new Eagle format

Don’t deny freedom to innocent victims

My German Jewish great-grandma, grandparents and dad immigrated to New York City during World War II. My mom’s Italian parents immigrated to New York City as well. Where would I be – or would I even be? – if the United States had not taken in my refugee relatives during that horrid war?

How many of you reading this can say someone in your family background has not immigrated to the United States?

I believe we should safeguard against ISIS and terrorism. I know Americans struggle every day in our country but not at all to the extent that so many in foreign lands suffer.

Let us not have a knee-jerk reaction. Our government is doing its best to protect and defend its citizens. ISIS is deceitful and tricky but can be defeated in time. Let us not deny freedom to the innocent victims of tyranny.

Speak out, report

I was going to write a letter asking Muslim religious leaders to be more forceful and open about condemning such actions as those in Paris. Before doing so, however, I checked the Internet and found that many such statements have been issued on social media. For that, I am grateful.

Why haven’t the media given more attention to such statements? That would address the question so many are asking: “Why don’t Muslims speak out about this?”

May I also respectfully encourage Muslim religious leaders, if they aren’t already, to address their statements to the print and television media as well as social media. This would reach a wider audience. If the local media do not come to you, please approach them and ask them to report your views as well as the terrorists’ actions.

It is important that non-Muslims hear condemnation of terror. It is important that young Muslims who might consider supporting ISIS hear from unquestioned scholars that their scriptures and their faith are being misrepresented and abused.

I am, therefore, writing to encourage such public declarations by Islamic leaders, to encourage the media to report them as well as terrorists’ actions, and to encourage non-Muslims to take such statements into account before making any snap judgments about what another religion teaches.

Deserve raise?

Kansas legislators get an 8.5 percent raise in their daily “subsistence payments” (Nov. 13 Eagle)?

I understand that even with my constitutionally protected right to free speech, The Eagle would not be allowed to print my true feelings about this.

So, as a 54-year-old job holder who has seen pay cuts and only recently a couple of 1 percent raises in the past 10 years, may I say:

Good. I cannot think of a more deserving, hardworking, intelligent and trustworthy group of people. Please keep up the good work. I recognize that you are working only in the best interest of all of us who work so hard to support and raise our families in the great state of Kansas. Pay no attention to other states and how they are making things work. You are the best. I only wish the raise had been for more.

Center helps state

As a lecturer and director of the Center for Applied Economics at the University of Kansas School of Business, I’ve had the privilege of teaching students and engaging in exciting work aimed at improving the quality of life for Kansas residents.

The mission of the KU Center for Applied Economics is to promote economics education and help advance the economic development of the state and region by offering economic analysis and economic education relevant for policymakers, community leaders and other interested citizens.

We take great care to assure the factual and logical integrity of our research. Certain critics of the center in the academic community suggest otherwise, because they claim that our research is not peer-reviewed in the traditional academic manner (“Undue Koch influence at KU,” Nov. 5 Opinion). That is because most of the center’s work relates to public policy issues. We dialogue in real time, as appropriate, with public servant experts when we develop our research reports.

For example, with the sponsorship of a state agency, the center undertook and completed a research report in 2005. Some of the scholars involved with that research continued to pursue the project so as to publish it in a peer-reviewed academic journal. We received word last month (more than 10 years later) that it had been accepted for publication. The public policy world moves way too fast to wait for the academic world.

Drop the changes

At 71, I have been an Eagle reader and avid puzzle solver for most of my adult life. Recent changes to the puzzle page resulted in a decrease in quality to both the puzzles and the comics. My wife now has to read the comics on the puzzle page with a magnifier. Please drop these changes and return the puzzle page to its previous level of excellence.

Like new format

Well done, Eagle, on the new format. Thanks also for bringing back the TV guide section.

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Letters on refugees, Muslim leaders, legislative pay raise, KU economics center, new Eagle format."