Letters on gun violence, police, Ferguson, teaching soft skills, Social Security, local government shenanigans

Weapons protecting us from gun violence

Guns and gun violence win big as, once again, Americans turn to their TVs to watch yet another urban massacre unfold. As they uncork their beer and open their Cokes, they settle in for an evening of free entertainment as the militarized assault weapons protect citizens from further violence as they scurry for safety.

Gun dealers and the National Rifle Association measure their profits, as they are aware many more citizens will begin to add to their already growing arsenals designed to protect them. The gun lobby has convinced them that more and bigger are better.

The morgues and hospital emergency rooms are waiting. This is the U.S., and the good old American Eagle is protecting us with a rifle.

Potential lifesaver

Does anyone else wonder how many lives could have been saved at these mass shootings if there had been one person there with a concealed-carry permit?

Police there to protect

Right after the mass shootings in San Bernardino, Calif., a police officer was helping people through the hallway to safety. The people were quite fearful. The officer said to them: “Everyone try to relax. I’ll take a bullet before you do.”

That is what our police officers do. They protect, no matter the circumstances.

It boils my blood to hear the negative rantings that are going on in our country about our very brave officers. I, for one, am glad they are on the streets.

Yes, there are bad apples, but that goes with anything. I believe that 99.9 percent of our police officers are there to protect and defend us. The hateful protests against them are unacceptable.

What officers do every day is unbelievably brave. I cannot thank them enough for being out there protecting us. I hope they stay safe and know how much we appreciate them.

Distorted picture

As a St. Louis resident visiting family in Wichita, I read with interest an Associated Press article about the one-year anniversary of the worst of the Ferguson, Mo., unrest, which followed the decision not to indict officer Darren Wilson in the shooting of Michael Brown (“Hope in Ferguson year after grand jury,” Nov. 24 Eagle). I was disappointed, but not surprised, that it provided a distorted picture of what happened in Ferguson last year.

Though the article pointed out that the Department of Justice cleared Wilson, it neglected to mention the DOJ’s findings that showed a clear racial bias in how police treated black residents in Ferguson, including the disproportionate use of force when dealing with black suspects, and a municipal court system that seemed to prey on poor minority residents to boost the city’s coffers. The article also falsely claimed that the city of Ferguson has put caps on the revenue it can raise from municipal fines. Those caps have actually been imposed by the state of Missouri, and Ferguson and other cities are challenging them in the courts.

I frequently have to explain to people outside of the St. Louis area that the unrest in Ferguson was not “the problem” but a symptom of the real problem, which is systematic racism. If the rebuilding of Ferguson and similar communities doesn’t involve serious reform of our criminal justice system, there is little “hope” of avoiding unrest in the future.

Not taught at home

A recent Opinion Line contributor said, “Schools should not be responsible for teaching students ‘soft skills.’ These things should be instilled by parents.”

But what if these are not instilled at home, for whatever reason?

Many young children display superficial charm, tend to lie, use manipulative behavior, and have a sense of self-importance. They can have poor impulse control, an inability to plan ahead, show a tendency toward violence and have little capacity for expressing guilt. We must guide and develop children into becoming caring, responsible community members.

“Soft skills” must be taught as children develop: playing nicely, sharing, cooperating with authority, resolving conflicts nonviolently, respecting all individuals, confirming consent, etc. If these skills are not taught at home, do we just condemn parents and deal with anti-social grown-ups later?

I suggest we, as a community, take action. We must tax ourselves to invest in a school system, pre-K through 12th grade, with small class sizes to allow time for teacher involvement in individual “soft skills” development, and we must attract and retain the best teachers.

In addition, we are developing a future generation of parents who can and will teach soft skills at home.

Reform Social Security

The Social Security system is the backbone of American economic stability. Currently, more than 54 million Americans receive retirement or disability benefits.

But over the next 20 years, the number of people in the United States older than 65 will increase by 90 percent, while the number of people younger than 65 will increase by only about 15 percent. This means that soon the Social Security Administration will not be able to pay full benefits. Something must be done if we are to salvage the system.

Some believe that we should raise payroll taxes to generate greater revenue, while others argue that benefit rates should be cut or the retirement age be raised. Yet another option is complete or partial privatization of the system. Though none of these is an ideal solution, we cannot sit back and do nothing, or we will be left with little to rely on in our old age.

Laws of kindness

There is a natural law in nature that causes the weak and sick animals to be the first to be attacked and eaten by predators. It’s not a pretty sight to behold, but it is a necessary part of the way the animal world exists.

Humans live by a different set of laws – the laws of love, compassion, concern, sharing and care for the underprivileged, the poor and sick. It still amazes me to see how many who call themselves “human” still want only the fittest to exist. If one believes in God, it requires one to discard the laws of nature and take on the laws of human kindness.

Keeping us informed

Thank you, Wichita Eagle, for once again keeping the public informed of the shenanigans of our local politicians.

Shame on the greedy and self-serving Wichita City Council members – Mayor Jeff Longwell, Jeff Blubaugh, Pete Meitzner and Vice Mayor James Clendenin – who voted in favor of “special interest” campaign donations (Dec. 2 Eagle). How insensitive for them to forget all the disapproval from the public about illegal contributions to political campaigns. Voters have long memories.

But thanks to the honest and dedicated council members – Janet Miller, Lavonta Williams and Bryan Frye – who respected the best interest of the public.

Thanks also, Eagle, for the article on the auto allowances of up to $4,800 that several county officials may receive (Dec. 3 Eagle). Of the four officials mentioned, I only saw one, the election commissioner, who might have to leave the office for official business.

This story was originally published December 5, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Letters on gun violence, police, Ferguson, teaching soft skills, Social Security, local government shenanigans."