Letters on peacemakers, refugees, tobacco tactics, 1990s nostalgia

Not honoring Jesus’ call to be peacemakers

“Peace” is a word we seldom hear anymore, especially in reference to the Middle East. The word “peace” is primarily termed as “the peace process” in political, military and diplomatic arenas. But the language of peace is bereft of meaning and mention, even in religious speak.

Has it been this way so long that now there is no chance of peace? Are we more emboldened than ever to join our enemy in its goal of total annihilation?

We have turned the war on terror into a one-upmanship contest of war atrocities and moral depravity, which is the opposite of, and the reason for, Jesus’ message of “turn the other cheek.” This is well-exemplified in our current situation in that we are living and dying the very results of not heeding those words, and we are on a path that has a goal that I fear more than our enemy.

I am not saying that an attempt at a peaceful solution would have been successful, but not having tried is why there is no chance for peace now. How empty of honor to Jesus Christ that we reproach the words, “blessed are the peacemakers.”

Can’t vet refugees

There has been an overdose recently of letters to the editor that advocate admitting thousands of Syrian refugees into our country. In support of their viewpoint, many incorrectly invoke the biblical admonition to care for the needy.

This admonition is that a community should willingly, and in the spirit of love, help the less fortunate in its midst. It does not mean that a government, with its power of taxation, should strong-arm money from its citizens so that politicians and faceless, unelected bureaucrats can use it to advance their own agendas.

President Obama does his best to assure us that each refugee will be rigorously vetted before admission. Just how gullible does he think we common blokes are? His own FBI director, James Comey, acknowledged that it is something that cannot be done because the data necessary to do so is simply not available.

Count me in with the decisive majority of Americans who oppose admitting a mass of Middle Easterners that would, more than likely, be infiltrated with radical Islamic terrorists.

Share the same enemy

I understand the concern about admitted refugees, but this is complete madness.

The Syrian people are afraid and trying to escape a tyranny they’ve had to deal with for years. Yet instead of helping them, many want to deny them the safety our country has to offer and brand them as terrorists. These people share the same enemy as the American people, but we’re too ignorant to realize this.

Denying the Syrian people entry into the United States isn’t going to stop the spread of terrorism in our country. We face that threat every day, whether it’s foreign or homegrown.

This isn’t about fighting terrorism. This is about making a statement. It’s about letting the whole world know we aren’t afraid. The smallest amount of courage can make a difference to thousands of lives.

Tobacco targeting kids

As a youth tobacco prevention advocate, I’m thrilled by the progress made by our country and our state in reducing cigarette smoking.

However, I’m very concerned that the tobacco companies are always finding new ways to target kids. Their latest tactic is to sell electronic cigarettes and cigars in sweet flavors, such as gummy bear, cotton candy, chocolate and watermelon. Here’s the result: E-cigarette use among high school students has skyrocketed, and high school boys now smoke cigars at the same rate as cigarettes.

The Food and Drug Administration is finishing rules to protect kids from this new generation of tobacco products. But tobacco companies want Congress to gut these rules before they even take effect. They got their way in the House, where the Appropriations Committee passed a provision that weakens FDA regulation of e-cigarettes and cigars.

The good news is the Senate bill doesn’t include this provision. I want to thank Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., who chairs the Senate appropriations subcommittee that oversees FDA funding. I urge him to make sure the final bill doesn’t include this very harmful provision.

Nostalgic for 1990s

Nostalgia isn’t always a healthy thing. The mind has a way of filtering out the less savory aspects of the past time period for which it yearns.

Still, I can’t help it. I miss the 1990s, because the Clintons achieved what the previous president claimed he would do: They made America a kinder, gentler nation.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community moved closer to the mainstream of society. Doors were opened to me as a mentally ill person to have better employment opportunities. And if Hillary Clinton was a “second president,” as her detractors claim, I say, “Bravo, Ms. Rodham Clinton.”

And it wasn’t just the Democrats who created this atmosphere. The late 1990s were the last time Kansas elected a moderate Republican governor.

This story was originally published December 14, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Letters on peacemakers, refugees, tobacco tactics, 1990s nostalgia."