Letters on uniting America, biases, Greg Keith, Ty Masterson

Find ways to unite, not spread hate

Polarization in America is getting worse and guns more plentiful, and shootings seem to be increasing. I used to think my right-wing friends predicting another civil war were simply being paranoid. The scary thing is that polarization feeds paranoia, and paranoia feeds polarization. Is this going to spiral into a self-fulfilling prophecy?

If we really want to “save America,” we better start thinking of ways to unite us, rather than spreading the hate and bigotry that divide us. And stop making it easier to kill more of our own people from within than enemies are from without.

Let go of biases

Forty years ago, my father told me that I would face discrimination because of my skin color.

Look at him, he said. Years at the same company, no major promotions. Speaking to others and not being heard. Everyone kept him at a disdainful distance. Discrimination kept him from the status and respect he deserved.

So I looked. What I saw didn’t fit his narrative. He could hardly speak English, yet people exhibited great patience and kindness while letting him get his point across. The promotions required a college degree he lacked. Regret was expressed by those hiring nearly every time. Also, my father couldn’t accept friendly outreach, rejecting and mocking it.

I took a different approach. I decided to let individuals I met show me if they were biased against me or not. I will now list how many times I have been held back or discriminated against during my lifetime: never.

It is very important to let go of our personal biases before we accuse others of discriminating against us. Perhaps if we look carefully enough, we will find that the only ones who hate us, who hold us back and wish us harm, are we ourselves.

Keith outstanding

I did not realize Greg Keith was running for Sedgwick County District Court judge until this week. When I worked as an officer for the Haysville Police Department, I was assigned to the Municipal Court’s weekly session for several years.

During this time, Keith’s nature for fairness and for getting business done as Municipal Court judge caused the number of people showing up in court unexpectedly to surrender on municipal warrants to rise to the point that we had to add an extra court date each month to be able to process those folks. It was not because Keith was weak in his manner. It was because the word got around that their cases would be handled fairly and properly, by all standards. Not once, in all of that time, did I observe either Keith or a defendant treat each other in a disrespectful manner.

I encourage the Republican electorate in Sedgwick County to consider Keith’s really outstanding record in several municipalities when going to the polls.

Man of integrity

When I vote for state leaders to represent us in Topeka, one of the key questions I ask about the people running is whether they can be trusted. Are they people of integrity? Will they follow through on their campaign promises? Will they be swayed by lobbyists who may not be representing me?

In the race for state Senate, the 16th District has elected a man of integrity in the past, and I support the re-election of Sen. Ty Masterson, R-Andover. He is a man of his word who is always accessible and carries through with what he has promised.

I see Masterson several times a year at campaign events, and he is always willing to explain why he voted for or against a particular bill and what his vision is concerning upcoming issues. He goes beyond politics as usual and is the statesman that our district needs.

New constitution

Here is the new constitution of America: “We, the liberal politicians, in order to enforce a controlled society, exemplify our personal importance, and ensure uninhibited control for our posterity, do ordain and establish this new constitution of the United Socialist of America.”

This story was originally published July 15, 2016 at 12:04 AM with the headline "Letters on uniting America, biases, Greg Keith, Ty Masterson."