Opinion Line (July 4)

Wichita should require those who sell fireworks to pay for manning the phone lines for complaints and for the police response. They help create the problem and should be responsible for the expense.

Many neighborhoods have a 20-something crazy fireworks guy who buys a carload of fireworks and sets them alight all night. Ours has a crazy fireworks lady who after 50 years should have settled down but believes in girl power.

What a great way to spend city funds: Send the street cleaners out three days before all the fireworks trash hits the ground.

Seeing a street sweeper in our neighborhood made me smile. City leaders: As a resident, I much prefer street sweepers to the stupid signs telling me how many minutes to a location.

Driving around Wichita the past few weeks brought to mind something my dad said to me more than 75 years ago: “You can always tell when it’s an election year, as they start working on the streets.”

Whoever decided that Wichita was among the top 10 cities for safe drivers has obviously never driven here. Pedal to the metal. Stop signs? What are those? Turn signals? Pishposh, man. Wait my turn? Heck, no.

Take time to read the Declaration of Independence. Remember the brave patriots who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

Think about how just one person can make a mess of many, many other people’s lives.

The Brexit effect on the stock market is minor compared with what will happen if Donald Trump is elected president.

Please realize that ISIS is real and the threat for every one of us doesn’t go away until they are completely eliminated. No phobia, just fact.

Scenario: Hillary is elected. Guns are banned. Those who abide by the law turn in all their guns. Borders are still open to all comers. Question: Do you feel safer?

The person seeking biblical permission to bear arms should read Luke 22:36, which says “one who does not have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one.” Also, Jesus endorsed Colt handguns in Matthew 5:9 (“blessed are the peacemakers”).

So we can’t change anything about gun control. What’s left, conservatives? Putting a supply of firearms available to all in an open-air pavilion downtown? Heck, the criminals will get them anyway. Why not arm everyone else?

If you back into your neighbors’ mailbox and damage it, at least let them know you did it. Better yet, offer to fix it or pay for it.

Note to cookout enthusiasts: If the lighter fluid can be smelled from 150 feet away, you probably used too much.

I loved the story about 106-year-old Spencer Yancey. He swims, takes fitness classes, attends Happy Hour twice a week. Good for him. I’m 72. When I grow up, I want to be just like him.

This story was originally published July 4, 2016 at 12:02 AM with the headline "Opinion Line (July 4)."