West Newsmagazine 5-1-24

4 I OPINION I
May 1, 2024
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
@WESTNEWSMAG
WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
Simplistic thinking
Star Parker, in her “Americans are not
seeking out middle ground,” asserted
there’s no middle road in the divisiveness
we see. Rather, it is a fight to the
death between conservatives “who want
to recapture our founding values and principles”
and liberals who “want to destroy
them.” To support this, she seemed to
equate slavery with such issues as education
and climate change. This is a false
comparison.
In reality, it is this type of black-or-white,
simplistic thinking that will fracture America.
Trying to find common ground means
having the courage to listen to opposing
viewpoints without becoming defensive
or angry. It means refusing to label others
while asking questions, engaging in honest
dialogue and seeing a picture broader than
partisanship. Inviting people of differing
viewpoints to walk together down a middle
road is at the core of America’s “founding
values and principles,” as she called them.
Greg Weeks
Set the record straight
I have faithfully read your magazine
since Thomas Sowell was your editorial
commentator. I have continued reading
the various commentators since then, especially
Star Parker. Although I generally
agree with her on most subjects, I must
take exception to her repeated references
to God and the “evil” secular humanists.
She constantly equates godlessness to
socialism and any other form of malfeasance
that she sees taking place in our
country. As a lifelong atheist, I can assure
her that I am not a socialist, communist
nor any other anti-American “ist.” I am
a patriot (I served four years in the U.S.
Navy during the Vietnam War). I have
always been proud to be an American and
will debate anyone who would denigrate
this country, (while recognizing that we
Americans are not perfect and have made
our share of mistakes).
Also, my wife and three children are
atheists and all of us are law-abiding, hardworking
citizens. It is, of course, Ms. Parker’s
right to express her opinions on any
topic, but her constant denigration of nonbelievers
is just simply wrong. Although
there are not many of us, all of the atheists
I know are law-abiding, patriotic, American
citizens. I just wanted to set the record
straight.
Frank Klos
Ballot Candy
Missouri voters, beware of “Ballot
Candy.” Ballot Candy refers to the effort
by legislators to dupe voters into approving
a ballot measure citizens would otherwise
oppose by inserting unrelated popular provisions
in ballot language to hide the real
purpose of the legislation. Case in point
– the Missouri House recently passed legislation
aimed at making it harder to amend
the state constitution through the citizeninitiative
petition process. This legislation
still needs to be approved by Missouri
voters before it becomes law, so the House
added it to the ballot as its first bullet a provision
that has nothing to do with initiative
petitions at all: it asks Missourians whether
the constitution should be amended to
“allow only citizens of the United States
to qualify as legal voters.” This additional
ballot language is pure subterfuge because
the state constitution is already clear that
only citizens are allowed to vote in Missouri.
Article VIII, Section 2 of the Missouri
Constitution limits the right to vote
to U.S. citizens, period. Why would the
House add something to the ballot that is
already law if it is not intended to mislead
and trick the voters? This practice of polluting
ballot measures with non-issues or
unrelated popular “Ballot Candy” is both
cynical and shameful. Legislators should
represent their constituents, not deceive
them.
Cary Steinmetz
ON THE COVER: Madison Pyatt and her
father, Travis, in Augusta.
(Mackenzie Myers/Gateway PGA photo)
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