Change of heart

When I hear the rants from the president about immigration, I think back to 2005, when I too was caught up in the hysteria.

I was concerned immigrants were taking jobs and working for lower wages. People who I thought at first had the same concerns as me changed my mind about a host of other things, too. After a few years of this, I began to research on my own and had folders full of negative information — until I came across a few articles that disputed a few things, and I decided to research solutions.

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I found that some businesses want cheap labor and bus people across the border, when if they would pay a little bit more, they’d find people here who would work for them. I found that migrant workers come for seasonal work (most people here want full-time work year round), and if they go back across the border, they take a chance to be unable to return the next year. They pay a lot of money into Social Security that they will never be able to take advantage of.

If immigrants have lived here a certain number of years, have paid taxes and have not been involved in crime (other than traffic and minor offenses, as we all have), they should be afforded a path to citizenship. If they have served in our military, they should be granted citizenship. If they were children when they came and have lived here, they should have a path.

The countries they are coming from are desperate places to live, so why don’t we do what we did for our enemies after World War II and help them rebuild?

Our president is doing the same thing that groups of people did (and I bought into it at the beginning). Please think this out and do not believe everything you hear.

Do research and think for yourself.

Frances Semler

Kansas City

No fair shakes

Your Nov. 4 editorial explaining why The Star didn’t recommend any conservative candidates is understandable. (20A, “Why we couldn’t endorse these candidates”) The Star’s editorial page has become an advertisement for liberal causes and candidates.

Why would good candidates accept invitations from your board when you twist and choose what what they say to meet your agenda?

After you have been bitten so many times, you finally don’t go back for another bite. Your opinions are those bites.

If you look at it honestly, all of the media are definitely biased. And your national and political stories from The New York Times and The Washington Post either leave out real news or taint what they do report.

Why don’t you people look in the mirror in the morning and be honest (unbiased) and spend the day as true journalists?

Don Heath

Kansas City

Snap into focus

I would like to thank the producers of CBS’ “60 Minutes” for the Nov. 4 segment on the AK-15 semiautomatic rifle and the “Stop the Bleed” program. I encourage everyone to go to CBSnews.com and watch this episode.

If our politicians cannot produce effective legislation for sensible gun control, it could be your family affected next.

Watching the bullet from an AK-15 semiautomatic slice through simulated human tissue, and then seeing the carnage after Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock used bump stocks, then hearing the amount of recovery required by the survivors — it was chilling.

Now, in addition to learning CPR as a basic life-saving skill, adults and even children are learning how to stop bleeding in the event of a massacre.

I dare anyone to watch the program and not be outraged.

Barbara Roberts

Roeland Park

Say it simply

I am so sick and tired of political ads. Why would anyone want to vote for these candidates? How does one know which one is telling the truth?

Why can’t the candidates state their own platforms and praise themselves instead of just bad-mouthing their opponents?

No wonder our country is like it is —full of greed, hate and dishonesty. We learn from the candidates, I guess.

What happened to the representatives for the people? Why not write laws in language we can all understand, instead of government doublespeak gobbledygook?

Why can’t the candidates say what they believe in and leave it at that?

Leona Solar

Raymore