Today’s Eagle included articles on the bombing of the Shiite shrine and the killing of two more Fort Riley soldiers in Baghdad, the civil war in Gaza (see photo), another assassination in Beirut, and Iran supplying weapons to the Taliban in Afghanistan. What should the United States do about all these and other problems? The first step should be gaining a better understanding of the Middle East.
Syndicated columnist and terrorism expert Micah Halpern, who met with Sedgwick County security personnel last week to discuss terrorism threats, told The Eagle editorial board that the United States still knows little about the cultures, religions and languages in the Middle East. As a result, he said, our leaders are making decisions about what they don’t understand. And that tends to make the problems even worse.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Although "amnesty" has become the damning rallying cry against Congress’ stalled immigration bill, this Time essay persuasively argues that amnesty is the only viable way to assimilate America’s huge illegal immigrant population.
Deporting 12 million people is a fantasy, the piece points out — and it would have a devastating effect on our economy, which needs more workers, not fewer.
Unfortunately, the new immigration bill, like those before it, also engages in politically motivated make-believe. Do we really expect illegals to pay up to $9,000 to become legal citizens when they can continue to live and work here with little chance of being caught?
Dream on.
Do we really believe that significant numbers of illegals will voluntarily return to their homelands to reapply for green cards?
Dream on.
There are no perfect solutions to our immigration mess. But until Americans show some willingness to face basic realities of the our broken system, the problem will only get worse.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
The fact that Mitt Romney is fourth in national GOP polls doesn’t matter, thanks to our bizarre primary system. What matters for the moment is that Romney is now No. 1 in both Iowa (with 30 percent) and New Hampshire (28 percent), according to the latest polls. OK, so he’s spent more than $4 million on TV ads already. But with Rudy Giuliani and John McCain opting out of the Iowa straw poll in August, Romney rules — at least until Fred Thompson elbows in.
How is our own Sam Brownback polling? He’s at 5 percent in Iowa and 2 percent in New Hampshire.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
First Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns and then Defense Secretary Robert Gates said this week that Taliban militants in Afghanistan are using Iranian weapons to fight U.S. forces. Though there is some question about how much the Iranian government is involved in the supply line, it’s another reason the United States needs to get a handle on Iran, which also has been a provocateur in Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza in addition to pursuing nuclear weapons.
But isn’t there something to be done short of the military strike suggested Sunday by Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn.? Like diplomacy? Or do we just need to make Iran fear our bombs so it will stop fueling violence?
Posted by Rhonda Holman
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democratic presidential candidate, is Mr. Resume — former energy secretary, U.N. ambassador, popular governor, etc. — but he’s been surprisingly tongue-tied and tone-deaf on the campaign trail, notes this article about his recent “Meet the Press” performance.
Another experienced governor with a thick resume, Republican former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, also has struggled to articulate his message. In the second GOP debate, he was awful at times, responding this way when asked to name a specific government department he’d eliminate: “The program in the Department of Health and Human Services in CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) that deals with the stockpile.”
Huh?
It shows again that political experience doesn’t necessarily translate well or ensure success in presidential campaigns.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
A Wednesday article in The Eagle reported that the high-quality traveling exhibits coming to Exploration Place such as Leonardo da Vinci’s “Virtual Codex Atlanticus” are coming with higher price tags for visitors — up to $20 a ticket. Still, is that such a high price to pay for a quality, must-see exhibit? Not according to museum officials, who point out that the ticket prices are in line with other national museums.
Another obvious solution for cost-conscious Wichitans is to buy memberships, which, besides other benefits, drastically lower the ticket prices for these special shows.
Consider that general admittance for the Leonardo show, which starts Saturday, is $19.95 for adults and $14.95 for children 5 to 15.Members pay only $6.95 for adults and $4.95 for children.
That’s a deal.
Kudos to Exploration Place for bringing in top-flight, world-class exhibits that people can’t resist. As one patron said, “if it’s good enough, we’ll come.”
Pursuing quality is a smart strategy that will pay off for the museum.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
