This year I turn 70 years old.Number It’s my birthday. I don’t consider myself old, but I am certainly getting old. As a lawyer, a judge, and a 24-year veteran of the Kansas Army National Guard, I have seen a lot and done a lot. But there is still a lot I have seen and do not yet understand.
Here are some examples:
— If your dog is a member of your family, why let him sit on your lap while you drive? No one would ever think of letting their grandchild sit on their lap or stick their head out the window while the car is moving.
— We teach our children not to lie or cheat and to have good morals, so why do about 49% of Americans vote for a felon who cannot tell the truth and has no morals?
— Why does a hunter need to take a 20 hour course to shoot an animal that can’t fight back, yet anyone can buy a gun to protect themselves (and shoot at others) without taking a gun safety course? Soldiers are required to take hours of gun training including gun safety, how to avoid shooting non-combatants, and how to maintain their weapons. Meanwhile, Joe Blow doesn’t need to take any training. He can walk around anywhere in public with his weapon and the safety off.
— And speaking of guns, why do most states limit the number of bullets a person can load into a gun for hunting to three, yet anyone can buy a semi-automatic rifle that holds 100 rounds?
Every day, we see people not wearing helmets while riding motorcycles, bicycles, and scooters. It is especially perplexing to see children riding scooters without helmets. Consumer Reports shared that according to a new study published in the Official Journal Brain Injury, which analyzed 76,032 bicycle accident injuries from 2002 to 2012, 78% of adult cyclists and 88% of youth riders who sustained head or neck injuries were not wearing helmets at the time of injury. This is alarming considering that only about 29% of adult cyclists and 42% of child cyclists always wear helmets. In 2022, there will be about 43,000 injury accidents involving people riding pedal-only bicycles, of which 1,105 people died. Why are government agencies reluctant to enact laws that require motorcycle and bicycle riders to wear helmets?
— Why can’t Congress create a workable immigration policy? Millions of people come to the United States illegally to find work or to escape dire conditions in their home countries. They’re not thieves, rapists, or terrorists. They’re looking for jobs and a better life in the United States. But there are also many employers looking to fill jobs that Americans don’t want to do. We could develop a system that screens people who want to come to the United States and matches them with employers.
— Why won’t President Trump visit some of the families who are in the US illegally, find out why they are here, and listen to their stories? Every time he visits the US-Mexico border, he pretends to talk to the Border Patrol, but he never listens to the people seeking asylum.
— Why would veterans vote for Trump? He has called veterans losers, insulted them, while avoiding military service. His recent bombastic performance and politicizing of Arlington National Cemetery shows that he does not understand or value us veterans.
— Why do Kansas City area drivers not stop at stop signs but just slow down? As a fellow driver, this infuriates me. As a runner and cyclist, it nearly killed me. Many cyclists are even worse than car drivers when it comes to running stop signs.
— Why do friends and family release balloons in memory of their deceased loved ones? It pollutes the environment and doesn’t memorialize them forever. Instead, plant a tree somewhere. Planting a tree remembers the deceased long after they are gone and helps the environment.
— Why doesn’t the Kansas Legislature have a referendum law that would allow citizens to petition their government to put issues like a higher minimum wage or Medicaid for All on the ballot? Are they afraid of democracy and of us, the voters?
I have to stop here. This list could go on forever. Thank you for reading my list of questions.
Wait, I just thought of something else…
Tom Arnhold is a retired attorney, judge and 24-year veteran of the Kansas Army National Guard, where he served as a JAG officer. Through our opinion columns, the Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people affected by public policy and those excluded from public discourse. Learn more, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
