Donald Trump and racism - echo letters from Kansas

Three "echo" letters to the editor published in the Kansas City Star opinion page:

Haitians are winners - they win by helping

Donald Trump flip flopped and balked at an emerging bipartisan deal on immigration because he didn’t want to admit people to the U.S. from “shithole” countries. (Jan. 12, 1A, “Trump’s insulting words on immigration set off alarms”)

He asked, “Why do we need more Haitians?” when we could have people from Norway. He particularly objected to the diversity visa lottery.

Mr. President, are you aware that medical teams from Haiti deployed to Puerto Rico to provide health care for Americans who were affected by Hurricane Maria? Are you aware that your response to Hurricane Maria was so inadequate that people from Haiti came to the U.S. to provide the support that your administration did not provide?

I have spent years in Haiti providing health care as a physician in disaster response and with the U.S. Army, from which I retired as a colonel. I have learned to respect the Haitian people and all they have accomplished despite adversity.

Mr. President, I have read that you don’t associate with people who aren’t winners, and I suppose you wouldn’t characterize the people of Haiti as winners.

Sir, I can assure you that I would much rather associate with Haitians than with a billionaire who consistently lies and who evaded military service.

Richard J. Randolph, Lenexa Kansas

The new normal?

The words that come out of President Donald Trump’s mouth — are they the norm now?

He has used so many words about football players; now it’s about countries. Do religious people think this is the norm? I pray not.

Russell Taylor, Blue Springs Kansas

Martin Luther King - Time to act

On Thursday, President Donald Trump referred to countries in Africa in a way that shines a bright light on his ill-informed world view. So when will we hear Senator. Pat Roberts and Senator Jerry Moran and Rep. Kevin Yoder hold the president accountable for his most abhorrent comment yet?

On the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day I am reminded of that great man’s words: “And it may well be that we will have to repent in this generation. Not merely for the vitriolic words and the violent actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence and indifference of the good people who sit around and say, ‘Wait on time.’”

Time’s up.

To my representatives, I say: "I’m waiting".

Please don’t bother with a canned response. I would rather no response at all.

Patricia Cokingtin, Leawood Kansas