Unfettered Letters

Bush’s visit

I don’t know if you need another letter about Bush’s visit that tied up traffic, but I’ve got to speak my mind. Dan Hayden (8/27, Letters) is off mark in his response to Mike Hendricks’ recent column. Does he really think it is realistic that anyone who had to drive to work on that day should have taken the day off? Where I work, I don’t think that qualifies as a valid reason for not coming to work.

Mr. Hayden’s other unrealistic suggestion was that Mr. Hendricks should live closer to where he works. You can’t just pack up and move when you hear the president is coming to town and planning on messing up traffic. Besides, it didn’t matter where I work, on the Plaza, whether you live nearby or far away. It was still difficult to get to here.

Whether the president is a Democrat or a Republican really doesn’t matter. He should not have snarled our traffic during rush hour. Period.

Shelly Porterfield
Kansas City

Thanks to Mike Hendricks for pointing out the foolishness of President Bush’s Corner Café Caper.

Seriously, couldn’t anyone in that convoy stop and think of what would happen if there had been a big fire or bad accident in midtown, adding fire trucks and emergency vehicles to the mix?

Maybe the president will make a public apology to the people of Kansas City for the inconvenience that it caused them. Don’t hold your breath.

Russ Clay
Kansas City

Human sexuality

In response to Betty Heath (8/28, Letters, “Age and sexuality”), I did a modest bit of research myself and cannot find any commandment that starts, “Thou shalt not...” and continues on to ban sex.

Some extrapolate the commandment against adultery to cover all sex outside of marriage, and still others take it to ridiculous extremes (such as masturbation and fantasy), but that’s not what adultery means.

Betty, do you remember being a teenager? You were undoubtedly a sexual being. You had sexual thoughts, and you probably acted upon them. You are, after all, a mammal, and our primary biological imperative is to reproduce. Those hormones are strong for a reason!

So, as a thinking and compassionate society, do we embrace our sexuality, teaching our young ones how to avoid the pitfalls and enjoy the positive aspects in a supportive and healthy atmosphere? Or do we try to psychologically associate this powerful biological urge with imaginary hellfire and damnation (yet simultaneously with wealth and power via the media), and feed them misinformation contrary to scientific knowledge, causing lifelong confusion, frustration and self-revulsion?

Looks like a no-brainer to me.

Katje Sabin
Kansas City

Beauty destroyed

In regard to the travesty occurring at Vivion Road and North Oak Trafficway: It’s bad enough that forces of nature alter the landscape that we inhabit. But for mankind to ravage what was once a bucolic vista that nurtured the soul makes one disgusted.

The strip mining of this location to place yet another strip mall is repugnant to say the least.

Here is a prime example of capitalism run amuck — more of the same in the name of progress. What were the people thinking who voted for this debacle? Were they lacking in judgment to foresee the destructive powers of their decision?

The parasites on the wheel of progress have managed to destroy our environment again. Our needs were fulfilled before this destruction by existing establishments; therefore, replicating these shops and services is but sheer folly.

My heartfelt sadness joins the chorus that mourns the environmental loss at Vivion Road and North Oak Trafficway.

Bruno Gavriloaia
Kansas City

Don’t change airport

Kelly Roberson (8/28, Letters) claims that KCI needs changes. According to Roberson, KCI’s present passenger-friendly configuration is expensive to the airlines, which thus charge passengers more. A new giant terminal would mean cheaper prices, Roberson thinks.

Unfortunately, Roberson is wrong: Current KCI prices are considerably below average compared with similar airports. In fact, building an enormous new terminal would end up enormously raising the prices for local travelers and taxpayers deep into the 21st century.

Second, Roberson claims that a new giant single terminal would allow Kansas City to once again become a hub city. Are you kidding? Can you say Eastern, Braniff and TWA? We were hub cities for each of these airlines, and when they left town, travel crashed. Moreover, prices in hub cities inevitably are greater than in airports like KCI, where healthy competition between airlines exists.

Roberson’s suggestions point to financial disaster, not to mention the loss of the most passenger-friendly airport around. Your columnist C.W. Gusewelle had it right. The only reason to change KCI is to provide obscene profits to certain parties in the city. Swapping KCI for a giant single terminal is nothing less than a swindle to the traveling, taxpaying community.

George Gale
Westwood Hills

So an out-of-town firm is hired to “consult” to the tune of several million dollars and suggest improvements to our “outdated” international airport. Without rehashing all the points that some of the other letters to the editor have articulated, our airport is about as user-friendly as it can be.

Now they want a billion dollars for a new airport?

I only have one question for the consultants (and the same question applies to all us if this is approved): Are you guys nuts?

Dave Lewis-Jones
Lenexa

Airshow re-enactment

This Becker family attends air shows as tributes to servicemen and veterans — but not the “Tora, Tora, Tora” re-enactment at the Kansas City Airshow last weekend.

This was highly disrespectful to the many servicemen killed and maimed at Pearl Harbor.

It was a peaceful Sunday morning when the sneak attack by the Japanese awakened loved ones to death and horror.

My husband, Bob, was one of four brothers in the U.S. Navy in World War II. His three other brothers were stationed together on the U.S.S. Arizona at Pearl Harbor. Two brothers were killed. The third was saved because of being on weekend leave with his wife, an island nurse. But he later died of illnesses contracted in wartime.

Later, reaching age 17, my husband enlisted in the U.S. Navy. His Great Lakes company was destined for Japan, but was diverted to Guam after Japan was bombed.

Viewing this highly publicized re-enactment of the attack on Pearl Harbor would be a horrendous, nightmarish renewal of heartache for many families. We know.

Betty Becker
Mission

Iraq War

Iraq and Vietnam

I was reading what President Bush said about our involvement in Iraq. He compared it to our cause in Vietnam. The increased violence in Vietnam was, as I recall, caused when another Texan president increased the number of our boys he sent to war. Is this deja vu repeating, or are we on an endless loop?

Both of these Texan presidents seem to find it difficult to do the right thing. Neither one should have been allowed by Congress to send troops into other nations.

I am convinced the problem is caused by terrorists putting something into the water inside the Beltway long before 9/11.

Manuel W. Kirklin
Leawood

Americans are dying

Reportedly, there has been some military success in Iraq in recent days. However, from all indications, the political strength necessary for the Iraqi government to demonstrate control is conspicuously behind schedule.

Nouri al-Maliki does not have control. President Bush wants to see the Iraqi government strong and stable before troops withdraw. He has said, “When Iraqi troops stand up, U.S. troops will stand down.”

Last week, the president said a pullout from Iraq would result in the death of many Iraqi people. I respectfully submit that the lives of American troops are also precious and their preservation should have priority.

To see innocent people die as a result of a pull-out is dreadful. However, I do not agree that American lives should be squandered indefinitely.

If the troops stay until Jan 2009, at the current rate of loss, the number of dead U.S. troops will increase by 1,700 — plus additional wounded. This seemingly endless bloodshed is unacceptable.

Today, radical Islam is actively engaged in dozens of countries in the world, including the United States, and our resources are stuck in Iraq. A coordinated effort, with leaders worldwide, will be required to stop terrorism.

Jerome Nowak
Lee’s Summit

Vick’s guilty plea

Michael Vick says he’s sorry. He apologizes for all of his irresponsible actions. He says his actions were immature and he needs to grow up (8/28, Sports Daily, “.‘I will redeem myself,’ QB says”).

Vick is sorry because he’s under the gun and stands to lose millions of dollars. His apologies are nothing more than a smokescreen to try to get his sentence reduced.

Immaturity has nothing whatsoever to do with immorality. Vick is an adult with immoral and cruel tendencies. He is no better than the imbecile who has been going around this city maiming dogs.

The Atlanta Falcons owner says he believes Vick is truly sorry for his actions. The only thing the owner is sorry for is the money he will lose with Vick’s absence.

My verdict would be to sentence him to the fullest degree of the law and kick him out of professional football for life. With that done, let’s see how sorry he is for his irresponsible actions. He should get no special consideration.

Greg J. Graeff
Raytown

In Tuesday’s paper, there is a picture of a protester holding a sign that states, “Everyone Makes Mistakes,” referring to Michael Vick. This statement is true. Everyone does make mistakes. However, a mistake is leaving the gate open and your dog gets out. Torturing and killing harmless animals is not a “mistake.” It is vicious cruelty.

Joan Flamm
Lee’s Summit

Smoking ordinance

I enjoyed the story on the three comedy clubs in town (8/26, A+E, “It’s all just for laughs”).

My husband and I have been to Famous Johnny’s Comedy Club in Overland Park twice in the last three weeks. I think all the people who are against the city’s smoking ordinance should go there and see that no smoking does not ruin a business.

Both times that we were there (on Saturday nights even) the crowds were good and smokers and nonsmokers were peacefully coexisting.

People who wanted to smoke simply went outside on the patio and smoked. It seems to be working well at that particular comedy club.

Melissa Brown
Sedalia

Cosby visit

Well, again it’s easy to justify dropping my subscription to the paper. I must admit I purchase the Sunday paper only, but reluctantly. This Sunday’s paper is more of the same (8/26, Local, “Men’s event focuses on children; Stay involved, Bill Cosby tells KC audience”).

Why, why, why wasn’t Bill Cosby’s visit, and his cause, on the front page of the paper? The local section was not good enough. His concern for our city, wanting us to come together and rid the city of murders and other crimes, should be more important than “Reaching the TIF-ing point,” which was on the front page.

But, I’m not surprised, I’m disappointed. What’s new?

The only way Cosby would have made front page was if he made some negative statement about Bush or Iraq. Somehow you would have tied that into his message with front-page headlines.

Tom Stout
Smithville

West Independence

How important are high-quality schools to a community’s identity and economic vitality? West Independence provides a telling case study.

Drive through Maywood, Fairmount or Englewood pre-mid-1970s, and you’d find profitable, if unglamorous, local businesses — bakeries, hardware stores, pharmacies — serving strongly identified working-class neighborhoods.

Drive through them today, and you’ll find marginal businesses and empty storefronts. Why? West Independence remains in the Kansas City School District, despite its people’s mandate in the ’70s — when I attended Van Horn High — to leave it.

What happened to the people? Most moved away. Those who stayed became elderly, their grown children moving where their kids could attend high-quality schools. Those moving in simply couldn’t afford to live where better schools were.

And Van Horn? One of the district’s flagship schools became, even by low district standards, among its worst.

The district, having wasted billions on failed social engineering and magnet programs, can’t fix this. It now succeeds mainly at producing an irreversibly permanent underclass of adults.

Reviving West Independence will minimally take several decades of concerted economic development. Any possible success, though, requires its schools — 30 years too late — to finally leave the Kansas City School District.

Jay Fisher
Independence