Unfettered Letters

Telephone inventors

After reading the AP story regarding Seth Shulman’s book about the invention of the telephone (12/27, A-6, “Book argues that Bell stole phone idea”), I was amazed that the real first inventor of the telephone was not even mentioned!
In 2002, the U.S. House of Representatives recognized Antonio Meucci, an Italian immigrant, as the official inventor of the telephone. He invented it in 1849 and eventually developed a practical working model. For reasons too numerous to go into, he didn’t file an intent to take out a patent (known as a patent caveat) until 1871, still years before Gray or Bell. He could not afford the $250, a lot of money back then, for a definitive patent. Bell, a rich man, of course won the court fight for the patent.
I don’t know if Shulman mentions Meucci in The Telephone Gambit (coming out in January), but if he doesn’t, he is seriously remiss.
Frank Strada
Overland Park

Chiefs’ season

I watched the exciting game between the Patriots and the Giants Saturday night. It was a pleasure to see two really professional teams play. I hope the Chiefs players were able to watch the game to see how really pro players play the game. The Giants did lose the game, but it wasn’t a shameful loss like the Chiefs’ losses.
Ferdinand Shore
Kansas City

Well, I guess I was right. The “Chumps” won four games all season, the maximum I predicted they’d win. I sure looked bad when they were 4-3!
Now if we only had an owner who is committed to winning rather than fielding a team that will fill the stands, but nothing more.
Until it’s more than just the bottom line, we will continue to languish in relative mediocrity.
My four season tickets, dating from 1964, are history.
Joe Neuner
Indian Wells, Calif.

Digital television switch

So terrified that the natives will become restless, Congress, in its No TV Set Left Behind program, makes sure to appropriate $1.5 billion so that no American should be deprived of television (12/17, A-1, “Keep those channels open; The changeover to digital TV is near, and Congress doesn’t want you to get switched off”). Thus, TV is revealed for what it is: the plug-in drug. Huxley’s soma updated.
I’d also wager that legislators are anxious that the effectiveness of a medium so capable of delivering the messages of powerful interests (commercial and state) to an enormous passive and receptive audience not be in any way diminished.
Carole Brown
Matfield Green, Kan.

Retirees abandoned

Compassionate conservatism: no such animal. The Bush administration continues to develop two classes of Americans: the elite rich and the rest of us.
The recent ruling by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will, unfortunately, result in large employers dumping health benefits for retirees and their spouses at the time when these people will need health care the most (12/27, A-1, “Retiree benefits may be at risk; New regulation allows employers to reduce or eliminate health plans for those 65 and older”).
Older Americans who worked hard all of their lives to make ends meet will be forced to depend on what Medicare will cover and be out of pocket for the rest at a time when their incomes are fixed and hugely inadequate.
The only retirees able to afford decent health care: the upper class. The winners: big business, with the rich getting richer.
I can’t wait to dump this way of thinking in ’08, starting with conservatives like Congressman Sam Graves.
Don Pickard
Kansas City

UM system president

Give the University of Missouri an “A” for picking a proven loser. Welcome, President Gary Forsee (12/22, Local, “Businessmen as college leaders; The UM system’s case is rare, as only 13 percent of university presidents come from that sector”).
John P. Allen
St. Joseph, Mo.

Merry Christmas

In this age of political correctness, it was heartwarming to see “Merry Christmas” at the top of the first section on Dec. 25. Thank you.
Fred Goodwin
Mission Hills

Bannister Mall

Save Bannister Mall? Too little, too late, Mr. Tolbert (11/27, Local, “Petition filed to save Bannister”).
Where were Richard Tolbert and his “save the mall” group when the mass exodus of anchor tenants began in 2000? Perhaps there might have been something to “save” if Tolbert’s group had stepped up to the plate after Penney’s left in 2000 or even after Dillard’s left in 2002. There have been plenty of chances in the last eight years for Tolbert’s group to “save the mall.” It is too late now.
I live near Bannister Mall and have for 30 years. It’s time for our neighborhood to move on, tear the mall down and start fresh. You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
K. Downe
Kansas City

“Valuable community asset”? How do an empty mall, an abandoned Wal-Mart and a handful of small businesses become an asset? Maybe “community eyesore” is more correct. It would be more of an asset if it were just plowed under and turned into a park. That area could use some greenspace.
If Richard Tolbert has an alternative plan for the area, it should be presented long before we waste the taxpayers’ money on an election. The Three Trails development may or may not bring a rebirth to the area, but at least they have a plan. And as of lately I don’t see a long line of other developers willing to take a chance there.
Shaun Lee
Lee’s Summit

Thanks to police

Kudos to the Kansas City Police Department. I was going north on Interstate 435 recently and was tailgated by a pickup truck. Trying to get out of his way to let him go around me, I finally got into the middle lane. I saw a police car to the right. He turned on his lights and pulled in front of me, allowing the truck to pass. He then got behind him and pulled him over.
A very strong thank you to our Kansas City police. If this happened more often we wouldn’t have the multi-car pile ups.
Also they wouldn’t have known what color our skin was from that distance. They were just acting on the violation.
I was taught to respect police and any authority figure. They have always been respectful to me when I got pulled over.
Just think about what they go through on a daily basis and walk in their shoes, before you are so critical of them.
Helen Rozgay
Sugar Creek

Independence Center

As a Kansas City, Kan., resident, I see the recent news on TV about the fights at Independence Center as similar to what happened at our now-defunct Indian Springs Mall.
In the early ’80s through the early ’90s, the same problems started at Indian Springs. There were large groups of rowdy teens and constant interruptions in the movie theaters. All this was happening at a time when the police and security stood by ignoring the problems and telling the citizens there wasn’t a safety .
People stayed away in droves, my wife and I included, and the mall died. We choose to do our shopping in Johnson County.
The management and police at Independence Center need to review our history and gain control of the kids and young adults now, or your mall will die also. People will not tolerate an environment where they feel uncomfortable. They can go elsewhere.
Michael Hylton
Kansas City, Kan.

Handicapped parking

In “The Watchdog” (12/28, Local), Walter W. complains about “able-bodied young drivers” parking in handicapped-parking stalls with a tag, “which most likely is not assigned to them.” The Watchdog reporter echoes similar sentiments: “A perfectly healthy-looking driver parks…”
I am possibly one of the drivers described above. I am a 57-year-old driver with a nearly invisible disability, especially on the days I’m lucky enough to walk without my cane. I also have friends who use their spouse’s handicapped parking tag when driving their partner or picking them up.
The focus should be drivers without a tag who use handicapped-parking stalls. I have called the police once for such a driver. The responding policeman talked to the perpetrator in a very authoritative manner then asked me if I wanted to file a complaint. I declined, as I was convinced the guilty party was truly sorry and would not be committing said violation again.
Jim Babcock
Kansas City