Unfettered Letters

Talk radio hosts should tone it down

I agree with William H. Corken (12/23, Letters) that the Fairness Doctrine is a bad idea. The Obama administration will have far too much to occupy them, though, thanks to Mr. Bush and friends.

However, the more rigid talk radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh (who is already hoping Obama will fail) could be a little more diplomatic. These are, after all, the same people who thought the liberal commentators were too critical of Bush.

If it is the office that deserves respect, Obama deserves it until he screws up.

Gerry Wilson
Excelsior Springs

Praise for Olympics coverage

I respectfully disagree with Brian Kegerreis (8/9, Letters) about boycotting the Olympics. While I don’t condone the Chinese government’s actions and we both respect the athletes’ diligence and commitment, the similarity ends there.

I think watching the Olympics on TV is a great opportunity to teach children about other countries’ customs, personalities and convictions. Despite our world’s vast differences, each opinion matters, including those of my own kids, who just might come away with new insight based on what they see and learn. I particularly like the personal interest stories, which allow us to see the human side of each athlete highlighted. Some of it may be fluff, but you can’t buy that kind of education in a textbook.

If you don’t like China’s government, don’t buy their products. But don’t ignore the rest of the world’s involvement. It’s an opportunity for a concise history lesson that you can continue once the TV is turned off.

The human spirit is universal, and the Olympics just might be the only venue to get a world’s worth of perspective in a box, literally and figuratively speaking.

Kathy Kline
Overland Park

The opening ceremony for the Olympics was the most fantastic presentation I have ever seen. It was not only a superb production; it was also an engineering marvel.

The Chinese government deserves the highest accolades

John Gaines
Prairie Village

Networks show pro-Obama bias

The three big news networks showed their true colors in reporting the news last week when NBC, CBS and ABC each sent one of their top anchors to accompany Barack Obama on his first visit to the troubled Mideast. The big three networks are not fooling anyone that this was not politically motivated to help Obama in his quest for the presidency of the United States.

This same courtesy should have been accorded to John McCain on his trips to the war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq. Shame on the three liberal networks for letting their left-leaning bias take over commonsense judgment. They ignored a candidate who is a true American patriot in every sense of the word.

May God truly bless the land that has been ours for more than 230 years.

Gerhard Schulz
Independence

Royals announcers hit home run

I was very happy to see a letter (7/10) regarding Royals announcers Paul Splittorff and Ryan Lefebvre. I, too, think they are a wonderful team. They know the game of baseball inside and out, they inject humor but don’t overdo it, and they seem to get along well and genuinely like each other.

There is no perceptible tension between them, which makes them very easy to listen to.

Keep up the great work guys!

Peggy Sajevic
Liberty

Limbaugh is ‘oasis of sanity’

William R. Lenz (7/9, Letters) is appalled at Rush Limbaugh’s big new contract (7/3, A-6, “Limbaugh signs $400 million deal.”)

Typical of the left, he demagogically demonizes responsible opposing points of view as continuing to “poison the political discourse with hate speech.” How dare such a person achieve wealth in the free marketplace!

Rush Limbaugh is successful because he provides an oasis of sanity — an appealing alternative to the almost monolithic liberal bias of the mass media and its leftist allies from the two worlds of make-believe, academia and Hollywood.

Face it. When conservatives hit it big, Trotskyites gnash their teeth.

Michael T. Murphy
Prairie Village

Cheers for Royals broadcasters

My husband and I watch every Royals game — and Chiefs game, for that matter — that we can.

Our favorite broadcasters are Paul Splittorff and Ryan Lefebvre. They are knowledgeable, interesting and have a great sense of humor that we enjoy.

We hope the front office will pay no mind to David Henning (7/4, Letters, “Royals need pro announcers”). He should put his efforts at getting rid of the Kansas City Chiefs general manager.

Judith Bruder
Blue Springs

Date rape no laughing matter

I was offended and shocked at a disc jockey’s recent remarks made on a local FM radio station. The disc jockey kept bantering on about how he had “date raped a drunk girl this past weekend.” His statement was always followed by laughter and was repeated several times. As a civilized person, I am offended and appalled.

As a mother of both sons and a daughter, I am sickened that this was talked about on air in such a cavalier way. It is, in fact, against the law, and I see no humor in it whatsoever.

I believe this requires more than just tuning it out or off. I have contacted the station, and they responded that I heard this out of context. However when I requested the entire segment, they did not provide it.

I fail to see how even “in context” this is appropriate and not offensive.

Mary Calkins
Overland Park

Royals need pro announcers

Royals, now that you have upgraded the team and the front office, it’s time for more changes for next year. Specifically, the TV broadcast team has to go.

Those of us who subscribe to the Major League Baseball Extra Innings package on cable get to hear so many actual professional broadcasters that we just cringe having to listen to our bush-league team.

Please, continue to upgrade our image and help save my TV. Get some professional broadcasters.

David Henning
Kansas City

More to do than watch TV

Mike Morris (6/11, Letters) complained about the local TV stations’ excessive coverage of the June 3 fuel-tank fire.

He could have left the TV off the entire night and read a good book, visited with his significant other, played with his children or grandchildren, worked on a hobby, driven to a nearby mall and become a mall-walker, written a letter to an out-of-town relative or started or completed a home-improvement project.

Experts say that withdrawal symptoms among families forced by circumstance to cease TV watching indicate there may be an addiction problem.

Perhaps the term “boob tube” isn’t so funny after all.

Mary Mylar Arends
Kansas City

She must be on funnel cloud nine

I have been racking my brain trying to imagine the exhilaration, the exuberance, the unholy tingling sensation, the thrill and level of personal excitement that Katie Horner must feel when the possibility of devastating weather exists anywhere near Kansas City.

About the best I can do is what a dog must feel like when turned loose inside Fritz’s Meat Market. Oh, the joy!

Don Cameron
Overland Park