Unfettered Letters

Mascot names

David Whitlock (10/19, Letters) is upset about sports teams having names or nicknames referencing American Indians or other minorities.

Here’s a thought: In the name of political correctness, let’s also rename any river, creek, street, county, park or state that in any way references the aforementioned or any other groups. Remember, we’ll have to also remove them from our history books. How do you suggest we rename them?

Being of Irish heritage, the first I want to see go is the “Fighting Irish” of Notre Dame. I’m really offended — not!

Next, we will get the animal rights people to do away with the Lions, Tigers and Bears (oh, my), Eagles, Wildcats, Mules, Buffaloes, Broncos (I’m OK with that one), the Banana Slugs of Santa Barbara, etc. By the way, what exactly is a Jayhawk?

Catholics, where is your outrage about ’Dem Saints? Music fans, the Jazz?

Please, David, and all you other PC fanatics, give it a break and concern yourselves with more important things.

Leland R. Neal
Corder, Mo.

Offensive mascot

While watching the Cleveland baseball team in the playoffs, notice the Cleveland mascot, Chief Wahoo, on the ballcaps. It is time to stop using minority groups — American Indians in this case — as sports or school mascots!

David Whitlock
Kansas City

Central High reunion

Rita (Wissler) von Vopelius-Feldt and I appreciate reporter Joe Robertson sharing our story with your readership (7/28, A-1, “Strong bonds effortlessly bridge decades, an ocean and a divide ; A German teen came to racially split KC, but found true community in the midst of tension”).

Spending time with us and our friends, he could see that our story is greater than the love and support of the Wissler and Smith families for their daughters. It’s a story of the Central High School community. We all worked together to make 1966-67 the successful year that it was. And 40 years later, we came together and celebrated.

Rita’s return allowed us to once again feel the pride in our experience. The lesson we learned was important then, and still is now. Rita summed it up so eloquently in the video clip shown at www.kansascity.com: “If you have good human personal relationships and conditions, you can get along, and you can get along more or less easily.” That’s more than any textbook could have taught us.

Rita and I were approached by many people who saw the article. Almost to a person, they remarked how wonderful it was to see the front page filled with news of the union of cultures, as opposed to news of divisions between cultures. Many were appreciative of a chance to enjoy a positive story from our African-American community. Thank you for this point of pride.

Valerie J. Smith
Lansing, Mich.

Contractor dispute

Shame on Kansas City’s City Council for whatever hand they had in the demise of minority contractor Gill Construction (10/20, Business, “Legal ordeal finally ends: A defunct firm gets $3 million for unpaid work, but a city backup fund is cut”).

Here’s a guy, Rick Gill, who made the effort to make a difference, took a chance, did it right, helped a lot of people (100 local jobs) and got stiffed by the very community he stepped up to make a difference in.

I’ll bet that to get the work he had to provide a bond that said he was insured to complete the job. Was he given one back that said he was promised payment?

When this man, with all of his integrity, looks back on his life, should he be bitter? Should other minorities step up and take a chance in this town?

The people responsible for this travesty should consider the long-term effects of their behavior on the community.

Peace to you, Mr. Gill.

Tommy Fagan
Leawood

Don’t ignore racism

Mark Winsor’s letter of July 21 (“Boulevard billboard”) complains that columnist Lewis Diuguid is “causing a deeper chasm between the races” when he makes us aware of racism. The same philosophy, if applied to a disease like cancer, is to ignore it and it will go away.

Unfortunately, racism is still with us — even when we do not intend to be racist, as was the case with Boulevard. Only when we listen to voices such as Mr. Diuguid’s can we learn how those actions are perceived by others in our community. I am thankful that we have such a voice among us.

Maril Crabtree
Mission

Minority contracts

Regarding the agreement on the number of minority businesses and workers to be hired to remodel the stadiums (3/24, Metro, “.‘Fair-share’ hiring approved by county”), how can this not be called what it is — a quota system?

Whatever happened to getting a job by offering the same quality for a better price, or better quality for the same price? Also, why do the taxpayers have to pay to train individuals for jobs? That is the responsibility of the individual.

A quota system virtually ensures that the taxpayers will pay a higher price for the product. The person who benefits from the quota knows that he/she can charge a higher price because true economic competition is taken out of the mix.

Mike Sienicki
Farley

Individuals apply for jobs, not groups. I will not be party to any hiring or contracting process that intentionally discriminates against individuals because of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It is morally repugnant and prohibited by the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

This decides my vote on stadium improvement.

J.C. Needles II
Independence