Fire coverage overdone

All four Kansas City television stations spent at least four hours reporting about the Plaza fire Tuesday night. The actual news was fully reported by 7 p.m.

After that it was simply ghoul reporting. They all wanted to be the first to report a dead body being found or that someone died in the fire.

You can only interview so many people who say they heard something, saw something or smelled something. So all regular programming viewers were forced to watch cable and hope that someone came to their senses and decided to return to regular programming. Alas, not one station manager has the backbone to say enough is enough.

It was bad enough to make you miss Katie Horner!

Charlotte Hartung

De Soto

Kudos to Mayor James

Kudos to Mayor Sly James for handling the Wednesday morning press conference concerning the destruction of JJ’s restaurant with dignity and thoughtfulness. As usual the media want fast answers to questions that need time to answer.

It was obvious that the press was wanting to play the blame game, which the mayor refused to play. He probably answered the same reworded question a dozen times while reporters tried to get him to say who was responsible for the destruction.

The should of, could of, and would of game was in full force by the press. Like a true leader, James’ first concern after the tragedy was the safety of those present at the time of the explosion.

He will be looking for answers as soon as all the facts are gathered. You can’t make an assessment so soon after something of this magnitude occurs.

The race for answers, or more importantly, ratings lead the media to report half-truths rather than facts. Mayor James made it clear he is not willing to give his constituents anything but the actual facts after a thorough investigation.

Mayor James was the picture of grace under fire.

Karen Bonner

Kansas City

Diuguid column

Concerning Lewis Diuguid’s Feb. 18 column, “A facet of black history that needs to change,” oh, pleeeeeeease. Lewis, wake up.

The plight of people of color is in their own behavior. We did elect a black president.

People like you keep making excuses about the things that keep black people in poverty. Maybe they should do what you did — go to school and get a job.

Your hype is so old.

Crying never got anyone ahead in this world. It is not white people who create life’s problems.

Life is a problem for all of us. Try being white, and you won’t see a lot of difference.

David Panter

Overland Park

Star’s anti-gun stand

The Kansas City Star’s editorial board seems to have joined the bandwagon in wanting to limit people’s right to keep and bear arms.

Do we really want a society in which the only ones allowed to arm themselves are police officers, security guards and the military?

Granted, not all people want to have weapons of any kind, either in their homes or in their immediate possession. I have no problem with that.

It’s a choice they make on their own. But there are others who choose differently.

One Star opinion piece mentioned that of the 62 mass shootings analyzed by Mother Jones magazine, there was not one armed civilian who confronted these evil people. Now, I don’t know the facts surrounding these 62 incidents, but what if one of these people had been armed?

Chances are the number of victims would have been much smaller.

Whatever law or additional regulation the government decides to place upon its people, the only ones who suffer in the end are the law-abiding citizens.

Those who were responsible for the killing of innocent people in mass shootings don’t follow the laws.

I just want a level playing field.

David Talley

Lenexa

Disability matters

A Feb. 15 letter writer is concerned that people who ask others to stand up don’t add “if you are able.” Instead of griping about minutiae, how about being grateful for all the people who are willing to open a door for those of us who need a walker or wheelchair?

If you want to be an advocate for those of us with disabilities, work on preventing people from getting handicap tags for their cars when they don’t really need them. Educate people that parking for those with disabilities doesn’t mean five-minute parking for the able-bodied.

Let’s worry about what really matters.

Paul M. Jost

Leawood

Korean War not useless

I found it quite disturbing that a Feb. 13 letter writer called the Korean War useless. Other than the Marshall Plan, our effort in Korea was one of the few success stories from the Cold War era.

Let’s review the results of this useless war:

• South Korea, GDP is 13th in the world. North Korea, 103rd.

• South Korea has 49 million residents with a relatively stable economy and government. North Korea has 24 million people, and we can only guess at the state of that economy and government.

It is unfortunate that the lessons learned from this “useless war” cannot translate into success in our current efforts overseas. Successes such as free elections, decent living conditions and a military that can basically stand and fight on its own.

As a Marine Corps Vietnam veteran, I saw the capabilities of the Republic of Korea marines and was honored to serve with them. The Republic of Korea marines were feared by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong.

If only the Iraqis and Afghans could muster troops like Korea did. That part of the world would be secure.

Russell Cutright

Shawnee

Electoral vote changes

I would love to see some media attention given to the several states where Republican legislatures are ramming through changes to their electoral vote allocations.

In Virginia, President Barack Obama won the popular vote by 150,000 ballots. But under its new plan, he would have received four electoral votes to Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s nine.

Winning a solid majority of the popular vote gets you 30 percent of the electoral vote?

The rationale is that the urban areas are heavily outvoting the rural areas. Gee, that wouldn’t be because there are more people in urban areas, would it?

These schemes are nothing more than, “We can’t win, so we’ll change the rules.” Public scrutiny is needed on this topic before it is enacted into law before the 2016 election.

Ohio and Pennsylvania are considering similar plans.

Dennis Croskey

Kansas City

Responsible gun owners

Friends, contact your representatives. Please lead the momentum to restrict assault weapons, large-capacity magazines and cop-killer bullets.

I prefer this quote from Gen. Stanley McChrystal and beg you to take a rational look at gun control in this country:

“I personally don’t think there’s any need for that kind of weaponry on the streets and particularly around the schools in America. I believe that we’ve got to take a serious look — I understand everybody’s desire to have whatever they want — but we have to protect our children and our police and we have to protect our population. And I think we have to take a very mature look at that.”

Must we, as a people, live in fear of gunfire every place we go in this country? How can we have a great country if we have this constant threat to our personal safety?

Do not suggest that by picking up a gun I can be part of the solution. Please act responsibly in the names of all the people you represent.

People can have their guns, but it has to be reasonable. It has to be mature.

Suzann Vogl Geringer

Leawood

Blessings for help

Every once in a while you read in the newspaper about a total stranger stepping in to assist a person who is suddenly in need of help. I have always read those articles with the Lord’s blessing for the unknown person who has stepped in and immediately given his help in any way that he could.

Then it happened to me. I fell headfirst on our concrete driveway. I was unable to get up.

The pain was horrible. Then, all of a sudden, a red pickup truck appeared at the bottom of the driveway.

A man hurried up to me and with careful handling raised me up to my daughter, who was already calling my doctor’s office (God bless her).

The helpful man wanted no money for his assistance. He not only helped me, but he also helped my daughter.

God bless him and the help of my daughter.

Mary Anne Iversen

Overland Park

Thanks for kindness

There are nice people in this world. Our sincere thanks go to the person who paid for our dinners at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery in Lee’s Summit.

What a surprise.

May good things come to you. We hope you will read our words of heartfelt appreciation for your kindness to us.

Harold and Helen Hunt

Lee’s Summit