Letters | July 2, 2009

Andrew Bettis

Overland Park

True celebrities

Watching TV news the past few days has seemed like a futile effort unless you wanted an endless parade of Michael Jackson stories.

I believe we have the notion of what a celebrity is mixed up in this great country. To me, true celebrities are: The men and women of our armed forces who keep the wolf from our shores. The policemen and firemen who take their lives in their hands every time they go to work. The pastor who spends untold hours helping those who have been touched by tragedy. The mothers and fathers who toil endless hours to provide for their children.

Michael Jackson may have been a musical genius. His music did not appeal to me, so I did not listen. I am sure his passing is tragic to his family and fans. However, during the time our media have been reporting on his death, how many armed forces members, policeman and firemen, pastors and parents who made an immediate and lasting impact on lives passed away that we will never know about?

Perhaps we need to think about these folks more and, when we see them, thank them for who they are and what they do.

Bill Kampbell

Master Sgt.,

U.S. Marine Corps

(retired)

Kansas City

Moratorium on executions?

I am perplexed about the Star editorial board’s request for a moratorium on Missouri executions (6/29, Opinion, “Moratorium on Missouri executions makes sense”) and the apparent lack of communication between editors and reporters. A better editorial would ask why the federal 8th Circuit has stayed the execution of a murderer only one month after it had previously ruled that the lethal injection procedure was constitutional in allowing the execution of murderer Dennis Skillicorn.

The news pages review the history of Kansas murderer Richard Grissom (6/29, A1, “The pain lingers for three families”), who refuses after 20 years to say where he buried the bodies. Buried in that article is the fact that he was a career criminal and had killed previously at age 16.

Another news article (6/29, A1) indicates that an increasing number of people in both states are obtaining permits to carry concealed weapons.

Finally, consider the large number of recent murders where the witnesses have “seen nothing.” Connect the dots: People lack confidence in the criminal justice system to keep them safe and keep the criminals away one way or the other.

Jim Dingwerth

Kansas City

The Star’s editorial urging a moratorium on executions failed to address a consequence of such a policy. Should inmates, correctional officers, staff and visitors in a prison be exposed to the dangers of murderers who have no respect for life? The Star wants to confine murderers in prison to safeguard some citizens but is willing to allow murderers to threaten other citizens in prison. I don’t recall The Star routinely reporting on prison crimes like assault, rape or robbery.

Should society expose an inmate serving time for a minor drug offense to the dangers of sleeping in the same cell as a violent murderer? Prison is a society where inmates live as well as where good citizens work and visit. Apparently The Star is not concerned for their safety, but only its political agenda to end executions without regard to how lives are placed at risk in prison.

Michael Lee Kobe

Kansas City, Kan.

Gays’ big ‘agenda’

The following is the homosexual agenda:

•Spend time with family.

•Be treated equally under the law.

•Buy milk.

Jeremy Adkison

Leavenworth

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