Letters: Readers discuss Allen Fieldhouse officiating, charity, Jerry Moran, and the Royals
Unfair officiating
I was able to watch only the final minute or so of the Jan. 3 Kansas State-Kansas men’s basketball game.
But as I saw the game end, I was again reminded that anyone who thinks a close game at the storied Allen Fieldhouse will be objectively officiated is likely smoking something that might place him or her in jail.
To any readers new to the area, everyone who has been in the arena or watched games at Allen on TV knows very well that the word “intimidation” must have been coined there.
So it has been; so it will be.
Get used to it folks. It isn’t going to change.
Jim Carney
Kansas City
Holiday generosity
My daughter Aimee and I have a friend, Christy, who has three children and cleans houses for income. She had a critical emergency surgery that almost took her life right before Christmas.
When Christy was discharged, she was told not to work until mid-February. This left her without income for gifts for her children.
Aimee and I, with the help of friends, decided to adopt her family. We were astounded by so many caring and generous people who donated to the cause.
We would like to thank the patrons of Drivers Sports Cafe, Gayla and the patrons of Torreador Mexican Cantina, and United Airlines flight attendants Dave and Judy for their generous donations.
We also thank elementary school friends Russ and Karen, who delivered a Christmas dinner to the family.
The gracious acts of so many people give us hope for the future. There are good people in this world. You just need to know them.
Jeanie Adkins-Peine
Overland Park
Moran’s statement
My open letter to Sen. Jerry Moran:
I am a rabbi at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah in Overland Park, which is the largest and oldest Jewish congregation in Kansas. My opinions in this letter are solely my own, but they are informed by many conversations with American Jews who are passionate about Israel.
I was troubled by your recent newsletter, titled “Standing with Israel,” characterizing Secretary of State John Kerry’s Dec. 28 speech as one that “provoked … all who stand as allies to Israel.”
This allegation leads me to ask: Did you actually read the secretary’s remarks? They were fully in line with American policy toward Israel, echoing decades of Republican and Democratic positions.
Kerry denounced Palestinian attempts to use the United Nations as a weapon against Israel. He affirmed America’s insistence that Jews have a historic claim to Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city. And he stressed that America is committed to the principle of “two states for two peoples.”
These are all policies that Americans in general and American Jews in particular have championed for generations.
Of course, it’s not surprising that a Republican senator would denounce a Democratic administration.
But your comments were an attack not only on the current administration but also on the main foreign policy interests of American Jews.
Senator, please don’t seek to score cheap political points on the back of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
We care too much to let this issue be a political wedge.
Daniel Kirzane
Overland Park
Wrong message
The headline “Kansas and Missouri women upset about election planning to march in Washington” on The Star’s website KansasCity.com Wednesday morning completely missed the point of the march, and is yet more evidence that sexism is alive and well.
There would never be a headline that read “Kansas and Missouri men upset about election.” For readers interested enough to get to the end of the article, Women’s March on Washington Missouri coordinator Sarah Wess Potter stated the exact purpose perfectly:
“It’s not about Trump — it’s about what does America stand for? It’s do we actually believe in equality for all?”
The appropriate headline would have been “Kansas and Missouri residents planning to march in Washington for equality.”
This demonstrated that The Star can learn a few lessons from this march. I invite the paper to take the opportunity and join me.
Anne Jones
Prairie Village
Editor’s note: After receiving this critique, editors changed the headline to “Kansas, Missouri women ready to march on Washington, send post-inauguration message.”
Go, K and Royals
I love the Kansas City Royals and their stadium. Every time I hear any baseball team complain about its stadium, I am so proud of Kansas City and The K, and their upgrades. (Call it whatever you like, but it will always be The K.)
I live in Arizona but am a proud fan of the Royals, and always will be.
Linda Sinley
Goodyear, Ariz.
This story was originally published January 5, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss Allen Fieldhouse officiating, charity, Jerry Moran, and the Royals."