Readers share views on the LaManno family, Kansas and cash-filled politics
Heartfelt story
What a heartfelt, sensitive article Laura Bauer wrote on March 8, “Love conquers all,” about the LaManno family and its steps forward after tragedy.
We all remember the senseless acts of evil that day last year when three innocent persons were gunned down.
What a joy to read how the LaMannos reconnected with their first daughter in time to get acquainted before Terri’s brutal death. The window inside this family that this story depicts, both before and after, elicits tenderness and compassion for its huge loss.
The LaMannos are presented in the article as a faith-filled family who did remarkable things before and are now doing exceptionally well by just carrying on and taking care of each other.
Life will never be the same for them or their friends, but they are living their lives with a new normal.
Thank you to The Kansas City Star for placing this article on the front page of the Sunday paper. It is a human-interest story that touches all of us.
Every time someone dies, it affects a whole circle of family and friends.
This insight into the LaManno family was very inspiring. God bless the LaMannos.
Liz Donnelly
Kansas City
Abouhalkah column
“C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy” by Jeff Sharlet details that some members of Congress, both Democrat and Republican, were members of a Christian support group that got together and studied, among other things, how best to influence people.
Our present Kansas governor was a member of that group.
He is described as receiving “divine inspiration” about guns, sex and oil among other things.
The group’s credo seems to be that the poor can be helped best by aiding the rich and powerful. Benefits then would trickle down to others.
Yael Abouhalkah on March 5 had an excellect column, “Johnson County snarls at Brownback, but softly,” partially about the negative policy and economic changes that are happening in Johnson County and all of Kansas by extension.
I am shocked there has not been more of a public uproar over these changes.
To me, that indicates either that Kansans don’t care about these events or figure that since they are not immediately affected there is no need for concern.
Someone once said that when fascism comes it will have a rifle in one hand, a Bible in the other and will be wrapped in the American flag.
Edward Acosta
Olathe
Minor inconvenience
We live a block and a half off Ward Parkway and are looking forward to the May 16 Cycle in the City event (3-11, A1, “Festivals, runs wearying to neighborhood”).
It is activities such as this that make the Kansas City area a fun and interesting place to live.
The minor inconvenience to those of us who regularly use Ward Parkway will be more than offset by the benefits the event will provide.
Dean Hubbard
Kansas City
Greeks miss praise
I am in no way saying that the Sigma Alpha Epsilon song was acceptable or that any of the other unfortunate incidents at fraternities are OK (3-10, A2, “Racist chant causes uproar”). But I wish more people would talk about all the great things fraternities and sororities do on college campuses.
They do a great deal of charity and philanthropic activities, maintain higher grade-point averages than the majority of students on campus and make up a large percentage of the leadership positions throughout campus, and their alumni provide a great deal of funding to the universities.
Not to mention that I am absolutely certain that drinking, sexual improprieties, etc. occur on campus outside of the Greek system, but no one ever seems to talk about them.
I really feel as if people are just looking for people in the Greek system to do something wrong instead of looking at all the things they are doing right.
Laura Herrick
Overland Park
Cash-filled politics
The 2015 Missouri legislative session will indeed continue to be interesting. Filed bills include limits on lobbyists’ gifts and stricter reporting rules for donations.
Forgive the hyperbole, but our state’s Republican-controlled Legislature now evokes the visual of so many happy-faced ping-pong balls, bobbing like fishing floats in a cash pond. Moneyed anglers are on the bank, grinning back, bait buckets at the ready.
Don Smith
Versailles, Mo.
Guns, suicides
It seems the news media decided that the death of Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich was a story about dirty politics. We all know about the whisper campaigns, the dirty ads, the bullying and the general lack of civility in Missouri politics.
But why is no one talking about undiagnosed mental illness and too-easy access to guns, as we do when there are other tragic shootings? In addition to being a story about dirty politics, this is also a story about suicide by gun.
Why did a “struggling,” “distraught,” “high-strung” and “mercurial” man have access to a gun? Did no one know he owned one?
I respectfully suggest that if family and friends, colleagues and mentors were worried about Mr. Schweich and his mental stability, they should have asked, “Do you have a gun in the home?” Especially after he threatened suicide.
Of course, people commit suicide without guns, but guns are more lethal than other suicide methods. A gunshot is quick and irreversible.
Perhaps The Kansas City Star would be willing to investigate this aspect of the tragedy. Maybe it would help others.
Mariann McCormally
Gladstone
Illiteracy, anarchy
We seem to be having some interesting conversations lately over the state of our society.
Government employees contribute nothing of value to society, so we can reduce taxes and their pay.
But we need better police to fairly enforce the laws and better teachers so people will be able to understand the laws, and to do that we need to raise their pay. I think it is also interesting that some think we can have a thriving society based on illiteracy and anarchy.
James Tate
Bonner Springs
Obama, terrorism
Isn’t it strange that the president of the United States said when he exchanged a deserter named Bowe Bergdahl for five Guantanamo Bay detainees that his job was to protect and/or get free all U.S. citizens but he did nothing to free the now-deceased young lady from Arizona?
Now, just like his statement that we will track down and convict the terrorists who killed our people in Benghazi, he will find those people who killed her.
How about a progress report?
Joe Neuner
Olathe
Innovation crisis
I recently had the opportunity to meet with innovators at a screening of a newly released documentary, “Inventing to Nowhere.” It examines the importance of the American patent system and the challenges facing our nation’s inventors, many of whom are here in Kansas City.
My background gives me a unique perspective on this important issue. As a member of the Inventors Center of Kansas City, I see American innovation in action from the initial design to the prototype, to the first model, to rolling off the production line.
America’s inventors face an increasingly difficult environment in which to operate. There has been a considerable amount of debate in recent years centered on altering our proven patent system. But those proposed changes would inhibit economic growth, slow job creation and ultimately stifle innovation.
As the Congress begins its work in 2015, I want to encourage our lawmakers to consider the implications of overly broad changes to our patent system before hurting American innovation.
“Inventing to Nowhere” shines a light on the devastating effect such reforms could deliver.
To watch it for yourself, please go to www.savetheinventor.com.
Sean Murphy
Leawood
This story was originally published March 12, 2015 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Readers share views on the LaManno family, Kansas and cash-filled politics."