Readers react to abortion, breaking news and the Royals
Costly decision
A national special-interest group writes a purely political boilerplate bill, taken up by a right-wing Missouri legislator, and soon a Missouri law allows safe, legal, medical abortions in Columbia only if the physician has medically unnecessary “refer and follow” privileges with a local hospital, in this case University of Missouri Hospital (9-26, Editorial, “MU’s disgraceful cave-in”).
Now, months later, under pressure from the same legislator, the university decides to revoke that physician’s “refer and follow” privileges for no apparent reason other than recent debunked accusations against Planned Parenthood.
As a physician, alumnus and progressive, I am flabbergasted and ashamed that my alma mater would make a cowardly and purely political physician-staffing decision under pressure from an extreme moralist zealot elected official.
Unless this cowardly decision by the university gets reversed or explained as rational and clinically appropriate in an open venue, the University of Missouri can expect no further donations or support from me or my family and can expect me to request the same response from my colleagues, friends, acquaintances and fellow Missourians.
Instead, those charity donations will go to increased Planned Parenthood contributions and for similar helpful organizations.
Clay M.
Anderson, M.D.
Liberty
Breaking news
Has anyone else noticed that since the playoffs began the “Breaking news” that local television channels had used to start their news broadcasts has virtually disappeared? All area TV news stations are beginning their broadcasts with coverage of the Kansas City Royals.
But, alas, when the World Series is over, Channels 4, 5, 9 and 41 will go back to beginning their broadcasts with the sensationalism of the ordinary that we’ve grown to expect.
In addition to my pride of our hometown baseball team, I want to thank the Royals for giving us a little break from this obnoxious trend in local television journalism.
Ed O’Toole
Kansas City
Royals ball cap
I’ve noticed people often call a baseball cap a hat.
Webster’s Dictionary gives the following definitions:
A “cap” is a covering for the head, brimless and of soft material. A “hat” is a covering for the head, one with a crown and brim.
Have you ever heard of a felt or straw cap?
Go to a sporting goods store and ask for a Kansas City Royals straw or felt ball cap.
It’s a felt or straw “hat,” and it’s a baseball “cap” not a baseball hat.
Apparently, not even the sports news knows the difference.
Bob Empson
Independence
Nauseating cigars
I attended two public open-air events recently, the Plaza Art Fair and the Renaissance Festival.
Both events had vendors selling cigars, and plenty of people were buying.
I know many find cigars hip, slick and cool. I do not.
I observed that most of these smokers had no regard for the hundreds of nonsmoking people, including many children who were around them.
I watched as they arrogantly bulled their way through a maze of people with an air of entitlement, belching out pungent and nauseating smoke.
I ask that in the future, please consider your surroundings before lighting up.
Just because you are outside doesn’t mean your cigar smoke isn’t offensive to a lot of people.
To the few people who stood down wind, I thank you.
Michael Nichols
Kansas City
To Donald Trump
Let’s make this short. After your recent sexist comments directed toward the Fox debate moderator, please come to Kansas.
We were dumb enough to elect Gov. Sam Brownbeck.
Who knows what you could accomplish here?
Perhaps you could continue to ruin our public schools and continue to seek to prosecute three voters who cheated at a cost to taxpayers of millions of dollars.
Oh, hey, here you can raise taxes and sell it as lowering taxes.
Don, come on down.
We are dumb enough to elect you in the next election for governor.
Probably dumb enough to re-elect you, too.
Yep, Don, come on down.
Lee Biard
Lenexa
This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Readers react to abortion, breaking news and the Royals."