Letters: Cecil the Lion, Danedri Herbert’s values, Fr. Kapaun Jeep Mass

Hunting for sport

Several years ago, I was led into the office of a man who was president of a large company. Our company was a supplier, and I was getting a full tour of my client's facility.

In the office of the company president were more than 30 animals, including some from Africa, which were stuffed and on display. The collection included a bear and a few large cats.

It seemed very childish to me that this executive would derive pleasure from this kind of pursuit. What kind of person realizes enjoyment from being trucked out into the jungle and shooting these beasts, and then putting them on display in his office?

So I, too, am shocked by the killing of Cecil the lion, but here is the irony (7-30, A2, “Minnesota dentist's action ignites an Internet frenzy”). Would there have been such an outpouring of protest had this been a human being?

Tragically, Cecil was shot with an arrow, and bow hunting is a very cruel sport. I am not against hunting, but deer and other animals often run off into the forest and must be tracked.

Some are never found and therefore die a very painful death. Not really very sporting when one considers the outcome.

Herman Kirkpatrick

Leawood

Herbert column

Public libraries and parks add immeasurably to the quality of life for a large portion of our population. However, as Danedri Herbert points out in her Aug. 5 913 column, “Johnson County Commission needs to go on a spending diet,” they don't add measurably to the bottom line — any economic benefit cannot be directly quantified.

Therefore Ms. Herbert is quite willing to take them off of life support — they are already adequately funded, or probably more than adequately. It's amazing that Ms. Herbert speaks about the future of libraries 20 years from now.

She is so rooted in the 19th century, supporting rapacious robber barons and all that, one would think that that century's model for libraries should be very much to her liking. Her devotion to the almighty (dollar) is certainly inspirational.

Ralph Hile

Merriam

Distasteful murder trial

The author Christopher Hitchens referred to anti-Semitism as the world’s most common mental disorder. Over time it has invaded every society on earth except, for some reason, India.

Why India escaped this disorder is a fascinating question. The myths and fables that feed this anti-Semitic disorder can easily be punctured by mild amounts of critical thinking and logic.

It is a disease of ignorance.

This makes the public trial of the person charged in the slayings of three people at two Jewish centers in Overland Park all the more disturbing (8-16, Editorial, “Brace yourselves for this wretched legal drama”). Instead of locking him in a prison’s mental hospital, we are rewarding him with a courtroom podium to flout and expound his mental disorder.

The trial should be a circus that puts the recent Kansas legislative session to shame.

George Lafferty

Fairway

Wartime remembrance

At Prairie Star in Williamsburg, Kan., about 800 Catholics, including 200 students participating the summer camp there, witnessed the first Father Peter Kapaun's Jeep Mass. The setting couldn't have been better. The surface of the lake before us reflected the sun setting sky above, and the altar table on the hood of an army vehicle looked as humble as that of Father Kapaun's own Jeep on the Korean battlefront 65 years ago.

The Boy Scouts presented two flags — the national flag and that of South Korea — followed by the American and South Korean anthems sung by Korean-American professor Unchong Christopher. The procession of the Knights of Columbus in its traditional attire added to the solemnity of the event. Seven priests assisted a former Iraq war chaplain, the Rev. Peter Jaramillo, while he celebrated Mass on the hood of the Jeep.

A few veterans, including two Korean War veterans, were recognized, along with the guests from Kapauns' hometown Pilsen, Kan., and a few Korean Catholics.

After the Copmmunion, my mind crossed the boundaries of time and space, and I found myself among the walls of cheering crowd in Pusan on July 5, 1950, as a long line of American military trucks passed us. We children had learned our first American slogan that day — Victory, U.S.A. And we shouted over and over until the last truck was gone. American soldiers on the back of the truck waved to us, smiling, and I now recognize Father Kapaun among them, in his chaplain uniform.

As Father Kapaun's Christ-like piety shown to his American brothers in the North Korean prison will remain in our minds for a long time, we must also remember those who never returned to their beloved home and are still buried in the North Korean soil.

Therese Park

Overland Park

Economic parasites

As I recently watched the great white shark on “Shark Week” I always noticed parasites dangling from the stomachs of the sharks. The great white is the ruler of the oceans, while the parasites are just that, parasites.

This is the relationship between capitalism and socialism in this country. Capitalism is the supreme economic system and ruler of the earth.

The biggest difference is that the ocean parasites are thankful for the great white, while socialism only bad-mouths capitalism.

Joe Lavender

Lenexa

This story was originally published August 18, 2015 at 9:39 PM with the headline "Letters: Cecil the Lion, Danedri Herbert’s values, Fr. Kapaun Jeep Mass."