Readers share views on Schlitterbahn, home owners associations, Colin Kaepernick

Poor oversight

With the tragedy at the Verrückt waterslide at Schlitterbahn Waterpark, are we witnessing the results of small government and little or no regulation (9-9, A4, “Investigators sent to Schlitterbahn slide”)?

The Kansas Highway Patrol can only investigate the incident and determine whether a crime has occurred. The Kansas Department of Labor just reviews the paperwork to see whether it’s in order.

Otherwise, the waterpark is left to self-inspect. Does anyone see the danger to the public and the proper role of government in maintaining a commercial endeavor that is safe?

Edward Acosta

Olathe

HOAs overload

I am so tired of The Star giving all this coverage to homes association rules violators (9-9, A5, “Olathe man’s war with HOA over landscaping: $400,000 at stake”).

HOAs aren’t perfect, but they are sure better than neighborhoods where people don’t mow their grass, put cars on blocks and have barking dogs chained outside.

One thing Olathe homeowner Jim Hildenbrand didn’t consider is that he isn’t going to be there forever, and the new owners are going to be responsible for the upkeep of his excessive landscaping. Also, the lawn people use industrial riding mowers, so the HOA has to make sure residents don’t plant trees or set up roadblocks that slow the mowing process.

There are hundreds of beautiful subdivisions across the area without HOAs, so don’t move into an area with regulations and challenge everything that has been in place for years while whining about it day after day.

Nancy Bellis

Kansas City

QB’s intrusion

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick violates our sanctuary, our sacred space (9-6, A7, “Behind Kaepernick controversy, larger questions for U.S.”). Sports stadiums are our safe haven.

We gather with tens of thousands of others who rally around a common purpose. Sports stadiums are our great equalizer.

When we wear the same team colors, we don’t see another person’s color. We see other fans.

We don’t see economics, education or race.

And if you’ve been fortunate enough to experience a glorious moment like the 2014 Royals wild-card win, you hugged and high-fived people you might never speak to outside the sports experience. Nobody sat in protest when that winning run crossed home plate.

Regardless of how anyone feels about Kaepernick’s rights and message, his actions bring into our stadium the very thing we’re trying to escape in three hours of sports.

Our resentment is not for what his sitting stands for. It’s for the fact that he’s sitting when we want to stand and cheer.

Paul Weber

Overland Park

Prison sentences

After reading “Small county sent more to prison than San Francisco” on Sept. 7 and all the statistics offered by so-called criminal justice experts, I too was surprised at some of the lengthy sentences imposed.

I was not, however, surprised to read the arguments against this practice. Making victims of felons who sell and use heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine seems to be the trend these days.

Many of the serious crime reports in The Star end with the arrest and prison records of the person involved, with the added charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The statistic I didn’t see in the article was the number of repeat offenders in Dearborn County, Ind.

John Gacek

Liberty

GOP implosion

Think of the party that has for years been restricting voting rights, taking down safety nets and advocating mass deportations, the building of walls and the deregulating of banks and financial institutions so they can have their way with us. It’s the party that has made the rich richer and the poor poorer.

Republicans made the bed they’re sleeping in. Now they are making excuses for a racist, neo-fascist, rich narcissist whom they have nominated to be president of our country.

Very few have shown the fortitude, the ethical structure and the moral courage to denounce their well-deserved (they made this bed), hugely popular presidential nominee.

Nominating a racist brings racist remarks. Nominating a narcissist brings the inability to apologize, to say “I’m wrong.”

We’re watching the party of Lincoln (not anymore) self-immolate because Republicans lack conviction and the moral courage of principle. It shows where American politics are today.

Jeff Roitman

Overland Park

This story was originally published September 12, 2016 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Readers share views on Schlitterbahn, home owners associations, Colin Kaepernick."