Letters: Readers discuss Ferguson, policing, a Chiefs headline and Kansas City Actors Theatre
Greitens off base
Gov. Eric Greitens expresses a distorted understanding of the 2014 protests in Ferguson. He contends there is a “Ferguson effect” that causes police officers to back away from confrontations with citizens. Greitens criticizes this phenomenon as he describes the events of Ferguson as a “national embarrassment” (Star Jan. 4, “Greitens defends state control of police”).
If, in fact, police are less likely to engage in violence due to Ferguson, that is a good outcome, not an outcome to criticize. The Ferguson protests occurred when a police officer shot an unarmed youth whose “offense,” as known to the officer, was walking in the street. The youth’s killing set off a nationwide examination of police procedures that focused on avoiding unnecessary confrontation and violence.
Also revealed through the protests was that Ferguson and other Missouri cities imposed excessive fines on their poor (mostly minority) citizens.
Before the protests, Ferguson was a city that oppressed its citizens through force and economic pain. After the protests, Ferguson became a city on the path of reform. This is the real “Ferguson effect.” Greitens should re-examine his position.
Mark Thornhill
Kansas City
Chiefs headline
We have too much for which we are heartbroken: senseless gun violence; destruction of the environment; climate change; demise of civil discourse; hate-filled politics; fake news; vicious verbal assaults by a president-elect on beloved public servants, the media, women, Muslims, and immigrants; a dwindling middle class; a growing gap between rich and poor — to name a few.
But a football game? Give me a break.
Monday’s front-page headline, “Heartbreaker,” in bold type, with a large photo of the Chiefs, published on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday was inappropriate. I congratulate the team on an excellent season, but have to wonder: Why does The Star devote page after page to sports and why am I paying for this trivia?
I am broken-hearted at the decline of journalism nationwide.
If journalists had done their jobs fact-checking and had not given “he who shall not be named” a free ride for months, our nation might have had a promising future. Sadly, they let us down. Yes, I am deeply heartbroken.
Barbara McAtee
Overland Park
Actors Theatre
We are fortunate to live in a metropolitan area where we have access to some of the best and most varied theater offerings in the U.S.
On Wednesday evening I was lucky enough to be in the audience for “My Old Lady” at the Kansas City Actors Theatre at Union Station. David Fritts, Kathleen Warfel and Jan Rogge, all members of the national Actors’ Equity Association, brought stellar performances to Israel Horovitz’s play.
They made us laugh, made us feel sad, made us think and transported us to another world. It was almost a shock when the play was over and we were brought back to reality.
This is theater at its best. If you can go, do it. You won’t regret it.
Jennifer Randle
Overland Park
Church spending
I would invite the recent letter writer who referred to the new United Methodist Church of the Resurrection sanctuary expenditures as a “watered down version of Christianity” to come see for himself that it is not what he judges it to be.
Church of the Resurrection is a story of equipping and inspiring members to live their faith in mission to the community and world. Annual Christmas donations in excess of $1 million are given away to relieve poverty, hunger and homelessness in Kansas City and worldwide.
For example, volunteers devote thousands of hours collecting tons of food and stocking area pantries, refurbishing urban core schools, and serving at-risk students —tutoring them and ensuring they have adequate nutrition on weekends, beds to sleep in and clothes to wear.
The new building will serve this congregation, the Kansas City area, and the Methodist denomination for well over the next 100 years. During this time it is estimated several billion dollars will be given to missions and ministries outside the four walls of the church. That’s about 70 times what will have been spent on the sanctuary construction.
This church is a story of true Christian principles at work. Let’s join together to write the next chapter.
Ron Fugate
Overland Park
This story was originally published January 18, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss Ferguson, policing, a Chiefs headline and Kansas City Actors Theatre."