Letters: Readers discuss true love, the comics and media mistrust
Longtime love
The article about Park University in The Star’s Feb. 19 “Education” advertising supplement was very informative. (Page 10, “Today’s college professors must possess academic, practical knowledge”)
I must submit a word of warning to your readers, however.
On Saturday, Oct. 14, 1978, I took a certain girl on a first date to see the Park College drama department’s “Storybook,” a delightful stage production of several Aesop’s fables.
I have been “paying the consequences” of that enjoyable evening ever since. Thirty-seven years, as of last April 5.
John R.W. Taylor
Kansas City
Don’t sweat it
A Feb. 21 letter writer objected to a recent “The Argyle Sweater” comic. I find that strip consistently hilarious. I even liked the “Lee Harvey Oswald and the Texas Schoolbook Suppository” one.
It’s one of the most popular comics in my office, along with “Dilbert,” “Pearls Before Swine” and “Get Fuzzy.”
The comics page is designed to appeal to a variety of readers. There are plenty of strips I don’t find funny (“Zippy The Pinhead,” in particular). So I just don’t read those.
You have to work pretty hard to find “The Argyle Sweater” in our paper. It’s the tiniest one on the page. So why don’t you just skip it?
Susan Kahn
Overland Park
Media mistrust
I took a survey on trusting the media recently touted in The Star. (Feb. 18, 15A, “Do you trust media to accurately report news?”) I don’t think it is so much the media’s fault. It is more of the American people’s fault.
I am only 32, but it seems as if people get their news only through click-bait headlines. People stay in their echo chambers. For example, conservatives stay with Fox News and liberals with CNN and MSNBC.
In my opinion, this is where newspapers shine. You deliver great articles that provide the information that is needed for people to make whatever decisions they need to make.
I am more of a moderate, and I see that your opinion pages do lean to the left, but I enjoy that. I like to hear from the other side because, who knows, I could be approaching a subject the wrong way, and sometimes you change my mind
I always look forward to my mornings, drinking my coffee and reading the newspaper. People just need to slow down, stay informed and stay out of their echo chambers. Listen to both sides.
Travis Tilford
Kansas City
It is a sad reflection of our times that we have to ask whether we trust the news media. Sadder still is that by asking the question, we are in danger of ceding control of what is and is not reported to those who would prefer that the media not report accurately, who find the truth inconvenient to their opinion or agenda and who spew opinion masquerading as news.
Professional, responsible and accurate journalism is the responsibility of the fourth estate. It is not the role of professional journalism to make the government of the day feel comfortable.
By the same token, we should make a clear distinction between what is news and what is opinion. And by we, of course, I mean newspaper editors and publishers nationwide. For its fine journalism through the decade and today, we can be proud of The Kansas City Star.
Since we cannot control the amateur journalists, bloggers and their websites, we rely on real newspapers to keep us informed. So to turn the adage on its head, now is the time to publish or be damned.
Jessica Deamer
Ottawa, Kan.
Our mess
Everyone needs to stop with the negative rhetoric. The president, media, protests — all we are doing is instigating unrest, prejudice and racism. We are all to blame and we all need to stop. We have created this mess ourselves.
A senseless shooting took place Wednesday evening in Olathe, where a disgruntled person decided to walk into a bar and shoot two productive, smart, educated men because they weren’t from this country. (Feb. 24, 1A, “Olathe shooting suspect faces murder charges”) No reason other than that.
Now this person, who has been empowered by all the negative rhetoric, is in our legal system. We will pay for the rest of his imprisoned life, and a productive, hard-working individual is dead.
I, for one, cannot watch the news, read the paper or listen to the radio or late-night TV because of negative news about President Donald Trump, protests and so on. Let’s stop with the protests. Trump, stop fueling the media with your tweets and start doing the job you were elected to do: being president. And the media, stop empowering these groups by giving them coverage. We need to get back to being civil human beings.
Jan Howard
Overland Park
This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss true love, the comics and media mistrust."