Letters: Readers discuss Kearney yearbook quotes, Faith Lutheran and 18th & Vine
Church closure
I was saddened to read in The Star that Faith Lutheran Church will be closing and torn down. (Aug. 13, D1, “A legacy of faith”)
Faith Lutheran was the Kansas City Flute Choir’s first home when fellow flutist, Townes Osborn Miller, and I started the group in 2005. It was a beautiful space with very nice acoustics. I always enjoyed performing there.
The pastor and staff at Faith Lutheran were very generous and always made us feel welcome, even providing us with keys so we could get in if no one on staff was there. Eventually, our group grew large enough that the church could not accommodate the rehearsal space we needed, so we relocated to Colonial Presbyterian.
I am grateful to Faith Lutheran’s staff and congregation for their generosity and support of the Kansas City Flute Choir in those early years, and I wish them well as they seek new spiritual homes.
Emily A. Smith
Olathe
Yearbook quotes
If Kearney Board of Education members are truly interested in fairness and justice, they will admit their mistake in removing two gay students’ quotes and reprint complete yearbooks for all students at no cost to them. (Aug. 15, 1A, “School board member blasts removal of gay students’ yearbook quotes”)
It should not be just copies for the two offended graduates, and no tacky stickers attached to the yearbooks, but complete yearbooks for all students.
The two graduates were clearly singled out, but their removed quotes were in no way hateful or offensive. I thought some of the “acceptable” quotes listed in The Star’s story were borderline. This suggests these two students were clearly targeted in an uneven editing process.
We are all responsible for reversing this swelling climate of hate in our country. Kearney can take a historic stand right now.
Make a difference. Do the right thing.
Sandy Starbuck
Lake Winnebago
18th & Vine is safe
As a former musician and patron of the historic 18th & Vine Jazz District, I was interested in your Aug. 13 editorial, “To thrive, jazz district must battle fear of crime — and racism” (16A) concerning people’s perception of the area.
Ever since the area was renovated, the question I’ve heard on conservative talk radio was, “Will white people go down to 18th & Vine?” My response was, “When did they not?”
Since the first jazz festival in the 1980s, I’ve seen people of all ethnicities go to “The Vine.” So it’s evident some people have been whispering that the area is not safe for white people, which is not the case. Whoever is spreading those lies should be ignored, because it’s clear some people just can’t stand to see people who love jazz and this city’s music heritage come together and have a good time. That is just plain shameful.
Those who don’t want to go to the district should stay away and let the rest of us work to make our festival crowds grow. Since 1978, I have never felt unsafe there.
Barry Jackson
Kansas City
Enforcement first
The recent killing of police officer Gary Michael was sad and tragic. I was shocked to learn in The Star on Aug. 10 that the arrested suspect had a warrant for his arrest issued in December 2015 and that the warrant was still on the court docket. He was a convicted felon charged with possession of a firearm — another felony.
Perhaps this tragedy could have been prevented if the suspect had been arrested, tried and sentenced for that felony. The standard knee-jerk response when guns are used in a crime is to call for more gun-control laws. In this instance, what was needed wasn’t more laws, but rather to enforce the current laws and arrest those who break them.
Harry Wyre Jr.
Overland Park
When will GOP act?
President Donald Trump is not solely responsible for the riot in Charlottesville, Va., but he bears significant personal moral responsibility. From the campaign onward, he has given his explicit permission for the worst possible behavior. He enabled Charlottesville.
And the Republicans in Congress continue to enable Trump in the name of party loyalty. The GOP rewrote district lines in a manner that it perceived would be to its benefit, allowing Trump to be seated without a popular majority. The GOP nominated him, castigated him — for a while — and then supported him. Far too many continue to support him.
The Republicans own Trump and bear responsibility for his actions — including joint responsibility for Charlottesville.
When is the GOP going to work with the Democrats and independents in Congress to solve the problem of his presence on the world stage?
Kathryn Moore
Manhattan
This story was originally published August 15, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss Kearney yearbook quotes, Faith Lutheran and 18th & Vine."