violence in St. Louis, roundabouts and teenage candidates

Lost my vote

When all the talk about a new airport started years ago, I said to myself that I would absolutely not vote for that. I liked the current configuration and ease of getting in and out of the airport.

But a lot of time passed, and I thought maybe this was the time to go ahead and get a single terminal. There were compelling arguments to change my mind.

But all the controversy, political infighting, lack of clear and concise information and a reluctance by the City Council to be open, transparent and professional have now brought me back to my original thought.

A single terminal is simply not acceptable under the current uncertain conditions.

I shall vote “no” when this issue is on the ballot. And I’m voting “no” because of the City Council. I no longer have faith that its members know how to get this or almost anything else done.

Marianne Ronan

Kansas City

St. Louis protests

I saw a clip of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens on television this past weekend, speaking passionately about how he wasn’t going to stand for any further violence in St. Louis. It struck me as quite ironic that that is exactly what the African-American community is saying to him.

There seems to be an announcement on a fairly routine basis that another policeman has been found innocent or will not face charges after the death of another member of the African-American community at the hands of the police.

Greitens at the very least is guilty of having a tin ear. At worst, he is justifying the unequal treatment by law enforcement and the judiciary for people of color.

I would love to see some of that passion go into trying to make the system fairer.

Rose Schmidt

Lawrence

Roundabouts work

We visited Ireland in 2016 and traveled through dozens of roundabouts. Yes, we were a bit confused at first, but by the end of our visit, we navigated them without problems.

They kept traffic moving briskly. I’d love to see them used here.

Too bad Prairie Village didn’t put one at Tomahawk and Mission roads when it was proposed in 2001.

Kansas City frequently seems to be a late adopter: the roundabout, the zipper merge (Could we get on board with this, too?), an international airport.

We can do better.

Sheila Myers

Prairie Village

Think ahead

Before we take out Kim Jong Un and “totally destroy” North Korea, we need to ask these questions: What happens next? Who takes control of North Korea? Who is going to stabilize the country? Who helps the North Korean civilians?

We went into Iraq without answers to those questions, and look where we are now in that country.

President Donald Trump likes to present himself as macho and strong. Instead, we need to be smart and clear-thinking before we react to North Korea.

Catherine Clauder

Kansas City

Unworthy news

Rife with especially craven politicians and terribly politicized media coverage (on all sides, in all media), the American political landscape has become inhospitable, especially to those on the margins and to young people.

But none of that has changed the fact that having a formal education in economics is essential to running a government — not necessarily a Ph.D. or even an undergraduate seminar, but a high school honors class or something.

That legitimate news sources — including The Star — are willing to run serious candidate profiles on teenagers is exactly why people are becoming increasingly suspicious of, and underserved by, their media vanguards. (Sept. 20, 4A, “Shawnee Mission high school student becomes second teen to join Kansas governor race”)

Although these young candidates should be applauded for their zeal, it is a betrayal of the public trust — and a criticism of our intelligence — to legitimize these youngsters as real candidates for Kansas governor.

The state may be in dire political and economic ways, but it is still a formal union: one of the 50 most developed political subgovernments in the world.

We owe it to Kansans of today and tomorrow to respect our state’s sovereignty. These kids won’t be governor; we need to invest our coverage in those who could be.

Joe Perretta

Lawrence

Better check

As I watch the squabbles over KCI bids, a line from the 1927 movie “Sugar Daddies” comes to mind. Jimmy Finlayson said: “I think I have a problem. I need to talk to my lawyer to be sure.”

Jim Dingwerth

Olathe

This story was originally published September 21, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "violence in St. Louis, roundabouts and teenage candidates."