Letter of the Week: Don’t demolish Kemper Arena

On Kemper Arena in the West Bottoms of Kansas City, we must not destroy such a beautiful and excellent building. For one thing, that land isn’t in all that high demand.

The entire world saves good buildings, many not nearly as good as Kemper Arena or in as good a shape.

Far into the future, long after we are gone, any time “the throwaway society” is mentioned, people will refer to Kansas City and Kemper Arena. We will deserve what people say about our actions if that building is demolished.

The American Royal is still around. But for how long? I used to know people who had livestock and horses, but not in the last 20 years.

Paul McCartney and I are vegetarians now, and we all know raising animals for food is too hard on the planet. I think that practice may soon be gone. Evidently, what Kansas City needs is a better convention bureau.

Elizabeth Cook of Shawnee was born in Lawrence and raised in Republic, Kan. She moved to the metro area in 1954 and has been married 61 years. She has worked for the Social Security Administration since 1982 and is newsletter editor for the Early Bird Thunderbird Club.

This story was originally published September 7, 2014 at 6:50 PM with the headline "Letter of the Week: Don’t demolish Kemper Arena."