Tree of Life solidarity, worldwide strife, Patrick Mahomes

Good reading

What a pleasure it was to read the work of Star reporters Ian Cummings, Tony Rizzo and Glenn Rice in their series about Robert Gross. (Nov. 2, 1A, “A massage parlor rampage. Robert Gross behind bars. Getting away with murder.”)

I found it intriguing, consuming, well organized and well written. Their writing made me get up early each day to read this great journalism, which I shared with many friends.

In these days of shrinking newsprint space, these reporters’ work was pure enjoyment. Please give us more great works like this fantastic series.

Warren Brown

Lee’s Summit

All against hate

We attended Friday night’s service at our New Reform Temple in Kansas City. The weekly email to members included a universal invitation to “Show Up for Shabbat,” suggested by American Jewish Committee, a global advocacy group.

As a peaceful responsive protest to and acknowledgment of the shooting of Jews worshiping at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue, we wanted to be with our rabbi and other congregants. The building was full to overflowing, and a lot of those attending were not Jews.

Mayor Sly James greeted all who entered, and we sat next to a couple of Presbyterians. It was not an interfaith service. It was an act of solidarity and friendship, a gesture of support and love from non-Jews, that no one should be intimidated in houses of worship because of prejudice and ignorance of different religions.

I don’t think the president’s name came up, but the result of his intolerance and incessant political hate speech, which undoubtedly fueled the climate that encouraged a gunman to commit these murders, was that our community came and stood by us.

I hope this happened all over the world, because this hate has got to stop — now.

Ellen Murphy

Mission Hills

Sad commonalities

Julia Savoca Gibson is not wrong about her 18 years’ experience with violence. (Nov. 4, 21A, “I am 18. I belong to the generation of massacres”) She is on the right track studying at William & Mary College and putting her First Amendment rights into action.

What she is lacking, however, is a significantly broader perspective of mass violence in the world. The U.S. is unfortunate to have joined the ignominious club of mass hatred, misogyny and tribalism prevalent throughout most of the world.

These micro-wars of violence are fomented in a special brand of hate: the Jewish pogroms of Eastern Europe during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mass genocide of the mid-20th century in Europe and Russia under the psychopaths Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, the atrocities every day in North Korea and in most countries of Africa right now.

I applaud your thought and action, Ms. Gibson. Continue your studies and broaden your horizons. Just don’t forget that there have been many generations of massacres.

Steve Martin

Kansas City

Helping hand

Now maybe that he’s lost his bid for Kansas governor, Kris Kobach will get a job from President Donald Trump to drive his (replica) machine gun-equipped Jeep to the southern border to supplement the Army.

Allen Maty

Smithville

Juxtaposition

I was very pleased with the powerful presentation of Mexican culture Saturday night at the Ballet Folklórico de México program from the Harriman-Jewell Series at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

Then I was embarrassed when I remembered some of the many hateful things our president says about our Mexican neighbors.

Keith T. Berry

Kansas City

Star quality

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who played for Texas Tech, makes me think of another great Texas college football player: Bobby Layne.

For those who are not NFL historians, Layne was an all-pro quarterback who played for the Detroit Lions in the 1950s and ended his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

During this part of his career, I had the pleasure of having dinner with him and four of his teammates at a restaurant in Washington, D.C. One of those players was my brother-in-law, whose wife accompanied him to the dinner. My wife accompanied me. It didn’t end until midnight, and at noon the next day the Steelers played Washington in the old D.C. stadium and won.

At the time, I was a lieutenant junior grade in the Navy, stationed in Washington. I sat directly across the table from Layne. What made the dinner memorable was that throughout the evening, he made me feel like I was the celebrity.

I see those same qualities in our new quarterback. You get that way by being an outstanding citizen and having the benefit of great parental upbringing. There’s a lot more than just football responsible for creating the fastest start among all who have played quarterback in the NFL.

Jim Kudlinski

Overland Park

This story was originally published November 6, 2018 at 8:38 PM.