Letters: Readers discuss shortchanged Chiefs, whites-only seminars and NCAA injustice
Cheated the Chiefs
I am a diehard Denver Broncos fan, so this is hard to write. But I swear the rotation of the football changed as it passed by New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman on that punt during the AFC Championship Game last month — which means he touched the ball.
It should have been the Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl. You can call it the immaculate muff.
Ray Nagashima
Denver
What it’s about
The Star’s editorial about the Witnessing Whiteness seminar at Webster University in the St. Louis area missed some key considerations. (Feb. 4, 5A, “A Missouri university wants to talk about racism. One problem: Only whites are welcome”) It seems as if the editorial board didn’t do enough research before opining.
As a Witnessing Whiteness facilitator and professional social justice educator, I’ve heard people of color ask their white colleagues and community members countless times to “do their own work” in multiracial diversity training. Working with affinity groups — people who have a shared set of characteristics — is an important tool in the anti-racism tool box. But it isn’t the only tool, and this is something we are careful to say in Witnessing Whiteness. It is a place where we can build our anti-racism muscles and tolerance of discomfort talking about race, so that honest conversations can be had in a group that “doesn’t look like us.”
We hope this will keep us from causing more harm — or, more likely, when we do cause harm, we will be able to listen and be accountable instead of being defensive and dismissive.
Grace Hagen
St. Louis
Move them inside
As a veterinarian, I have several observations about the Jan. 31 story, “Kansas mom gets ‘incredible’ response for foam coolers to shelter animals in winter.” (8A)
▪ Keeping polystyrene foam out of landfills sounds like a great idea, until you realize that most of these items will inevitably become unsightly litter. Coolers used as feral cat shelters, in particular, are often intentionally hidden from view in parks and other public spaces since maintaining feral cat colonies is illegal in many localities. This plastic foam does not weather well in our area, and these so-called “shelters” are rarely reclaimed by the people responsible for them. They disintegrate into pieces that pollute soil and waterways.
▪ Promoting the maintenance of feral cat colonies is irresponsible. Free-roaming cats kill huge numbers of birds and other native wildlife, and pose public health threats. Rabies, toxoplasmosis and intestinal parasites are just a few diseases these animals can transmit to humans. This is not a solution to cat overpopulation, especially because feral cats often live short and miserable lives.
▪ I applaud the woman and her son profiled for wanting to help cats, but I hope they will direct their efforts toward finding indoor homes for cats so that humans, pets and wildlife will all benefit.
Elizabeth D. Stoakes
Lee’s Summit
NCAA’s victim
The page “What is the NCAA?” at ncaa.org describes the organization as “dedicated to the well-being and lifelong success of college athletes.” But it has unveiled another side. To issue a statement that says “a student-athlete is responsible for the actions of any third party involved in the recruitment process, regardless of whether the athlete knew of any improprieties or not” means that the NCAA does whatever it wants, whenever it wants.
Suspending Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa for something he knew nothing about while trusting adults who were responsible for his well-being shows that an organization doesn’t care about success of college athletes. (Feb. 2, 1B, “NCAA suspends De Sousa for 2 seasons; Kansas preparing to appeal decision”) It shows support for corrupt behavior — and if a kid becomes collateral damage, so be it.
This is not about one school being treated unfairly. This is about right and wrong, an athlete who is unjustly doing someone else’s time.
Every institution should be outraged that a teenager is being held accountable for grown men’s crooked behavior. Everyone in sports should take a moment and reflect on the fact that De Sousa is no longer a teen with a college basketball dream. He’s a kid whose dream has been taken away by adults making money off college athletes.
Andi Stamper
Greenville, S.C.
Big airport mess
Thank you, Kansas City Council. The latest disaster at Kansas City International Airport opens another chapter, and yet you are surprised by that. (Feb. 2, 1A, “KCI project looks to an outside lender amid blowback over borrowing city funds”) I expect the folks at Burns & McDonnell would be laughing at the mess, if they didn’t care more about the city than you obviously do.
I will be voting against all of you, even those who are unopposed. Better no mayor and council at all than leaving any of you around to continue compounding the problems.
Richard Brummel
Kansas City