An anti-abortion film, Ned Yost and Clay County lynchings

Worthy movie

Thank you, thank you, Kansas City Star, for publishing Marc A. Thiessen’s column about the movie “Unplanned,” which is currently in theaters. (April 3, 15A, “You should see this anti-abortion movie they call propaganda”)

The abortion industry is a violent industry, and this movie should be seen by teenagers and adults alike. It is a revelation of what really happens in an abortion clinic by someone who was a clinic director.

We saw it at a very well-attended Tuesday night showing, and it has already exceeded its projected national attendance.

Another revealing movie was 2018’s “Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer.” Be informed.

Beulah E. Rule

Kansas City

Spirit him away

Unlike Casper, Royals manager Ned Yost is an unfriendly ghost who continues to haunt Kansas City Royals fans with managerial moves that completely contradict every measurement of common sense. Yost the Ghost is outside the lines and deserving of a boo.

In the opening game of this week’s series against Minnesota, with a one-run lead going into the ninth inning, Yost brought in Ian Kennedy to pitch. True to form, a save was blown. Although our Royals are obligated to pay Kennedy one more season, you don’t have to play a pitcher who has offered no return on investment.

A proven pitcher capable of saving games was signed in the off-season for a reason. An excellent move by Dayton Moore is already being offset by a manager who has the instincts of a rock.

There is an obvious explanation as to why Yost the Ghost has never been Manager of the Year. In the estimation of knowledgeable baseball authorities, this manager has no judgment.

There’s a saying, “It’s not what you know but who you know that sometimes counts the most.” Royals fans know it’s time for Yost the Ghost to fly away.

Mike George

Springfield, Missouri

Trashy travel

I love that the sun has been shining, but now it has come to light that there is a litter problem along Johnson County highways.

Have all the garbage trucks dumped all the trash along I-435, I-69 and I-35 instead of in the usual landfills? Has the new construction in the county caused construction trash to litter the highways? Or have people become lazier and decided to use the sides of the highways to throw out trash to keep their cars clean?

Whatever it is, something needs to be done. I plan on writing the Kansas Department of Transportation to see if officials have plans to clean up the highways. Maybe they could post signs that indicate how much people can be fined for littering?

In the meantime, let’s take pride in our communities. Pick up the trash and let the sun shine.

Barb Thompson

Overland Park

Which column?

How sad in so many ways to hear that Kris Kobach is being considered for President Donald Trump’s possible new position as “immigration czar.” (April 2, 10A, “Trump reportedly considering adding ‘immigration czar’”) But it is perhaps fitting for a president who has no knowledge or empathy on this subject to consider a man with similar qualifications.

Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is also being considered. Cuccinelli is another painful example of far-right extremism, but I hope he will be Trump’s choice if he creates such a position. That way, Kansans wouldn’t continue to be embarrassed by Kobach’s incompetence on the public stage.

Scott Roby

Lenexa

Local recognition

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, recognizes and honors the “legacy of enslaved black people, people terrorized by lynching, African Americans humiliated by racial segregation and Jim Crow, and people of color burdened with contemporary presumptions of guilt and police violence.” I believe a similar monument should be installed in Clay County.

The Equal Justice Initiative researched lynching records from around the country and found two documented cases in Clay County. Monuments representing all the counties across the U.S. were installed in Montgomery, and identical copies were created so each county could claim its to memorialize a piece of history that is too often overlooked. The Equal Justice Initiative works with community members across the country to receive these monuments for their counties.

I envision installing this memorial in a public place to serve as a reminder, because justice is a constant struggle. This would also make great strides toward acknowledging the past and helping us heal as we continue to educate ourselves about this shameful history in America and right here in Clay County.

Audrey McBride