Letters: Readers discuss Ned Yost’s poor record, ‘socialism’ scare and Bob Hamilton
Losing attitude
It was refreshing to read the story “Royals stars Gordon and Merrifield ‘tired’ of rebuild talk” on the front page of the Feb. 9 sports section. After back-to-back 100-loss seasons under the “leadership” of Ned Yost, the two star players expressed the attitude that should be displayed by a professional athlete, coach or manager.
Yost hung around for the 2018 and 2019 seasons for no reason other than to collect his $3.7 million salary (among the highest in the major leagues) with no intent of accomplishing anything or providing the fans what they deserve: a competitive team on the field.
Yost, a manager with a seriously deficient career win-loss record, stated before the 2019 season that he felt no pressure. An attitude of that nature is absolutely contrary to the philosophy upon which professional sports exist.
But what else would you expect from the losingest manager in Royals history?
Royals fans should welcome Mike Matheny and the attitude and standards he brings with him.
- Alan Markowitz, Leawood
Social needs
They don’t call the hundreds of billions of dollars in the 2008 bank bailouts “socialism.”
They don’t call the yearly $20 billion-plus oil and gas industry subsidies “socialism.”
They don’t call 2019’s $22 billion in payments to farmers “socialism.”
No, they don’t call it socialism when it benefits the wealthy and politically connected. But they always call it socialism when it benefits poor people on things such as health care, housing, food, child care and other needed assistance.
All the bailouts, subsidies and tax breaks mean we have less money for schools, roads, clean water, flood control and other essential public services.
And when corporations that operate giant retail stores and fast-food chains don’t pay their workers a living wage, these workers must resort to public assistance, which spreads available funds even thinner.
Then they can scream, “Look how many people are receiving public assistance!”
- William Dudark, Overland Park
They’re children
I have been in education for 25 years. Over the past decade, I have learned much more about LGBTQ people.
I have the privilege and honor to work with students in this community. They are bright, motivated, loving, kind, creative and beautiful children. They did not ask to feel different, and it hurts that they are. It is painful for transgender children when they are not treated as the gender they truly feel they were born.
Most of my transgender students are not athletes. They are trying as hard as they can with the support of their parents, schools, doctors and therapists just to survive.
If Missouri were to introduce a constitutional amendment barring transgender high school athletes from competing as the gender they identify as (Feb. 21, 1A, “Missouri bill targets transgender high school athletes”), it would be like plastering ads on the walls to foster a very public debate on a non-issue. It would devastate these children and their families.
Please stop this awful bill from moving forward. It does nothing but hurt children.
- Rachel Reeves Hagelin, Raymore
Draining experience
Bob Hamilton is a longtime presence on local TV and radio because of his ever-present advertisements for his plumbing company. Recently, he expressed interest in running in the Republican primary for the open U.S. Senate seat in Kansas.
The campaign slogan almost writes itself: “Want to drain the swamp in Washington? Vote for a plumber. Better call Bob!”
- Jeffrey B. Levine, Kansas City
Beyond politics
With everyone preoccupied with the fate of their favorite candidate or party or political ideology, I would like to offer a sobering perspective. We’ve got much bigger problems than those, folks.
Humanity is on board the Titanic, and we are rushing full speed ahead toward three massive icebergs:
▪ Climate change — whatever its proximate cause — will bring apocalyptic changes to our human existence.
▪ In spite of our belief that plenty of it remains in the ground, many people believe we have passed “peak oil.” Regardless, the future of that finite resource is limited, and we do not yet have alternatives that can equal the amount of energy contained in petroleum.
▪ Our human population, which is growing exponentially, is now beyond the carrying capacity of our planet’s resources.
To have any chance of avoiding this looming calamity, we’d better give our very existence top priority as we decide upon our future leaders.
- Patrick Shannon, Lawrence