Letters: Readers discuss Leonard Pitts Jr.’s wrong focus, Trump’s briefings and masks
Be the change
The placement of two columns on Sunday’s op-ed page presented profoundly opposing worldviews regarding our current situation. (13A)
In “Andrew Yang got it exactly backward,” Leonard Pitts Jr. eviscerated Yang for encouraging Asian Americans to “embrace and show our American-ness ... to step up, help our neighbors ... in this time of need.” In Pitts’ narrow perspective on this subject, he sees serving others as asking “Asian Americans to accept responsibility for solving a problem (racism) that is not theirs.”
In clarion contrast, Gracie Bonds Staples’ “This Easter, let’s take the chance to mend our lives” observed: “This is indeed the perfect season for mending. Mending ourselves. Mending broken hearts. Mending relationships.” However, she admits it’s hard to “concern ourselves with the hurts of others, when we’re consumed with what ails us.”
Pitts sadly exhorts injured people to fester and demand others change. Bonds Staples encourages us all to elevate above our broken humanity and “allow God to mend the things in us that have been broken, and finally turn the page on our own painful history and begin anew.”
- Michael B. Lubbers, Prairie Village
True public service
You can watch real — presidential, I would say — leadership if you tune in to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s daily COVID-19 press briefings. Our president began holding regular briefings when he could no longer hold political rallies. His Monday briefing began with a campaign-style video attacking the news media and lasted more than two hours.
- Carolyn Wheat, Knob Noster, Missouri
Music to my ears
We live in Johnson County, about a block off College Boulevard. Normally, we hear a lot of noise coming from that busy thoroughfare during the morning and evening rush hours, but now the road is quiet, like a Sunday morning.
I never thought I’d be saying this, but I miss traffic.
- Linda N. Refer, Overland Park
By the book
To the Kansas Republicans who attempted to block Gov. Laura Kelly’s order to limit church gatherings to 10 people or fewer:
In Matthew 22:21, Jesus plainly states, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
In Romans 13:1, the Apostle Paul plainly states, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.”
By voting against the governor’s order, were they not rejecting Christ’s own words and the advice of the Apostle Paul?
- Michael Darling, Overland Park
Choose wisely
Our Constitution grants us freedom of religion. Thank God.
We may practice (or not) the religion of our choice without interference. However, our Constitution is not a suicide pact.
May your god of choice grant you the wisdom to not endanger your spiritual community by gathering for in-person services.
- Larry Swanson, Lee’s Summit
Cracks showing?
President Donald Trump is furious at Fox News reporter Chris Wallace. In a Saturday tweet, he asked, “What the hell is happening to @FoxNews. It’s a whole new ballgame over there!”
What the hell is happening is that Wallace and others are asking the hard questions of our health experts, who admit that if Trump had taken COVID-19 seriously, thousands fewer American might have died. By way of his selective memory and habitual lying, Trump has been trying to deceive Americans into believing that he acted swiftly and decisively when nothing could be further from the truth.
Now that Fox News is saying what everybody already knew, maybe the message will get out to the Trump faithful that he cares about nothing and nobody except himself and his reelection.
Trump also admitted to Fox News that if Republicans didn’t actively suppress voters, they’d never get elected again. Wow, with such great truths coming through at Fox News, I guess it is a whole new ballgame.
It’s about time they acted like real journalists as opposed to Trump cheerleaders.
- Scott D. Roby, Lenexa
A big cover-up
Finally, I’ve discovered one tiny positive in the complete disruption to daily life caused by the coronavirus and wearing a face mask in public: no more makeup required because 90% of your face is covered anyway. No foundation, no concealer, no blush, no eyeliner, no eye shadow and no mascara needed. No more precious minutes spent covering up my facial imperfections. With just a quick fill-in to my thinning eyebrows, I’m good to go.
Now, if only there were someplace to go.
- Judie Becker, Leawood