Letters: Readers discuss women’s sports, helpful businesses and suing China
Keeping track
After reading the front-page story Thursday, “Emails show desperate days fighting virus at Riverbend,” I hope some sort of follow-up and testing has been conducted or is ongoing with the employees who left the Riverbend rehabilitation home.
As a resident of Wyandotte County, I shudder to think about the spread of the virus via their exodus into the community and workforce.
- Billie Schettino, Kansas City, Kansas
We’ll sacrifice
I can’t speak for all seniors, but this old lady is more worried about the economy than getting the coronavirus. This is how I would rescue the economy and protect myself and the vulnerable.
Countless young men and women have risked their lives going to war to protect our way of life. Many gave their lives. I think seniors should step to the plate now. My husband and I are in our 80s, old enough to remember stories of the Great Depression and the pain it caused. We do not want that for our children or grandchildren.
In our opinion, the young and healthy should go back to work now. Open the businesses and workplaces. We seniors and the vulnerable should agree to wear masks at all times if we go outside our homes, for the rest of the year if needed. That means we will not be able to eat in restaurants. So what? We can do that.
We‘ll take responsibility for ourselves. I don’t know any grandparents who would not risk their lives for their kids and grandkids. We have had a good life. We want the same for our kids.
- Clarice Dengel, Ottawa, Kansas
Life comes first
In the midst of this pandemic crisis, we all need to have the facts and the truth, and we need Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to make his decisions based on information from the scientific community. The headline on Wednesday’s editorial was “What Gov. Mike Parson says about COVID-19 is just not true.” (10A) Exactly, and it’s very scary.
Missouri’s positive cases are still climbing (more than 6,300) and deaths were up to at least 218 as of Thursday. Where are the 40,000 to 50,000 or more tests per week he mentioned, and where is the gradual opening after testing, tracing and isolation? Does he have the people doing the tracing ready to start?
We must test to protect ourselves and our health care workers and to avoid a second wave. A vaccine is not coming in the fall, according to the science community.
Parson needs to realize we are talking about life — and that comes before reopening.
- Dorothy McEvoy, Kansas City
All athletics
I have been a subscriber to The Star for many years now. I would love to see more articles about women’s sports in the sports section. I’ve come to call it “the men’s section” of the newspaper, because the only place I regularly see women’s news is in the box scores.
I did notice that you covered the FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer tournament and the U.S. Gymnastics Championships when they were held in Kansas City. But other than that, I rarely see stories about women. The WNBA draft came and went with no coverage, and Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw announced she is retiring.
As you know, representation is important, and it would be nice for women and girls to see that “the sports section” and “the men’s section” are not synonymous.
- Ashley Huber, Shawnee
Future gratitude
When this pandemic has finally subsided, I would like to see a comprehensive article in The Star about the companies that have contributed free or other very helpful resources for first responders, health care providers, and the public in general.
I would like to patronize those companies with my business. Their altruistic behavior should be recognized.
- John Sherbo Jr., Kansas City
Not backed up
We Missourians have suffered recently under the Republican statehouse and Gov. Mike Parson. Now Attorney General Eric Schmitt has added to the circus. Our state is suing China because of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. (April 22, 1A, “Missouri sues China for pandemic deaths and economy”)
Schmitt should stop watching Fox News and getting his information from President Donald Trump’s regime, and start listening to the scientists. They state there is zero credible proof of any kind to pursue the notion that China released the virus from a laboratory .
The crazies are out, and I am frankly embarrassed to be linked to this half-baked idea.
- Anna Pearson, Lee’s Summit