Letters: Readers discuss J.C. Nichols, American sacrifice and kneeling for the anthem
Dream of peace
I support renaming the J. C. Nichols fountain as the Dream Fountain. But rather than removing J.C. Nichols’ name from it, I think he should share it with Martin Luther King Jr.
They both had dreams — but opposite. The fountain could represent a place for future dreamers to think about how we can create a shared future.
My dream for renaming the fountain is to stop all the homicides and non-lethal shootings in Kansas City.
- Linda Miller, Kansas City
Work to do
In the early 1960s, the Rev. Bob Meneilly of the Village Presbyterian Church bravely urged congregation members to go door to door in Prairie Village and surrounding neighborhoods to ask their neighbors to sign a document saying they would support homes being sold to African Americans.
I was a little kid, but my sisters, brothers and I vividly remember our mom (Ruth Brown, a Village member and much later a church elder) and dad (a Catholic) earnestly going door to door in the evenings, asking people to sign such documents. That was pushback against the racially and ethnically restrictive covenants the J.C. Nichols people had spread. Those racist terms were truly anti-Christian, as decent people knew full well back then, too.
African Americans in the United States continue to suffer hugely from the 400 years of oppression that began with the original sin of slavery. The work of people such as Meneilly is more important now than ever.
As one small step in this, the J.C. Nichols name should not be on the fountain, on the boulevard or in a place of honor.
We should dedicate ourselves to this work. Forever.
- Bernard Brown, Westwood
The end?
America has been reduced to the drunk at the end of the bar yelling at the television set. It is a testimony that this country no longer has the stomach to charge the beaches of Normandy and that Americans are no longer willing to sacrifice for the future.
It’s a testimony to the triumph of authoritarianism, where we let bosses do our thinking, that we have turned our priorities away from our Constitution to the latest version of the iPhone and streaming TV.
It is a testimony that historian Arnold J. Toynbee was right, that empires collapse when their inhabitants grow weary of defending them. It is testimony to the damage that repeal of the Fairness Doctrine and elimination of conscription can do to a nation over time.
It is a testament to the power of demagoguery, greed, xenophobia and racism.
It is the demise of the republic, with nobody here to hear our screams, nor anyone left to save us — from ourselves.
Prove me wrong. Vote the rascals out of office this November..
- Tom Davis, Merriam
Be bigger
Over the past few weeks, just about every institution in the nation has emphasized its commitment to racial justice. The National Football League has followed suit, with commissioner Roger Goodell all but vindicating Colin Kaepernick.
Perhaps not an out-and-out slur, the name Chiefs is still operationally racist, since it facilitates stereotypical portrayals of Native Americans. Game days regularly feature fans in feather headdresses and warrior paint, doing Tomahawk Chops, showing callous disregard for the sacred status of some of these objects in Native traditions.
Such cultural appropriation is particularly contemptible when married with the historical crime of genocide.
Studies show that this imagery can play a role in forming judgments about Native Americans. In 2005, the American Psychological Association recommended that Native mascots be retired in recognition of their role in perpetuating negative stereotypes.
Native American leaders have consistently spoken out against co-opting their imagery and did so again in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing. Therefore, it is gaslighting to argue that the name honors Natives.
As reigning Super Bowl champions, Kansas City is the best team in the world. By changing its name now, it could amplify the movement toward racial justice. In doing so, the Chiefs have a rare opportunity to become bigger than football.
- Faiz Kidwai, Syracuse, New York
Problem averted?
To avoid issues with players kneeling during the national anthem at sporting events, why not play the anthem before the athletes take the field? Fans could stand and provide the respect the anthem requires and honor the country and those who have served it and those who continue to do so.
- Bruce Koenig, Olathe