Letters: KC readers discuss Kushner’s leg up, JoCo DA’s equity, Missouri Amendment 3
Past inequality
Leonard Pitts Jr.’s Thursday column about Jared Kushner is an excellent description of what white people do not understand about Black history. (11A, “Jared Kushner has Black people all figured out?”)
I worked in the Kansas City school district for more than 30 years. I heard many stories that helped me as a white woman understand the difference between my legacy and the legacy of those in the Black community. This is exactly what I have been trying to tell acquaintances who do not understand.
Although I grew up in a struggling farm family, more opportunities were presented to me.
Thank you so much for this well-stated commentary.
- Doris Foley, Independence
Voters’ voice
In his Tuesday guest column, “Amendment 3 puts Missourians on the same page as one another,” (7A) Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst speculated that opponents of Amendment 3 are from outside Missouri and claimed the amendment would destroy our communities. He couldn’t be more wrong.
Members of the League of Women Voters live and work alongside a host of other Missourians who are informing voters in their communities about the many reasons to oppose Amendment 3. Clean Missouri reforms of 2018 that Amendment 3 would reverse will not destroy communities nor jeopardize the culture of our communities. Quite the opposite — voter-approved maps put communities first, while ensuring that the overall district map plan is fair to everyone and encouraging more competition in our elections.
Amendment 3 is about how politicians want to eliminate the independent demographer voters approved and have political appointees draw their own district maps to advantage themselves — and to prevent court challenges to bad maps. They intend to leave out Missourians under age 18 in districting, leaving our children without representation in the legislature or for some forms of community funding.
Missourians voted for redistricting reforms in 2018 and we need to maintain those reforms by voting no on Amendment 3.
- Evelyn Maddox, President, League of Women Voters of Missouri, Kansas City
JoCo concerns
Diversity and inclusion are hot-button topics, and reasonably so. Many public service offices could improve recognition of their unconscious bias regarding those they serve, including people of color.
In September, President Donald Trump called for a stop to racial sensitivity training at the federal level. With the current Johnson County district attorney’s attendance at a local “Back the Blue” rally and Trump parade this month, I can only assume he may align with Trump on unconscious bias and racial sensitivity. (Oct. 26, 1A, “Howe, Thomas vie for Johnson County District Attorney office”)
Additionally, as a professional woman in this city, I find reports of gender compensation inequity in the Johnson County district attorney’s office reported by The Star this week deeply troubling. Last year, also reported in The Star, Kansas City women were reported to make 78 cents to the dollar compared with their male colleagues. Gender compensation disparity is all too common across the spectrum of careers, and it will continue unless attention is drawn and parity is demanded.
I therefore have difficulty resolving concerns that the DA runs an office with gender disparity and aligns with sentiments that would seek to underrecognize the lived experience of people of color in Johnson County.
- Jenna Miller, Fairway
Is this pro-life?
A Sunday letter writer said he is for President Donald Trump mainly because Trump is pro-life. (16A) I believe Trump is only “pro-life” at birth. Just a few examples of when he is not:
▪ Trying to take health care from millions of Americans
▪ Downplaying the risks of the coronavirus, including holding multiple rallies in which people (many older) are jammed together without masks
▪ Rescinding regulations on dangerous pollution that threatens people’s health
▪ Supporting the death penalty
▪ Separating children from their parents at the border and keeping children in cages
▪ Trying to send DACA children back to their countries of origin, when they have no memories of ever living in those countries
▪ Making it harder for people from dangerous countries to seek asylum
▪ Supporting dangerous right-wing militia groups
- Dave Mullins, Kansas City
This story was originally published October 30, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Letters: KC readers discuss Kushner’s leg up, JoCo DA’s equity, Missouri Amendment 3."