Letters: KC readers discuss ‘thin blue line’ flags, 1954 Capitol attack and abbreviation
Leave flag alone
The version of our American Flag with a blue stripe that we now see is meant to support our police, but what about the firemen, first responders, teachers and other professions deserving of respect?
I suggest that people who want to show their support of the police should design their own flag and leave Old Glory alone. The red, white and blue is our national flag and ought not be subjected to catchy variations.
- Richard Marien, Overland Park
Happened before
In the Wednesday front-page story, “Police saptain from Missouri says face was burned in riot,” the reporter refers to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol as “unprecedented.” Maybe he means unprecedented in scale — but he certainly couldn’t mean the first time there has been an attack on the Capitol.
Being in my 80s, I’ve come to accept that many younger people think, “If it didn’t happen in my lifetime, it doesn’t exist.” However, on March 1, 1954, four members of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party (U.S. citizens, incidentally) fired about 30 rounds from semi-automatic weapons inside the House of Representatives chamber. Five U.S. representatives were wounded, one seriously.
You may not call that an attack, but I’ll bet those five wounded members of Congress did.
- Harold Williams, Leavenworth
Spell it out
Abbreviations and acronyms are confusing and too casually used. They are practical in tweeting and in notes to oneself, though even in the latter they’ve failed me frequently — as in, “What in the heck is that?”
They are useful in encrypting messages to insiders, but less so if the goal is communication.
Use them in headlines, of course, though I had to guess what Tuesday’s front-page headline, “Ex-EMT begins hunger strike for jobless benefits,” meant. The body of text didn’t help.
One might just assume that I am hopelessly ignorant. But assuming that everyone recognizes any given abbreviation or acronym as a word is also ignorant. So many of them are related to specific fields, or limited in-groups, and the human brain can only learn and remember a limited number. There is also no linguistic cue to help in recognizing them.
I suggest that The Star begin a policy of writing out any abbreviation or acronym at least once for optimal communication, preferably in its first use in the article.
- Marlen Beach, Kansas City
Not his fault
Sunday’s front-page story about a severely handicapped young man who is about to age out of the Missouri group home where he receives care is an example of our state offices in Jefferson City not caring for the neediest among us. (“State may let autistic young man become homeless”)
The is no reason that Missouri legislators or other officials could not find a way to help this person. If he were a member of their own families, I know they would find a way. While he may be an undocumented immigrant, it was not his decision to come to this country, but his mother’s. It was not his decision to be disabled.
It is time that our representatives set up and do the right thing.
- Robert Crowell, Kansas City
Just for them?
Based on posts I’ve seen in social media, I wonder how many Republicans believe all Democrats should be killed, or how many believe only white Republicans should be allowed to vote.
Do Donald Trump’s supporters really believe he was going to gather all the Black, Latino and Asian people in the United States and transport them to some other country?
Exactly what is America?
- Henry F. Rompage, Lenexa