Letters: KC readers discuss Overland Park secrecy, working for equality, Jerry Moran
Have to go
With the release of the resignation and severance agreement between Overland Park and former police officer Clayton Jenison, we now know why City Manager Bill Ebel, Police Chief Frank Donchez and the city’s legal department fought so hard to prevent its release. (March 20, KansasCity.com, “Overland Park lied and may have committed a crime in coverup of police officer’s exit”) Lying was considered acceptable to make an inconvenient truth go away.
In no way was Jenison’s so-called “resignation” voluntary under ordinary circumstances, as set out in the agreement and in the reporting required by the police department to the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training. Ebel admits to concocting this scheme and approached Jenison’s attorney to propose the severance arrangement. Jenison, who shot and killed unarmed 17-year-old John Albers in 2018, was paid $70,000 by the city in severance.
The question now is what is going to be done about it by the mayor and City Council?
While they might be forgiven for initially trusting and following the cabal, the sordid facts are now clear for everyone to see. Ebel, Donchez and the city attorney who approved the language of the resignation and severance agreement must be fired. Without this action, trust in Overland Park city government cannot begin to be reestablished.
- Mark Schmid, Overland Park
Stand together
After the killing of George Floyd last summer, I was compelled to do something. I created #StandOnSwitzer. I wanted to create a ripple that would make a difference.
For 23 weeks, at 7 p.m. every Sunday, in the name of Black Lives Matter, we were strangers who became friends for a common goal: to love thy neighbor. All different races and religions shared their stories. We always listened more than we spoke. We did not fix everything in 23 weeks, but we did create an invisible door for future neighbors to walk through while feeling equal.
Quickly in our journey, I became keenly aware of the insecurity and incivility living in my own backyard. I was disappointed to find that many neighbors wanted nothing to do with any suggestion that Black Lives Matter. But we did not give up. Our tribe was committed, despite haggling and harassment from many passersby. Some 100 strangers created a movement.
Our divisions will begin to dissipate with conversations in backyards or simple neighborhood potluck dinners. We need to plant community gardens for the future, where seeds of equality grow, nourishing the souls of everyone living together. This is what makes me proud.
- Jennifer Robinson, Overland Park
Not my thoughts
H.R 1, the For the People Act, passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is now before the Senate. This election reform package addresses voting rights, gerrymandering, money in politics and ethics reforms, among more specific provisions.
I was more than dismayed to read in Sen. Jerry Moran’s newsletter that he proudly spoke on the Senate floor in opposition to this legislation. He wrote, “H.R. 1 is an affront to the United States Constitution,” saying it was “an unprecedented power grab.” This position is diametrically opposed to my view of democratically run elections.
Moran is certainly not representing me, one of his constituents, in these statements. Please do your research in this matter and let him know your views. Your voice should be heard.
- Lynne C. Bodle, Lawrence
This story was originally published March 24, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Letters: KC readers discuss Overland Park secrecy, working for equality, Jerry Moran."