Overland Park secrecy, Biden’s press conference, gun rights

Action needed

Holding a “bad apple” cop accountable starts at the top, and it is vital to protect the police from the few who don’t belong in the profession. Mistakes at the top don’t always mean poor leadership, but lying and cover-ups do. Truth matters, and as a March 24 letter writer said, the Overland Park police chief and city manager need to go in the aftermath of the 2018 fatal police shooting of unarmed 17-year-old John Albers. (10A)

The question is: Will our elected officials do what is right and fire those who hid the ball, or are they complicit?

- Doug Westerhaus, Overland Park

Want to pray?

To all of you offering thoughts and prayers after every mass shooting, please do me a favor: If you really believe that prayer helps anything, then be proactive. Pray right now for an end to all gun deaths. Problem solved.

- Dan E. Cram, Overland Park

So unfair

President Joe Biden’s recent press conference was historic for two reasons.

First, it represented the longest time from a president’s inauguration to the first press conference in recent history.

Second, the date marked the death of the fourth estate formerly known as our news media. Never in American history has the entire press corps been so oriented to making sure a politician appeared positive.

Gone are the days of holding “truth to power,” unless those in power are conservative. We now have a press corps fully invested in supporting the policies of the left while attacking policies of those on the right.

- David Scott, Lee’s Summit

Check it out

In the spirit of, “Do something,” take this idea and run with it: Buy all the high-powered firearms you want — but you have to keep them in a gun library, not in your home. I suggest the gun library be at police stations, since almost every town has a police station. When you want to use your gun, check it out (two-week maximum, then it has to come back).

This gets them out of our neighborhoods. Law enforcement knows who checked one out and for what reason. Charge a monthly fee for storage, or make it a line item on real estate taxes as we do libraries.

If we are willing to house books in a library, why not house AK-47s in a library? Second Amendment rights aren’t violated. You can have as many guns as you want — just not in our neighborhoods.

At least this is a starting point to “do something.”

- Richard Lane, Lee’s Summit

Got it done

My husband and I, both in our 80s, recently headed to the Cerner campus by North Kansas City Hospital for our first COVID-19 vaccination. We were somewhat apprehensive about the whole ordeal. When we arrived, any fears were squelched by friendly, orange-vested guides waving us onward to the next stretch of road and indicating where to park.

We pulled up to the wheelchair area, as I needed one to maneuver the grounds. Also, a valet to park our car was available (at no cost). We were overwhelmed by the prompt attention, smiling faces and welcoming greetings of everyone. My wheelchair assistant was with me the entire time. The developers of this event are gifted organizers, for they’d thought of everything.

We had come to get shots, which could have made it a somber occasion, but the atmosphere was more like a Kansas City gala. We look forward to returning for our second vaccinations.

- Cherilyn S. McCoy, Pleasant Valley

Right in step

Eric Greitens seems to be the perfect senatorial candidate for the majority of Missouri voters. Past performance seems to validate it.

In 2016, Missouri voters voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump. They did this though they knew well ahead of the election that he admitted grabbing women’s private parts without their permission.

Missouri voters cheered for Trump, whom they knew had committed adultery with a porn star at the time his wife was pregnant with his son. It seemed to matter little that he paid the porn star $130,000, through his flunky, to try and keep her quiet. To compound their infatuation with the unethical president, Missourians supported him in his failed reelection attempt. As Sen. Josh Hawley voted to throw out the results of the election.

The list of Trump offenses is long, but these examples are enough to show why Greitens’ past behavior put him in the lead to win the next U.S. Senate race. His sex sandal while governor, his illegal use of a mailing list for his campaign and his dishonesty with himself, his family and the voters are the stuff that seems to excite right-wing Missourians.

Consequently Greitens looks like a 2022 election shoo-in.

- Keith Evans, St. Joseph