Letters: Readers discuss SevenDays of kindness, local KC elections, regional transit
Noble examples
April 13 marks the seventh anniversary of the murder of William Lewis Corporon, his grandson Reat and Terri LaManno by a man filled with hate for the Jewish community. However, it also marks the sixth year of Mindy Corporan and Jim LaManno’s SevenDays initiative to increase kindness throughout our communities.
Through their continual acts of kindness and giving, they have shown 365 days a year that we all can make a difference in ending senseless violence. Their message has been clear: Acts of love and kindness — even to total strangers — can defeat hate and end the violence that causes so much pain.
Yes, they have shown us the way. Now if only the rest of us have the courage to follow.
- Brian Fowler, Kansas City
Who sleeps better?
Recently, I was struck by how easy it was for me to fall asleep. The last couple of weeks, I have not worried about making ends meet, paying bills, putting food on the table or keeping my loved ones safe. The American Rescue Plan Act, with its economic impact payment, student loan forgiveness tax relief and COVID-19 vaccination assistance provisions, has given me peace of mind and security.
Sens. Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley voted against my peace of mind and security.
It is a moral and functional failing for them to have opposed helping the nation and the people they profess to serve as U.S. senators.
I hope they sleep easy at night, but they should know that they are depraved for voting to deny their fellow Americans and Missourians the peace of mind, security and safety we desperately need.
- Paul Hackenberger, Raytown
Voices squandered
Kansas Citians, if you did not take the time to vote on the two most important items that affect our city — taxation and schools — please stay silent for the next two years. Less than 20% of the electorate voted in last week’s election. That is to our great shame.
I was at a polling location for three hours April 8. During the first hour, only 17 people walked through the door.
Don’t complain about city services or our schools if you did not vote. You did not care.
- Kathie Allison, Kansas City
Got it in reverse
Johnson County, if you put our federal, state and local tax dollars into expanding the highways, you are not being conservative but liberal in your thinking: You’re throwing more money into the status quo — of the 1950s.
Investing our money to support the growth and dependence on a mentality of the individual car creates a future need of more dollars maintaining larger expressways and producing more pollution, which in turn lowers air quality and increases health care costs.
If instead we invested our infrastructure dollars in public transit, we would have less need for cars and the constant costs that come with owning them. A regional transportation system would help develop our entire area. People young and old could spend their disposable income differently, creating regional businesses and other destinations without investing in garages and concrete.
If we want our schools, sports and art venues, airport, parks, the zoo and downtown to be thought of as “regional,” make them accessible by developing buses and other transit powered with alternative energy sources to trolley us from place to place.
We have the automotive and airline industry. Let those jobs evolve and manufacture what serves and benefits our future.
- Beth Ciperson, Kansas City
This story was originally published April 13, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss SevenDays of kindness, local KC elections, regional transit."