Letters: KC readers discuss Missouri’s COVID cases, MLB All-Stars, political careers
Bad numbers
Mask up until you wise up, Missourians. Get vaccinated. Only about 4 in 10 people in the state are vaccinated. Only 4 out of 10 people you come in contact with are safe, depending on where you live.
The COVID-19 delta variant is spreading rapidly in Missouri, so you must wear a mask and get vaccinated.
The odds are not in our favor. Please act responsibly.
- Gail A. Harlow, Kansas City
It isn’t personal
Mike Parson isn’t alone among Republican governors to have made personal responsibility the foundation of the fight against COVID-19, but the failure of that strategy has made Missouri the nation’s embarrassing headline.
The absence of statewide health directives gave us no protection when we finally realized far too many Missourians are unwilling to social distance, mask up or get vaccinated. Now, as much of the country enters a better place, the irresponsibility of Missourians has caused such a tsunami of infections that hospitals are begging for help and Parson had to go hat in hand to President Joe Biden for surge teams to support our overwhelmed medical staffs.
Why this matters isn’t to point fingers, but to plan for future health crises. It’s not a question of if but when another public health emergency engulfs us. We’re suffering an accelerating pace of pandemics: AIDS in the 1980s, bird flu in the 1990s, swine flu in 2009-10, Ebola in the mid-2010s and COVID-19 in 2020-21.
Global health threats are the new reality and must be met with aggressive leadership at national and state levels. Hopefully, we now know better than to rely on personal responsibility to cope with them.
- John McDonald, Ferguson, Missouri
Dubious distinction
Gov. Mike Parson welcomes you to Missouri.
The “Not-Me” State.
The COVID capital of the U.S.
When you leave, take home a special gift to your family and friends, the delta variant virus.
You will remember it for the rest of your life.
Enjoy your visit!
- Clifford J. Kroski, Kansas City
Just for show
Dear Major League Baseball: I used to look forward to your annual All-Star Game. But for some reason, you decided that fans want a TV show rather than a real game.
You had the best all-star game of the four major team sports, and now your game is just like all the rest. You lost me when you started putting microphones on players and talking to them while they are in the field. Nobody takes this game seriously anymore.
And this year it seems like more players have developed last-minute injuries so they don’t have to show up. Star pitchers would rather take their regular turns in the rotation than take part in this TV show and pitch one inning. (And didn’t you have to beg some players to do the Home Run Derby?)
It might be time to do away with the game. The players could use a few days off this time of year.
- Richard Johns, Kansas City
Bucks passed
Operation LeGend started in Kansas City. The mayor had promised to reduce the homicide rate and failed. He asked the governor for help, and the U.S. Department of Justice responded.
The police shared information with cooperating agencies to enforce federal gun laws. This program was supported by the Trump administration.
Operation LeGend got many violent offenders and illegally obtained guns off the streets. Another way to reduce violent crime is expanding Medicaid. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons found that counties in states expanding Medicaid have shown a decrease in violent crime.
Now, the Kansas City mayor wants police funds reallocated, the governor and state legislators made it illegal for local police to enforce federal gun laws, the state legislature refuses to expand Medicaid and a senator wants to hire 100,000 more police officers.
What these politicians seem to have in common is getting reelected and not supporting effective deterrents to violent crime. More cooperation is needed to reduce violent crime, in my opinion.
- Jim Turner, Independence
This story was originally published July 15, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Letters: KC readers discuss Missouri’s COVID cases, MLB All-Stars, political careers."