Letters: KC readers discuss overcoming fear, American greatness and Christmas lights
Hope, not hate
A scan of the articles I’ve seen this year about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol indicated the power of fear and hate. Too many people from different perspectives are trying to use the event for their own political benefit. Two facts that we know for sure are that the Capitol has been placed on high alert at least three times since that event and that no repeat assaults have occurred.
What the country needs is understanding without resorting to fear or hate. It took until 1988 for the government to apologize and compensate Americans of Japanese descent who were incarcerated in internment camps during World War II. Our country still is grappling with the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
It’s my wish that the review of the paper on Jan. 6, 2023, will show stories of hope and progress on this issue
- Clark Israel, Pleasant Valley
American way
The United States gained world leadership because our businesses and governments have allowed good ideas to rise to the top and be put into use. In our marketplace of ideas, with a wide diversity of interests, we can thoroughly challenge and test new ideas before our society commits them to action. Let’s maintain this healthy interaction of our governments and our people.
Our governments must be based upon free and fair elections of government officials. Election technology is reliable if it’s impartially administered. But officials of the moment must not warp voting procedures and appoint election officials who dedicate themselves to maintaining a ruling clique in office. Those in the ruling clique will cater to the wishes of entrenched economic interests that fill their feeding trough.
To restore America’s potential for greatness, the U.S. Senate must enact the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Government officials must not fragment our society by privileging some and impeding others from access to the polls. When all residents can vote, we can see that a rising tide lifts all boats, and no single group will dominate to the detriment of our entire society.
Dictatorship is China’s way. Let’s maintain our better system.
- James R. Turner, Kansas City
No apologies
The author of a Jan. 9 letter (19A) said Vice President Kamala Harris should apologize for her remarks about Jan. 6, 2021. Harris owes no apology. It seems this writer does not consider Jan. 6 to have been a serious attack on our democracy, when in fact it was just as serious an attack as the firing on Fort Sumter, more directly an attack on the foundations of our country than the military attack by Japan and more dangerous than the terrorist attack on 9/11.
There is nothing incendiary about stating an obvious and blatant truth that we all saw with our own eyes. We all saw it. Continued lying by propagandistic media and elected officials will not change what we saw.
This violence to overthrow a free and fair election, the lying, fraud and conspiring that occurred before this attack to overturn the election, and the refusal to support the peaceful transfer of power — which is a foundational aspect of our democracy, envied around the world, first demonstrated by our first president, George Washington— is abhorrent and needs to be addressed by all our elected officials, not just Vice President Harris.
- Judi A. Sharp, Overland Park
Just say it
Sincere congratulations to Kansas City Public Schools for regaining full accreditation. (Jan. 13, 1A, “After accreditation, officials lay out future of KC schools”) Now, could we address the widespread mispronunciation of that word among our local TV newscasters? This has been going on for years whenever the subject is mentioned.
It’s not a hard word to say. Just break it down as we were taught in elementary school: ac-CREDIT-ation. (It’s not “ac-cretti-dation.”)
We’re rightly proud of all our newspeople. Proper pronunciation makes you sound even more professional.
- Julia Magana, Kansas City, Kansas
See the light
To all of you in the Kansas City area who decorated with Christmas lights to celebrate the Christmas season: They were wonderful. Thank you.
To those whose lights are still brightening 2022: Thank you, too.
- Ardeith LaMoine Hopkins, Overland Park
This story was originally published January 14, 2022 at 5:00 AM.