Letters: Readers discuss Putin’s voice in KC, hosting the Olympics and blind hazards
Putin gets heard
I admire the Ukrainian people who have weathered attacks from President Vladimir Putin’s Russia for years. It makes me a little ashamed to be an American at this moment when Radio Sputnik, a propaganda arm of the Russian state, is allowed to broadcast in our country.
Radio station KCXL, operating out of Liberty, is Kansas City’s local Putin propaganda mouthpiece. A democracy protects free speech, including nefarious misinformation from an enemy of the state. It’s ironic that the forces behind Radio Sputnik would like to destroy that democracy, here and in Ukraine.
- Kathie Molyneaux, St. Louis
Eyes are open
I want to thank the extremely vocal minority protesting at school board meetings against the supposed “critical race theory” that is nonexistent in K-12 school curricula. Thanks to them, the majority of us — who are mostly not racists or bigots — have become familiarized with the content of this accurate portrayal of history and hopefully will work toward making it a requirement in our educational institutions.
I call upon all citizens with good, unbiased, humane and honest hearts to advocate for teaching this truth by sharing their thoughts at school board meetings, contacting their elected officials, and speaking with their pocketbooks when patronizing businesses and making political contributions.
There are people who wish to and, if allowed, will infect our state and local governments and school boards with revisionist history for the sake of a misguided sense of their own entitlement. You see them carrying signs and rudely interrupting democratic public processes while playing the victim to get attention for their agenda, which is just racism in sheep’s clothing.
So let’s all of us who believe that we don’t need to lie about or cover up the past for the sake of our white-skinned little darlings’ sensibilities get about the business of making our voices heard.
- Steve Shaft, Prairie Village
KC should host
While watching the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, I wondered: Has the International Olympic Committee ever been approached about Kansas City hosting a Summer Games?
We have Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium, with athletic facilities and student housing available for athletes at the universities in Kansas City, Columbia and Lawrence. For indoor events, we have the T-Mobile Center and several other outstanding facilities, including Municipal Auditorium. We have facilities for outdoor aquatic events at Lake Jacomo, Smithville Lake and elsewhere.
Is there any reason Kansas City should not pursue this international event?
- Mike Boatright, Shawnee
Bottled waste
The Kansas City Star has recently reported on the increasing inflation rate. Money-saving tips have included buying generic store brands and purchasing in bulk. At a recent Leawood Rotary Club meeting, representatives from WaterOne discussed another way to save money: They said Americans spend more than $18.5 billion a year on bottled water.
More than 50% of bottled water is repackaged tap water from local water utilities. The average 16-ounce bottle of water is about $2. One cent will buy two gallons of tap water. In addition, it takes 17 million barrels of oil a year to produce the bottles in which water is packaged, shipped and sold. Think about that when you pull up to the gas pump and purchase water from the store.
WaterOne encourages everyone to drink tap water from a personal, reusable bottle. This reduces costs, shifts oil from plastic production to gasoline production and keeps plastic out of landfills. Tap water is cheap, safe and eco-friendly.
- Jim Rawlings, Leawood
Devilish success
We are all tired of COVID-19 and the impact it has had on virtually every aspect of our daily lives. Thus, the recent downward trend in omicron cases has been a source of hope. In the eyes of the devil, though, for whom the pain and suffering of others is the very breath of life, this trend is a disaster.
So, how would the devil attempt to reverse this troubling trend?
▪ Push for the early removal of public health restrictions designed to reduce the spread of the virus.
▪ Sow doubt about the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines and (bonus!) all vaccines in general.
▪ Promote therapies proven to be ineffective against COVID-19, especially those that can harm patients.
▪ Disrupt school board and city council meetings where mask mandates are being considered.
▪ Encourage mass gatherings, especially ones that will attract those with anti-vaccine sympathies.
▪ Sow doubt about the efficacy of proven prevention techniques such as masks.
▪ Promote religious beliefs (oh, the irony) as a way to evade vaccination requirements.
It would appear that his efforts are succeeding.
- Paul L. Schenk, Parkville
Protect the blind
Missouri has recognized Oct. 15 as White Cane Awareness Day, and the resolutions attached to this day acknowledge the importance of blind people using white canes or guide dogs as necessary tools to safe and competent navigation. However, the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri has been increasingly receiving reports of distracted drivers who are not yielding for pedestrians using white canes or guide dogs.
Something needs to be done to reinforce the laws in place to protect the health and well-being of blind pedestrians. Between the lack of consistent enforcement and the inadequate severity of punishment, many drivers ignore what should be common sense, and too many blind people are experiencing near misses or are being struck by cars.
We believe that Missouri’s legislature has the responsibility and the ability to implement changes to address the increasing issues caused by distracted drivers and the failure of drivers to learn the necessity of yielding to those using white canes or guide dogs.
- Daniel Garcia, President, NFB of Kansas City, Kansas City
This story was originally published February 20, 2022 at 5:00 AM.