Florida’s ‘Music Man’ act comes to Missouri and Kansas — but the pool halls are phony
The Music Men
In the famous musical “The Music Man,” Professor Harold Hill — a con man — quickly convinces the townspeople that a pool hall is leading to the moral downfall of their youth. He claims this moral corruption will lead to smoking, alcohol use and gambling, among other vices. Hill’s wholesome alternative is to sell his musical instruments to the “right kind of parents” and start a boys’ band.
A similar scenario is playing out in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has convinced his supporters and allies in the Legislature that the schools are morally bankrupting children, teaching evil and “grooming” youngsters.
Substitute “critical race theory” or “social emotional learning” for “pool hall,” and stoke fear among the populace.
The differences are that the con man Hill frightened the populace over something that actually existed, but DeSantis rails against theories. Each used his considerable guile to convince the populace of the “danger,” but while Hill added charm to disarm his detractors, DeSantis has chosen retribution.
And there are Music Men introducing bills with restrictive language similar to Florida’s in legislatures across the country, including Kansas and Missouri.
- Jim Wetzel, Olathe
Save democracy
The 2022 midterm elections will be here very soon. It is imperative for the preservation of our democracy to make sure that we elect individuals who are rational, are honest, have integrity, are truth tellers and support the rule of law. Our elected officials must represent everyone, not just people who look like them.
The Republican Party appears to be focused solely on the culture war they have instigated. We must not let ourselves get sucked into this vortex of lies, mistruths and conspiracy theories. This will not help any of us solve the real issues we face every day.
In the past several days, we have learned how House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has blatantly lied over and over again. We cannot let this man of questionable integrity become the next speaker of the House. To help stop this, Kansas’ 3rd District must send Rep. Sharice Davids back to Washington, where she can continue the great work she is doing for all her constituents.
Davids has focused on improving the lives of the people and businesses of her district. We must support her so she can continue her great work for us.
- Sally Stanton, Overland Park
A voter end-run
The Republican National Committee’s decision to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates is consistent with the deceptive political strategy it has embraced. (April 18, 7A, “Short Take: A preview of the GOP’s 2024 strategy”)
Donald Trump and his allies have no interest in a broad appeal to voters or debates. Campaign appearances in anything but the friendliest areas and town hall meetings are viewed with the same disdain as easy-access voting. They plan to energize the base with whatever supporters want to hear so they will either vote their state red or pressure their legislatures to hand the Republican presidential candidate the Electoral College votes even if he or she doesn’t get the majority. Winning the popular vote — a far greater accomplishment and the intended method of securing a majority of electoral votes — does not enter the equation.
To exploit the Electoral College in this way is no different than profiteering from a tax loophole or employing high-priced attorneys to circumvent the law. Conducting a public political campaign as a show to distract from the maneuvering in backrooms and statehouses should never be normalized. It’s a perversion of our democracy, but the real threat would be if everyday Americans accept it as a legitimate political tactic.
Winning our votes should always be the goal of those who want to lead us.
- John McDonald, Ferguson, Missouri
Share your truth
Thank you so much for the articles about accidental overdoses caused by fentanyl. (April 24, 1A, “Poison pills: Fentanyl killed their boys. Now these parents are on a quest to save lives”) My son Brian M. Brown died of an accidental drug overdose on April 25, 2021. I commend the parents for their courage to speak out.
Many people may ask: Where are the parents before overdoses happen? And my answer is, we are right there doing everything in our power to prevent this. Whether it is someone’s first time taking drugs or someone with an addiction, no one deserves to die in this manner.
Everyone grieves differently, but my hope is that any parent who has lost a child to this awful death turn it into an opportunity to speak out, one person at a time or in a group setting. I choose to tell my story when I see the need.
My heart goes out to all the parents who have gone through this. Love, peace and understanding to you.
- Julie A. Brown, Boonville, Missouri
Jesus’ lessons
A question for U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler: How can political conservatism be considered a part of Christianity when your party has for years consistently denied the poor assistance, the sick health care, the worker livable wages, the immigrant homes and the oppressed justice?
That is the opposite of the values of Jesus, who came to serve, not be served.
- Tom Krause, Kansas City
This story was originally published May 1, 2022 at 5:00 AM.