Missouri, don’t be like Saudi Arabia or Iran. Stop the execution of Leonard Taylor | Opinion
Killing in our name
Sad thanks to The Star for reporting on the moving last words of the people we have put to death in Missouri. (Jan. 5, 1A, “Missouri has executed 94 people; here are some final statements”) By not granting clemency in too many cases, our governor has made murderers of the residents of the state, most recently with the Jan. 3 execution of Amber McLaughlin. (Jan. 5, 4A, “McLaughlin executed Tuesday in Missouri for 2003 rape, murder”)
I persist in asking: Why do we kill people who kill people to show that killing people is wrong? In the cases of certainty about murders, there are still issues of poor defense, a single judge deciding death over half of a jury and more. Plus, we risk killing innocent people, as in the case of Leonard “Raheem” Taylor, whom Missouri is scheduled to execute Feb. 7 despite important evidence of his innocence, including what attorneys say is an “airtight alibi.”
Missourians: Please tell the governor and our legislators that it is past time for Missouri to leave the company of countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia. End the death penalty.
- Jane Fisler-Hoffman, Raymore
Vroom vroom
From early morning until well into the night (and at times in the middle of the night as well), the boulevard in front of our Blue Ridge home is a constant display of driving personalities who exhibit those personalities via noise-producing mufflers. These include loud “cacklers” along with muffled roars in all sorts of tones and sound qualities.
If it didn’t disturb my activities such as watching TV, reading, visiting with others and particularly sleeping, it might be an amusing psychological study. However, it is instead a nuisance and a source of perpetual irritation. Incidentally, speeding is a frequent companion to the cars’ noise.
When I mentioned this to our Kansas City traffic patrol, officers acknowledged the problem but hastened to note that they use speed traps as manpower allows and said monitoring the noise is beyond their available staffing and funding.
Therefore, I hope parents and family members of these speeders will help in an effort to reduce this rude annoyance. Manufacturers and sales outlets that provide these noisy devices should be reminded and encouraged to employ conscience over greed.
- Fred Hahn Jr., Kansas City
GOP agenda
At a time we are inundated by the realities of world and governmental political crises, war, authoritarian uprisings, pollution, environmental degradation, climate change, socioeconomic instability, poverty, inflation, COVID-19, judicial corruption, overreach and control, racism and increasing division, as well as a disillusion of honesty and trust, it’s such a relief to see that Republicans have used their ideological acumen to chart the way out of this overwhelming morass.
Their solution to this monumental conundrum? Investigate what’s supposedly on Hunter Biden’s laptop.
I don’t know about you, but I can sleep peacefully at night knowing the Republicans’ plan for our future.
- Rick Selig, Berryton, Kansas
Open it up
Christine Todd Whitman waxed effusively about ranked choice voting as a panacea for America’s horribly broken electoral system in her piece for The Fulcrum in the Dec. 29 Xtra Opinion section of The Star’s eEdition. (Page 1, “Democrats and Republicans want the status quo, but we need to move forward”) It was disappointing that she avoided mention of the obscene amount of money, much of it “dark,” that permeates the electoral process at virtually every level.
Let’s focus on having campaigns at the federal and state levels financed entirely with public funds. And while we’re at it, let’s fight to abolish the decidedly antidemocratic practice of gerrymandering. Once these two existential threats to democracy are addressed, we’d be glad to discuss ranked choice voting.
- Richard Vincent, Lee’s Summit