Readers share thoughts on Sen. Kurt Schaefer, Southwest High, Rep. Ray Merrick
Accountability lost
Americans cherish First Amendment rights guaranteeing free expression so much that we equate politicians who would seek to suppress those liberties with the worst dictators of history.
That’s why we must treat Missouri Sen. Kurt Schaefer’s letter to the University of Missouri-Columbia chancellor seeking to block a student’s research on the public-policy effects of the GOP’s recent abortion law as an attack on civil liberties (11-6, Commentary, “Mizzou leader is on the hot seat”).
This man is running to be attorney general, the state’s highest legal counselor, and he supports preventing this student’s pursuit of knowledge for herself and the public for political points. That’s scary, especially after this hypocrite recently asked MU to fire the professor who blocked a journalist from exercising his First Amendment rights.
How does he expect citizens to hold government accountable if he’s going to grossly misinterpret laws to stop the study of public policy? I encourage the student and the MU system to fight this threat to academic autonomy.
As for Schaefer, if he wants to live in a place where this behavior is acceptable, I would kindly ask some physics students, while they’re still free to do so, to invent a time machine so he can go back to the Middle Ages.
Brad DiMariano
Cottleville, Mo.
Kansas iron fist
Kansas Speaker of the House Ray Merrick removed three moderate Republicans from the Health and Human Services Committee because with Democrat members there might be a majority on the committee to advance expansion of Medicaid to residents with disabilities or low income.
Mr. Merrick, all Kansans don’t oppose the expansions as you have stated. Maybe a lot of Kansans you represent who have low income and are disabled could have better lives because of the expansion and Kansas accepting the federal money under the Affordable Health Care Act.
Keeping Kansas representatives silent is in no way appropriate for a good representative government. Rather, you sir are telling the good people who elected them that those voices don’t count.
Use democracy in the Legislature, not dictatorship.
Larry Miller
Overland Park
Terrorism, fear
Jonah Goldberg’s Nov. 15 piece, “Netanyahu’s framing of the Middle East situation is spot-on,” agrees with Bibi Netanyahu’s framing of the Middle East as “primitive medievalism” because the Islamic State rejects the modern, democracy, pluralism, secularism and sometimes science. They believe in Medievalism but not terrorism.
Netanyahu is an educated man and strong leader. However, I long for the 1950s when life was less complicated. But I am not murdering anyone to get that point across.
What is a practice that plants fear in people’s hearts, fear for their lives, if not terrorism? I doubt very much if the first word or thought of the people of Paris and elsewhere was “medievalism.” It is terrorism, pure and simple.
Dorothy Buerky
Belton
KC exceptionalism
I recently moved back to the Kansas City area armed with wonderful memories of this wonderful city. When the news broke earlier this year that the Country Club Plaza was for sale, I was shocked.
No matter where I have lived, all knew of the beautiful Country Club Plaza. I was proud to say I was from Kansas City.
My question is, How can the Country Club Plaza be sold? It is the soul of Kansas City.
I understand that attention has been drawn to the Power & Light District. I’m sorry, but it’s just like every other area in every other city, a cliché.
The Country Club Plaza is unique and shows the rest of the world we are extraordinary. A city reflects its people.
Sandra Ackerman
Leavenworth
Keep Southwest
Don’t abandon the school. Save it for the neighborhood.
It could attract students, stabilize the area and attract families to it (11-5, A1, “Southwest High on KC’s closing list”).
Sol Koenigsberg
Mission Hills
This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Readers share thoughts on Sen. Kurt Schaefer, Southwest High, Rep. Ray Merrick."