Letters

Fight or Flight
Great article on Richards-Gebaur (Bruce Rodgers' "Flight Canceled," July 27)!

There is serious consideration being taken about recalling Teresa Loar because of this very issue and many others. There has even been talk of recalling the entire council as well as the mayor, wild as that might seem. Kind of like a great big "do over." The flow-through of that concept needs to be thought through extremely carefully. It seems that maybe the politicians and big businesses have pushed people a little too far for way too long. Maybe it is time to get back to "of the people, by the people, for the people" instead "of big business for big business." These career politicians are totally out of control, in my opinion.

Again, thanks for writing such a wonderful story. It's really inspired and given hope to a lot of good people.-- Mary-Margaret De Shon

Kansas City, Missouri

Blind Man's Bluff
You know, it's pretty bad when someone wants to work but no one will give her a job (Allie Johnson's "The Blind Leading the Blind," July 20). I work at a bank and we have two employees I know of who are blind, and one of them is a manager.

I have dated a blind man, and he was VERY self-sufficient. No one -- no matter the handicap, personality, race, religion, or even the way he looks -- should be denied employment. Look at McDonald's -- they hire people who are mentally challenged, and Wal-Mart hires retirees. But Rehabilitation Services for the Blind (RSB) can't keep someone who has lost her sight because of a medical condition. What's wrong with that picture? Everyone who wants to work should have every opportunity to do so. I stand behind Loretta O'Connor and hope that she finds a job very soon, so that she can tell RSB to go jump in a lake. I am not saying that they are not doing a good service, because they are when they do their job. It's just that I feel they did her wrong, and they should be made to apologize on their knees to her. Not that that will ever happen.-- Name withheld upon request

Merriam

You Take Your Chances
I am a 20-year-old student at UMKC, and I was walking to class today when I noticed the new edition of the Pitch. I saw a black man's face on the cover and it immediately caught my attention ("One More Chance," July 20). I wasn't sure what the article was going to cover, but as I read the lengthy article, I grew increasingly interested. I was particularly interested in the sections that discussed the Mayday Beach Party. If I ever felt bad about spending $20, it was that day. I was relieved to find that Shawn Edwards had taken the time to do the research and look at all sides of that day. I, and everybody with me, had never been more upset. That was the most horrible experience I have ever had.

My anger was geared at KPRS 103.3 because I didn't know exactly who had put the concert on. They heavily advertised it and Sean Tyler hosted the majority of the event. There was no Greek stepshow as advertised, and it was hot. The thing that pissed me off the most was that I didn't see anything that was advertised. I get no joy out of seeing black women portrayed as pieces of meat. I get no joy out of standing in smoldering, still heat for over four hours. My thing is, if the concert is said to start at 2 p.m., then that's when it needs to start. If we were told that the acts would be on at 7:30 p.m., then we wouldn't have been upset. But we weren't told anything, and although Chance may think he's helping us out, he's doing us a great disservice. And he's letting me know that he doesn't mind screwing his people over for a dollar. When Tuesday morning came around, I don't recall KPRS' making any comments about the event. My little sister told me that on the radio they were lying to listeners, saying that the show was great and that Black Rob had performed. You want to support the black people here but all they do is screw you with no Vaseline.

On the news, the take is that once again black youths get rowdy. They don't mention the water shortage, the fainting people, and the overcharging for a show that never happened. They don't talk about how any people, such as myself, went home and faced illness due to heatstroke or dehydration. The fact that Edwards reported that Chance still feels his event was a success shows Chance's blatant disregard for our feelings. I'll never attend another event that he throws, and I appreciate Edwards' taking the time to report on an important issue like this.

Oh, if it was Sandstone at the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert, there would have been coverage for days. But in Kansas City there seems to be no respect for the black youth. We're humans and we should be treated with respect. The cancellation of the concert on the news was portrayed as our fault for getting rowdy, when in actuality it was the increasingly bumbling mistakes, bullshit, and mistreatment from false advertisement that led to the concert's demise.