Letters from the week of August 30

Plog: “Edwin Hall Speaks,” August 1

Hall Monitor
I for one, would like your reporter, Nadia Pflaum, to know she did a great job getting an interview with Edwin Hall. I just hope she has tough skin in regards to all of the negative comments that have been directed her way.

She has been criticized profusely for not getting enough information with her choice of questions. The No. 1 complaint was not finding out why Hall left his truck at Target. If everyone who is following this case wants to know the answer to that question, what makes her critics think for a minute that Nadia didn't want to know as well? The fact of the matter is, nobody really knows what was said between the two of them.

The article clearly stated that what was printed was merely an "excerpt" of the interview, due to Hall's request that certain things be "off the record." I'm sure the last thing she wanted to do was put him in a defensive mode by putting him on the spot. She is a reporter, not an attorney in the middle of a trial. Her objective was to have an unbiased conversation with Hall. She accomplished this by letting him take the lead and say what he wanted to say — hence the title of the article, "Edwin Hall Speaks" (NOT "Edwin Hall Confesses"). The interview was obviously on his terms, not hers.

If Hall should grant a future interview, I bet Nadia will be the front-runner. Why? Because she kept her word on what she would print and what she wouldn't print, a claim not all reporters can make.

Melanie D. Strickland, Tulsa, Oklahoma Pitchcast: “Calling Out Michael Moore,” August 9Contract Hit
A health plan is a business contract. It clearly states what is covered and to what extent. Most people have no idea whats is in their plan ... until they need it.

If you agree to the contract — that is, if you pay the premiums — you are, in effect, signing the contract. The idea of "we have paid our premiums all this time and never asked for any money, and now they aren't there for us" is a dangerous and childish attitude. Insurance companies are a business, and they are doing what they do to make money —not to take care of anyone, just to make money.

If you were running a business and it specifically excluded a $250,000 item, would you let somebody have it just because they had never asked for anything before? I don't think so.

When business started taking over health care in the '60s and the '70s, things changed. And changed and changed. Too bad so many consumers haven't realized that yet.

Linda L. Kerby, RN, LeawoodIn Sickness and In Hell
Shame on you for letting Eric Barton do such a disservice to Michael Moore. You need to address this before word gets out you are pro-corporate whoredom.

UNFREAKINGBELIEVABLE! You are going to hold Michael Moore responsible for this when he has done a tremendous service to this country, bringing the sins of the insurance whores to light? How dare you expect him to "fix" the wrongs of the insurance companies. You should be pushing readers to get involved and lobby their congresspersons to push for national health care, NOT expect Moore to jump in and take care of everyone's medical bills.

I am disgusted by the Pitch for this nasty, unintelligent slam piece. As a matter of fact, I wonder who paid this reporter to push this. Maybe the Pitch should follow up with a little investigation into this reporter's outside interests. Everyone knows that the blogs are all being bombarded by PR people from the insurance companies with tons of misinformation. Cut and pasted "talking points" appear almost word for word from one blog about it to another. The popularity of this documentary has scared the crap out of them — they might not be able to fleece Americans too much longer!

Pamela Smith, Independence Feature: “Call Him ‘Crazy,’” July 26Pitch Fork
Nobody likes someone who hates on the home team. It's sad that the biggest story the Pitch could find was about an optimistic fan. I like the Pitch, but I'm tired of boring stories I don't care about. Who gives a shit if some kid is all about the Royals? I don't. It's sad to say that the only article I enjoy reading anymore is "Savage Love." I can't even read "Ask a Mexican" anymore because I hate the immigration propaganda. (I do feel illegal immigration is wrong. Hence the word "illegal.")

Kansas City is a big city. It would be nice to see some entertaining headlines instead of another feature article about foam swords. Hell, what about the Westport shootings? Also, corrupt politicians don't qualify as news anymore.

Don't get me wrong. I'm willing to change my views if you're willing to change yours. Ryan Owens, Kansas City, Missouri

Night & Day: "Word Turds," August 23Pendergast Says Sorry
We want to respond to the article about a tour Pendergast was booked on. We now know that the tour is in support of a very misogynistic new book. We'd like to apologize to our fans for giving the impression that we would support those kinds of attitudes toward women. We don't. Pendergast will not be playing the three shows we had booked at Liberty Hall, the Beaumont Club and Shilo's in Columbia.