I think the Pitch is a refreshing, insightful and amusing newspaper, and the fact that it's free adds to its charm.
So a writer played a tasteless joke on its readers, who haven't played a tasteless joke in their lives. I am sure her joke did no harm to the zoo. People need to learn to take a joke. To you lost readers, I say, "Your loss."
To the man and his bears, I think it's great that you want to raise awareness for some event that will benefit kids, but frankly, the bears need to go. The bears are scary-looking and tacky. I am sure people can come up with a better creative way to bring a positive message to the youth.
I would eat at 40 Sardines. I don't think having their child answer phones and help out is at all distasteful or child labor. I seriously doubt the kid will run around like a mad person, bothering the patrons and giving them a bad dining experience.
Lastly, I have to comment on the opinion that doctors should be cold and impersonal to their patients. What a crock. If that's the case, why don't we just replace doctors with robots? That will make going to the doctor a lot easier for both parties. The threat of old men feeling us up won't be there, and doctors won't have to put up with the fear of women patients claiming they got felt up.
Name Withheld Upon Request
The formation of KC Pride was based on a desire to develop a grassroots, membership-driven organization that would truly reflect the diversity of our area. Our recent Meet the Candidates and Get Out the Vote Rally, which drew over 300 guests, demonstrated that the voters of our community agreed. We saw an inclusive event that reflected the coalition of LGBT and straight ally, labor and business, neighborhood and civic leaders, political novices and campaign veterans. Equally important was the ethnic and gender diversity that occurred. We will build on this foundation to continue developing an organization where diversity and inclusiveness are more than just words.
As November approaches, the election of U.S. Senator Jean Carnahan has become the No. 1 priority for KC Pride members. KC Pride will hold its next membership meeting on Wednesday, August 21, at 7 p.m. at the Broadway Baptist Church, 3931 Washington. Anyone seeking to become involved in the political process is encouraged to attend.
Roger A. Gooden, President
KC Pride Democratic Club
Kansas City, Missouri
Ho Down
Ho improvement: As if being on the school board and then resigning amidst self-induced controversy weren't enough, Michelle Hensley is the "superhero" gone bad who should have died in a battle against her nemesis a long time ago. Saying that she's trying to be a good role model for her nephew while threatening bodily harm and encouraging ignorance and stereotypes was the only irony I could even crack a smile at in this article.
If she were so concerned about getting these women out of her neighborhood, and hopefully off of the streets for good, why doesn't she get her name in the newspaper for actively pushing for a red-light district instead of daydreaming about what these women do for a living and what kind of character they have? What about working with community agencies to have STD/HIV-testing on the streets or trying to have some beds set aside in a drug-treatment center specifically for prostitutes? Is publicly addressing sexual and physical abuse too much to ask? And I guess we're supposed to ignore the johns that keep this vicious cycle going -- Mrs. Hensley certainly makes no mention of them.
Michelle Hensley is picking up where she left off -- kickin' up dust when there is no storm and bringing attention to herself and not to her cause. I'd pay good money to have her spend one night getting to know these women and see what they go through in an up-close and personal manner. Until then, Veronica's Voice and any other agency that provides outreach and nonjudgmental support for women has my endorsement, time and money.
L. Diane Spight
Kansas City, Missouri
Anyway I just wanted to thank the KCPD for wasting my tax dollars on things like this and not figuring out how to remedy real situations like the problem in Westport. My office is in Westport, and I like to occasionally go out and have a few drinks at some of the establishments there. It kind of sucks when my friends are afraid to come down to Westport because of all the thugs who roam the streets with absolutely no leash. So hats off to the decision makers at the police department who use my money for worthless ventures when they could be doing something that actually matters.
Hey, guys, I think I heard about a ring of kids with lemonade stands trying to pass off artificial for freshly squeezed. You better look into it.
Bret Christian
Kansas City, Missouri
What if the roundup and slaughter of the Canada geese that Dr. Wourms did order was actually unnecessary?
What if some of the persons who have read "Zoo De-Wormed" understood it's satire and got its real meaning, and we just haven't heard from them yet? (And you are getting this from a person who does not trust most satire!)
And, let us now return to the very legitimate question that Allie Johnson herself asked at the start of her "Zoo De-Wourmed" article: What if animals actually had rights?
What if...?
Doug Peschka
Olathe
Thought-crime, anyone?
Jim Holmberg
Kansas City, Kansas
I also find it even more deeply disturbing that our society can sentence a 77-year-old doctor to what amounts to a life sentence because he has shaky hands! These women should be glad they had a doctor who actually took the time to joke with them to make them feel comfortable, even if his sense of humor may have been offensive. I'm also even more pissed off about the fact that the state of Kansas can do this to an innocent old man, but the state of Missouri gives a dentist probation who was caught with his pants down after sexually assaulting a woman under anesthesia!
William H. Frame
Independence
Looks like the old city politics are at it again. City Auditor Mark Funkhouser said it all: "In Kansas City, the use of TIF has been driven by private developers rather than by explicit public strategies and policies." Shouldn't part of our city government's public policy be to preserve historic sites not only for their historic value but also to promote tourism? Isn't it commonly understood that urban blight is traditionally in the crumbling urban core?
I wanted to scream when I found out that TIF money would go to develop Falcon Ridge: single-family dwellings priced around $200,000 to be built on the southeast end of the Plaza. What about affordable housing? Many of the apartment buildings in the urban core are so old they still have coal chutes. They are poorly insulated and have plumbing and wiring that barely meets inspection codes. Once again, public money is used to support private enterprise. This strategy does not cause all boats to rise; rather, it makes sure that the urban core stays on a sinking ship.
Imani Wilson
Kansas City, Missouri
Comments (0)