July 25, 2002 Columns » Letters

Letters from the week of July 25, 2002
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Pledge Class 

Letters from the week of July 25, 2002

Jean slicing: If C.J. Janovy's "Pledge Drive" (July 11) was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, it missed its mark. It will be misunderstood by many and makes it appear at first glance that Jean Carnahan and not John Ashcroft made the statement, "There is no pledge but the one 'under God.' Just like there is no king but Jesus."

I think that the Pitch has done a disservice to one of the finest public servants around. I am aggrieved that this publication has reached new lows in bad taste.
Carol Bates
Kansas City, Missouri

Pledging her love: Yowza!

Just wanted to say "Pledge Drive" was a terrific article. I was halfway through before suspecting anything, and two-thirds through before I was sure. Damn fine work, and it made an important point.

My hat's off to ya.
Helen Hightower
Kansas City, Missouri

Foundling Father
Who's your daddy?: Regarding Deb Hipp's "The Daddy Trap" (July 11): That was a great article about how the state law has run amuck. I am telling a lot of people about it; the law needs to be changed so that the woman has to give all the names of the people she thinks may be the father (DNA-related) of her children when she applies for welfare. I am going to write my state legislators about this law, which is definitely unfair to James Williams.

Sometimes the state just has to bite the bullet. Some men do get stuck being the sucker and paying child support for children that are not theirs genetically. Hopefully, this article will begin to put an end to those things.

Keep up the good work.
Rudolph Pieters
Kansas City, Missouri

Strip Teased
Pet cemetery: For eight years, I have looked to the Pitch for information on not just events and concerts but on stories that the mainstream press had ignored.

I, however, am sitting here this morning, absolutely appalled. My coworkers and I have just read Allie Johnson's Kansas City Strip (July 18). I had to stop and make sure it was not the April 1 issue, because the story about Mark Wourms being arrested for murdering zoo animals seemed nothing more than a terrible joke.

After doing a quick Internet search for more information and finding nothing, I reread the end of the article, where, in the tagline, it stated that this was a fake story.

I have read this newspaper long enough to understand the tongue-in-cheek -- and often black -- sense of humor of its writers and editorial staff. There are many others, such as my coworkers, however, who have not. I must say that my disgust and disappointment in you and your newspaper far outreaches theirs, because you have let me down -- an avid and loyal reader -- with what I must consider one of, if not the, most tasteless, pathetic and outright disgusting displays of journalistic lacks of integrity, tact or objectivity that I have ever, ever seen.
Benjamin Ramsey
Kansas City, Missouri

Fake bake: Allie Johnson has a sick sense of humor and should be sued for slander by the KC Zoo director if this is, in fact, a "fake" story. What sort of professional writes something like this without merit to it?

Maybe Ms. Johnson should apply for a position with a sleazy tabloid where she would fit in better. I am shocked and disgusted that you people would allow this crap to be printed. I hope you're all slapped with a subpoena!
Katherine Sweeney
Kansas City Missouri

Allie Johnson responds: For readers who have no clue what's been going on at the zoo, here's a recap: This summer, the Kansas City Zoo brought in a special exhibit -- fifteen Atlantic stingrays and cownose rays that had been stripped of their natural defenses so that zoogoers could "pet" the poor creatures. Half of the rays died in mid-June from a water-quality problem zoo officials attributed to grimy human hands. Then, a week later, zoo director Mark Wourms horrified animal lovers when he decided to round up and kill more than 200 geese, uninvited guests on zoo property. The result? Embarrassing national media attention about Kansas City's animal-killing zoo. The following week, a snow leopard who had been in good health died inexplicably. Finally, during the second week in July, dogs sneaked into the Australia exhibit, mauled one sheep to death, injured a few others and attacked some emus. What's the real outrage here? Is it the Pitch's taking a jab at zoo director Mark Wourms, or the deaths of scores of innocent animals under his leadership?
Edifice Complex
Charge of the blight brigade: We're reminded in Casey Logan's "Little Blight Lies" (July 11) of the determination of Highwoods Properties to grab a fistful of tax-increment financing and run for the "blighted" hills of the Country Club Plaza. Highwoods, still bruised from the public protest surrounding TIF and the Park Lane, withdrew its empty hand and put out the other, wiggling fingers in anticipation. Our city leaders have filled it with TIF and watched while Highwoods attempts to heal its public image in the shadow of the new Plaza Library, the PR face of its business venture, the Plaza Colonnade.

Our city courts a developer revolted by small independent businesses, the very businesses who made the Plaza and other Highwoods holdings the destination places now profitable to the North Carolina-based developer. Kansas City has numerous examples of valued businesses who know that ultimate success comes to those who reach out to the local community, not to those who squelch it. Highwoods should learn from their example.
Sarah Daniel
Kansas City, Missouri

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