Letters from the issue of February 28, 2008

Burnt Ends, January 31

What the fuck is Burnt Ends’ problem? I can’t even believe The Pitch trashed our city’s once-thriving burlesque scene, which is now struggling. (Thank you, Gov. Blunt, for bringing your outdated, racist and sexist “Christian” values to our bars and entertainment venues!) I’m sure I speak for women everywhere when I say it’s people like Burnt Ends who keep feminism right where it apparently belongs — completely out of sight. I wasn’t aware that you had to be a Victoria’s Secret model to walk around in anything less than oversized pants and a wool turtleneck. I also wasn’t aware that it’s become acceptable — hell, it’s become required — to bash women from alternative walks of life. The whole point of burlesque, you fucking moron, is to provide women and transsexuals or transgendered folks, who don’t fit into what our society considers attractive or pleasant to look at, an arena to express their sexuality in creative ways. Thongs bisecting what they shouldn’t be bisecting? Miniskirts being used to enhance muffin tops or child-bearing hips? Tattoos (which clearly disgust you) being put on — gasp! — full display? I didn’t realize that it was still illegal and morally outlandish to have ink on your skin — I thought we had moved past the 19th century. Great job on writing the most insulting, uneducated, immature, chauvinist, sexist and un-fucking-believably bad article The Pitch has ever seen. Go back to the Dark Ages, you fucking piece of shit.

Laurie Ray, Kansas City Missouri

Martin: “Drunk on Power,” February 21

Although criticism of Cordish Company and its handling of the Power and Light District is warranted, David Martin’s take seemed to be two columns competing for attention.

In the first half, he outlines the Cordish stance against festival permits for Westport and other neighborhoods. Then in the second half, he gives the standard sermon of how the P&L is delayed, and so on. Cordish has made mistakes and has some questions to answer, but the company has every right to lobby against the new bill and has no business obligation toward Westport or anyone else. Westport is dying a slow death due to its own mistakes, not because of anyone else.

Drew Murphy, Kansas City, Missouri

Feature: “Strike!” February 7

A couple of comments regarding the February 7 issue of The Pitch. First, I noticed there was no Letters page. This is always the first item I turn to. I enjoy reading the feedback from the readers, and I missed it in this issue.

Second, kudos to David Martin on a well-written story on women’s bowling. Like most of Martin’s pieces, it was educational, entertaining and thorough, covering the history of the sport at the high school, college and professional levels. It was a fun read.

My feelings toward The Pitch are kind of bittersweet. I enjoy most of the lead stories and believe many of them contain some of the best investigative journalism in this city, frequently touching on stories we would never have known about. Some of them are entertainment or educational pieces, such as Justin Kendall’s “The Search for the Garden of Eden” (September 6, 2007). Some are hard news, such as the one about Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and the fight against coal plants in western Kansas (Carolyn Szczepanski’s “Her Dirty Secret,” August 9, 2007). Others are topical on the local level, like the one on the attempted razing of Kenneth Smith’s historic golf manufacturing site in Shawnee to build more residential housing (David Martin’s “Fore!” July 27, 2006).

I do feel there is a drop-off in the quality of the journalism in much of the paper after the lead story, though, such as “Ask a Mexican” or the frequent use of profanity in many of the other commentary or opinion sections. It seems like the paper could be more than it is.

That being said, I always pick up the new edition. I think it contributes well to the Kansas City area.

Joe Hughes, Lenexa

Feature: “High Above the Law,” June 8, 2006

A year ago, prompted by a sympathetic Child Protective Services worker, my children and I reluctantly fled our home in Kansas City, Missouri, and headed for the sanctuary of California and its Compassionate Use Act. As Eric Barton wrote in “High Above the Law,” his 2006 story about me, I was born with cerebral palsy and discovered early in adolescence that cannabis mitigated the most painful physical and emotional manifestations of my disorder. I then learned that cannabis has been used for more than 300 years to help stutterers speak more clearly and that decades ago, doctors documented the herb’s ability to alleviate muscle spasms. Yet the 12 states that have enacted medical cannabis laws still struggle to defend patients against federal meddlers, and patients in the remaining 33 states risk losing their careers, their freedom and even their families because they have found that a nontoxic medicine remedies their diseases and disorders better than dangerous pharmaceutical drugs. Patients in Missouri do not deserve to be criminalized for being crippled or for using a plant that allows them to effectively navigate their obstacles. A comprehensive bill to legalize medical cannabis in Missouri was introduced at the end of January by a record-setting number of Missouri representatives, and patients all over the state are anxiously awaiting the assignment of House Bill 1830 to the Health and Public Policy Committee. Please contact House Speaker Rod Jetton and ask him to open his heart to the Missouri patients living in pain, fear and misery.

Jacqueline Patterson, Bolinas, California

Music: “The Pitch Ultra Music DJ Contest finalists,” February 7

I was unable to attend the contest at NV on February 22, but from what I hear on the DJ grapevine, winner Nomathmatics’ set was prerecorded, with no live mixing. If that’s true, Nomathmatics should have been disqualified and everyone at The Pitch should know that no local DJs will participate in future Pitch-sponsored events.

Travis Coker, Kansas City, Missouri

Music Editor Jason Harper responds:

Through the DJ grapevine, we’ve heard lots of complaining since we declared Nomathmatics the winner. For its part, the duo denies accusations of using a prerecorded set. For our part: The competition that night was intense, and the judges were divided, so in my capacity as music editor, I broke the tie that declared Nomathmatics the champ. The fact is, there’s only one rule for this event: We want to send someone to Miami who can put on a sharp DJ set. We’ll keep putting on this contest and allowing it to accommodate trends in DJing and changes in the local scene so that the city’s best DJs — whether it’s one guy on vinyl turntables or a three-headed mutant with a laptop — will have a chance to compete.