Capitol Grill

Capitol Grill

Regarding Ron Hunt’s comments about being “slighted” by Congressman Cleaver during his recent visit to Washington (Kansas City Strip, June 22): As a resident of Kansas City’s 5th Congressional District, I am happy that Cleaver did not abandon the vote on immigration in order to meet with a visitor. He was voting on legislation that affects his constituents.

Secondly, Cleaver is not Sen. Obama’s appointment secretary. Hunt is assuming an awful lot of someone whose job is to represent all of the 5th District, and not to cater to the needs of one, regardless of how important he thinks he is.

Thirdly, having worked in Washington for years, I am fully aware of the distances that make up Capitol Hill, and it is quite much to expect Cleaver to escort Hunt over to the Senate side, which is about three-quarters of a mile.

Lastly, I don’t think it speaks well of you, Mr. Hunt, that you decided to suck up to a racist senator (Sen. Trent Lott) in order to see Sen. Obama. Did you ever think that a fellow senator will have more access to his colleagues than a congressman would? Nope — you just assumed that because Cleaver is black, he’ll have an automatic in with all the other blacks in Congress, and that he can just call Sen. Obama up and get anyone in to see him.

It seems to me that Sen. Lott was the one who used you — I’m sure Sen. Lott is still talking about the black man from Kansas City who was in favor of his views.

For you to criticize and dismiss Cleaver’s work on Capitol Hill because he didn’t cater to your own selfishness just proves how little you actually care about Kansas City and how much more focused you are on you, you, you. I’ll just throw you in with all the other self-serving “Community Activists” who care more about getting their own name in the paper than actually effecting change in the community.

Name Withheld by Request
Burning Sensation

Vet offensive: Regarding C.J. Janovy’s “Burn the Flag” (June 29): I am a recent vet (did not deploy but know and served with many who did) and a Lutheran minister. Like Janovy and many others, I am sick, disturbed and pissed over the state of things in our country and world. It can feel very depressing and overwhelming. Nonetheless, that “guy born in a barn” keeps hounding me to do odd and crazy things like “love the enemy” and “forgive” relentlessly! Of course, his life span and career were limited by his values and path taken! It took tremendous courage for him “to stick it to The Man.” And it takes courage for us, today, to continue to ask the hard questions and to confront hell on earth in all its forms.

With all that in mind, I just want to give Janovy a big “Thank You” for her recent article and the truth she speaks in it! I am so sick of our status quo Congress and politicians, both Dems and Repugs, who are so deep into the corporate purse strings that control them that they are unable (or unwilling) to “do the right thing.”

I was confronted in my military time with the political/religious piety and mythology that suffer us today. You know, the kind of shit that labels any Jeffersonian dissident as “un-American,” “un-Christian” and “unpatriotic”! To counter that kind of nonsense steeped in fear, we need more articles, more “free speech,” like yours!

Thanks for sounding off for the many millions who keep on keep’n on in spite of the desperate challenges that we face.

Rev. Bradford Nelson Bray, USAF (Ret.)
Lee’s Summit

Stars and swipes: I’m a pretty faithful reader of the Pitch and am somewhat mid-wing between the left and right. Although I attend church regularly, my views on issues such as homosexual marriage, marijuana legalization and the death penalty go against what most of my peers believe.

I was, however, appalled with C.J. Janovy’s article. It seemed she was really stretching for reasons to justify her plan to burn a flag. The best reason she came up with? Because the federal administration has created “real” problems with the deficit, war in Iraq, etc., she could burn a flag as a conscientious objector to the bullshit “sham” issues they dish out. The inspiration for this? A song by a band who named themselves after a serial killer. Wow. What an inspiration.

I’m all for our freedom of speech, but to burn a flag just out of spite is really offensive. I don’t agree with a lot of what the government does. But when I look at a flag, I see what this country is at the core. A place where we are free to think our government does a crappy job, and say so.

And I don’t want to leave out her “dilemma” of where to burn her flag. Of course she can’t go out in the middle of the Plaza and burn it. Show some respect. If she just “has” to burn it as a sign of defiance, do it in private. Men are begging on the streets because their VA benefits don’t cover them anymore. Mothers are walking around without their sons and daughters because they chose to protect our freedoms.

Just because you may be free to do something doesn’t make it right.

Teressa Nonnast

Olathe

Panty line: I was very amused by “Burn the Flag.”

I find this very interesting because you can now buy women’s panties made of red, white and blue stars and stripes. I do not know if these can really be called flags, since most of the thong underwear is too small to get more than a few stars and stripes on it. However, I am sure that this was the intent.

This raises some interesting questions. First, is it showing proper respect to the flag to have it on your underwear? Secondly, was it lowered to half-mast when Ronald Reagan died (a rather interesting thought)? And the third question: How do you dispose of them when they become worn and soiled? Probably you should put them in an envelope and send them to your representative in Congress and let him or her figure it out. Just wondering.

Name Withheld by Request