Hurly Burly

Missed Q: It’s nice to see the spirit of hostility continue in the arts. I refer to the two letters “critiquing” the Burly-Q show in the February 13 issue.

Such glib personal attacks lack usefulness, except as an expression of the writers’ anger. Concrete information, such as “the stage was too low” is of immediate value. And it suggests an area the show’s producers would do well to improve. Grandiose statements about the horrid degradation (of a never-proud region?) tell us who the writer is.

One of the letter writers shows some experience with the staging of an event. Lest you forget, the purpose of seeing the show was to have fun. Once one becomes skilled in a subject, one tends to become critical of the finest of details in the area. This is appropriate — and a downfall at the same time. We lose, as the Buddhists say, Beginner’s Mind, the openness and wonder that a child brings to life.

With that closed-down point of view, we start to criticize all things, under the assumption that our goals should have been those the creator used to create their art. Well … we were not the creator, and if you open your mind up, you just might get something out of the experience that you never would have on your own. These others have their own vision to share. Care to see it?

But I am probably missing the point of the letters entirely.

They were designed to hurt someone the writer knew. Perhaps they succeeded. But personally, I’d rather not have you pissing all over my newspaper.

Teal Ashby

Prairie Village

Third Degree

The heat is on: I love a good CEO-bashing story as much as the next guy. But the sauna story recounted in “Under the Collar” by Casey Logan (Kansas City Strip, February 13) needs a bit of critical thinking applied. Logan has Esrey and “salaried one” conversing in a sauna set at 100 degrees Celsius. Immersed your hand in boiling water lately, have you Casey? While your flesh cooked, did you have excess mental capacity sufficient to hold a conversation? Obviously the thermometer in question was either misread or miscalibrated.

Please, THINK about things before you report them. Instead of making Esrey look stupid, Logan put himself on that low pedestal. Don’t sweat it, though, Casey — apparently, you’re qualified to work at Sprint!

Steve Garinger

Lawrence

Casey Logan responds: Steve, you put me in the unfortunate position of playing science teacher. But apparently you frequent saunas as much as I do, which is never, because they’re stupid and uncomfortable and you never know when the CEO of your company will walk in. That’s why I prefer a good steam room. Regardless, the low humidity in saunas allows for humans to endure some pretty high temperatures. Typically, a dry sauna is set somewhere between 60 and 100 degrees Celsius, putting that Sprint sauna on the upper end of the scale, as we reported.

Young Guns

Rebel hell: Burning Old Glory is protected under the First Amendment, but it is no doubt anti-American. Likewise, protesting war when it is in the best interest of America is anti-American. All the proof one needs to realize the truth is to read Allie Johnson’s article “Young Blood” (February 20).

There are so many traces of anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism and anti-Bush in that article that I could fill an entire page, but I just have a few things to say to the “Young Blood” who are marching for peace.

Stepp: In reference to the “What Would Jesus Do?” sign, it doesn’t matter what Jesus would do. The American government’s number one responsibility is to protect Americans from those who would do us harm.

Gold: In reference to speaking out for those who cannot, are you referring to the citizens of Iraq who suffer under Saddam’s tyranny but do not have the freedom to express their hatred of their government for fear of having their tongues cut out?

Gorman: If you think marching the streets to protest a war is sacrifice, you are right about this generation being passive TV watchers. Sacrifice is fighting a war to liberate a country, destroy a madman and to ensure our children can live on in freedom.

Allie Johnson depicted these children as rebel activists. She should know better; marching the streets in protest, especially against a Republican president, is the new “cool” thing to do. Like these kids, I want peace. However, I believe we can only achieve peace through military action. We’ve had twelve years and seventeen U.N. resolutions to do it their way. Enough is enough.

Bryan Stalder

Gladstone

Where the sidewalk ends: This is for the anti-war demonstrators who marched on the Plaza on Sunday, February 16.

I work both a full-time and a part-time job. My part-time job is at a retail store on the Plaza. When taking my break, I run the regular gauntlet of Hari Krishnas and homeless bums. That Sunday, I was pushed and shoved (along with others) by hippies screaming “peace” and “no war.”

I’m not a flag waver, nor did I vote for Bush. I loathe smug, rich and self-righteous liberals. Further, I blame many of society’s ills on the hippie culture and their influence. They’ve destroyed natural law, working-class values and a once-great industrialized nation. They’ve screwed up our families, schools, and every other institution we hold sacred. Their feminist camp has devastated dating and mating between men and women. (I know because I’m single.) They want to take away my guns, my Akita dog and my hard-earned wages. If that’s not enough, it’s their elitist attitude and entitlement mentality that I really find annoying!

I don’t give a shit about hippies and their agenda. They have a right to express their views and to protest peacefully. They don’t have a right to push and shove people off a public sidewalk.

David Youmans

Merriam