Ill Will
Note this: In response to Brandon Phillips’ reply to my November 18 letter (concerning C.J. Janovy’s article on local musician Heather Cave’s illness and a benefit held on her behalf [“ Now What? ,” November 4]), where I discussed musicians’ health insurance and general business practices: I say YOU, Mr. Phillips, are twice the arrogant asshole as I am. If after 10 years of being a music professional you can’t find affordable health insurance, you haven’t been trying. Google “Insurance for Musicians.” You’ll find many sources for affordable health insurance that you don’t need to be a “platinum record winner” to afford.
First you should check out www.musicproinsurance.com. I applied online for insurance and got quotes costing from $32.78 to $370 per month.
Also, the next time a situation like Heather’s arises that requires immediate help, you should contact the MusiCares Foundation (www.grammy.com/musi cares/), established by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences to provide a safety net for music people in times of need.
Another option: Maybe the Kansas City music and artists’ community could create their own association to help get group health insurance. I’d suggest using the Kansas City based Forrest T. Jones & Company (816-756-1060). They administer group health insurance policies for 59 associations, including the National Art Education Association.
Brad Hansen
Overland Park (proudly, I might add)
Veiled Intent
On our marry way: I’d like to comment on C.J. Janovy’s column regarding gay marriage (“ Behind the Veil ,” November 18). Among other points, she emphasized that most gay couples that she knows do not want to get married.
She may be correct, but that isn’t the point. The majority does determine individual rights in this country, but they do so under the umbrella of the Constitution. Individual rights therefore ultimately stem from the Constitution.
Marriage is a legal status, not just a holy union. Since it is a legal status, gays should have the right to participate. With all the talk of “activist judges,” it seems to me that many people in this country have forgotten that judges do more than just conduct criminal trials. In the course of rendering verdicts in civil trials, judges have the burden of interpreting the Constitution as it relates to individual rights. It’s called a system of checks and balances. Neither Congress, nor the president, nor the courts run the show entirely. Power is shared.
David Kerr
Kansas City, Missouri
White Collar Crime
Father’s day: I was disappointed at the Pitch‘s mischaracterization of a lawsuit brought against Kansas City Catholic officials (Tony Ortega, Kansas City Strip , November 18). A boy was propositioned by a trusted and allegedly celibate priest. (In Missouri, such conduct constitutes a crime.) He had the courage to approach church leaders twice, to no avail. That priest went on to molest at least 17 other boys who have filed suit. Another boy, Tim Higgins, committed suicide. The first boy to report continues to feel guilt to this day, wondering if he could have done more to spare others unspeakable pain. He went back to the diocese in 2001 but was frustrated.
His lawsuit, however, doesn’t concern sexual abuse. It concerns fraudulent concealment. It presents in a pristine and focused way the question of how much church officials knew and what they did regarding sexual abuse. It is public knowledge that two of the priests who have been sued continued in service until 2001 and 2002. Further, The Kansas City Star reported that the priest at issue in this case has been a court-appointed drug- and alcohol-abuse counselor for adolescents.
I fear that the Pitch‘s story might deter others from revealing their abuse to anyone. Abuse and trauma merely fester if left in the dark to grow. For those who have been abused, please know you are not alone. Friends, family and counselors can help. SNAP (the Survivor’s Network of those Abused by Priests) has many resources and offers valuable assistance to those needing help.
Rebecca M. Randles
Randles & Mata, LLC
Kansas City, Missouri
Check Out
Net gain: Regarding Tony Ortega’s “ Oh Come, All Ye Gullible” (December 9): Am I experiencing brain damage after having done them drugs years ago, or did I read correctly that Brandon Brooks is being turned loose in March 2005? I would hope for life in prison; at the very least, he should be kept on a desert island, devoid of computers or electricity!
Speaking of “gullible,” does anyone really think he’ll be reformed? I couldn’t care less about his “sex offender” charge. That’s his own weird gig; it doesn’t affect me. Nor should his (waah!) rocky childhood. Brooks admits his real problem is “with authority and financial gain” … hmm. As computer savvy as this guy (crook) apparently is, I don’t want him (or his cronies) rifling through my mail or trash. Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll be cash-and-carry (and possibly shred) from now on.
David Miller
Prairie Village
The son also rises: I would like to respond to the article “Oh Come, All Ye Gullible.” Tony Ortega just touched the surface as to why my son is serving time. Yes, he did commit computer fraud. Yes, he did have a few pictures of underage girls on his Web site. Yes, he did “mess with the Blue Springs Police.”
I feel Brandon was doing everything he could think of to get his mind off his stepdad. I am not trying to make excuses for what Brandon did. What he did was very, very wrong, and he is paying for it in prison. Prosecutors wanted to sentence him to 105 years for computer fraud! I see rapists and murderers get by with only 10-20 years.
I feel he has learned a valuable lesson by doing time, but he may never get over the emotional abuse he endured during his early teen years from his stepdad. No matter how many years he does in prison.
Becky Hall
Independence
Room Mate
Come and knock on my door: On reading Allie Johnson’s “ Meet the Landlord ” (December 2), I can’t believe that none of these women went to the police — especially the ones who were raped who said they didn’t think the police would believe them.
Have they never heard of the rape kit for identifying and confirming they had been raped and by whom?
Chuck Wehner
Overland Park
Coffee Talk
Stuck on Amber: Thank you so much for Nadia Pflaum’s article on Amber McGathey (“Too Young and Too Pretty ,” November 4). I used to be the manager of the Planet Café in KC, and she frequently came in. We became pretty good acquaintances; I even helped her fill out her Christmas cards for her dad’s clients. She was a beautiful young girl with so much to offer.
I cry just thinking about her being gone. She wanted so much to be clean and have her life simple. I miss her presence so much, and I offer my condolences to her family. She loved her dad so much and brought so much joy to everyone she encountered. She will be greatly missed.
Jeff DeShazer
Brea, California
Write On!
Charles in charge: Thanks for the consistently great restaurant reviews by Charles Ferruzza. He not only vividly describes foods (and their history) but also describes each restaurant’s atmosphere, which for me is a big part of the dining experience. Dining out involves more than the food, and Mr. Ferruzza always makes me feel like I’m sitting at his table and soaking up the atmosphere.
He is not only a food critic but also a travel writer. His genial columns are my favorite part of each week’s newspaper.
Richard Lawrence Miller
Kansas City, Missouri
Don’t Soft-Pitch
Ad and subtract: I don’t work at the Pitch, so I really don’t know what’s going on, but let me take a stab at it. Many months ago, Nathan Dinsdale traveled from the West Coast to take over the music section of the paper. He then has the audacity to write a few honest reviews about some shitty bands and rappers. Boy, the letters start flying in: “He doesn’t know anything about the scene here,” “He thinks all rappers are baby-makin’ stoners” … blah blah, wonk wonk.
Then, Mr. My Manager From L.A. Just Called Me writes some stupid shit about clubs and bands pulling their ads right at this very moment (Letters, July 15). Here’s a clue: NO BANDS IN THIS TOWN SPEND MONEY WITH THE PITCH! They are too fucking broke. The bars that these bands are in (i.e., the Hurricane, the Grand Emporium, America’s Pub, etc.) are not ever pulling their ad space unless the price gets ridiculous. The Pitch is the easiest place to figure out what is going on musically in the bars.
Now I see Andrew Miller is back to writing the same lame-ass, softball reviews of his four favorite bands. I so can’t wait for the next update on the former ex-members of Molly Maguire, Shiner, and Seasoned/Pornhuskers. I’m glad to see Dinsdale is still on and writing honest reviews of shitty DJ competitions and other events. He is one of the Pitch‘s most entertaining writers. If your superindiefabulous magazine (yes, I borrowed that from Lazlo) lets him go, you’re a bunch of fucking pussies.
Curtis Anderson
Kansas City, Missouri
