Window on the West
by Mary Rupert
The tragedy last week in South Carolina, a shooting of nine people attending a historic black church, brought out what I believe is one of the most forgiving acts I have ever seen.
Families of the victims almost immediately said they forgave the shooter. They proved that hate would not triumph. Their statements were important in setting the tone for the rest of the nation in responding to a senseless tragedy. Kansas City, Kan., had its own memorial prayer service last week for the Charleston victims, including an appearance by the U.S. attorney at the Rev. C.L. Bachus’s church.
While gun rights advocates continued to support their right to own and carry guns, the incident sparked a new wave of backlash against the laws that allow individuals to get hold of the more lethal kinds of weapons such as machine guns and automatic guns. I believe the president is correct in saying that guns are a major part of the problem. If society had acted 30 years ago, we would not be seeing these sorts of incidents now.
The man arrested last week displayed a Confederate flag in photos and was reportedly a white supremacist, which started another discussion on whether to remove the Confederate flag from its prominent place at South Carolina’s government buildings and in other states that have displayed it. It’s hard for someone from a northern state to understand why anyone would still be fighting the Civil War, 150 years after it has been over. Quite correctly, the Confederate flag is often seen as a symbol for supporters of white supremacy and slavery.
There is a movement to remove the Confederate flag from flying in front of South Carolina state buildings, and Walmart has announced it will pull Confederate flag materials from its shelves. I would point out if you think the Confederate flag has never flown in Wyandotte County, you are sadly mistaken.
In Kansas, founded as a free state, the Confederate flag was spotted as recently as 2011 flying over a fan’s tailgate area at a Kansas Speedway event in Kansas City, Kan., and it was unconnected with the management of the event. In that case, it might have meant nothing more than supporting a particular driver from South Carolina. And in the past, there was the appearance by the General Lee car, with a Confederate flag on it, from the “Dukes of Hazzard” television show, at the Kansas Speedway.
NASCAR released a statement Tuesday that it supports the position of the governor of South Carolina, who favors removal of the Confederate flag from state government. “As our industry works collectively to ensure that all fans are welcome at our races, NASCAR will continue our long-standing policy to disallow the use of the Confederate flag symbol in any official NASCAR capacity. While NASCAR recognizes that freedom of expression is an inherent right of all citizens, we will continue to strive for an inclusive environment at our events,” according to the NASCAR statement.
While inappropriate and perhaps even a bit rebellious for a state government to display the Confederate flag, it is part of an individual’s right of free expression to do so, however insulted the rest of us may feel. There’s really no need to fly a flag that has so much bad history attached to it. A good response for those who feel strongly about it, I think, is to fly their own different flag. An even better response for everyone is to look inward and do away with any hate toward any group or individual.
When will fire stations be upgraded?
The Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department has found a friend in Commissioner Mike Kane.
At recent Unified Government meetings discussing building and maintenance projects, Commissioner Kane spoke up in favor of funding for fire stations that are in disrepair. Why weren’t they listed on the capital projects being considered in the budget being prepared now, he asked. He mentioned the water problems at the station at 81st and Leavenworth Road – repairs were being made there.
He also mentioned the condition of the fire station in Piper, which according to Kane is not much more than a pole barn.
Will there be any results from his advocacy this year?
It’s hard to tell, but there may not be, because the mayor and UG officials have said they are waiting on the results of a study of the Fire Department before making any changes, and that will be after the budget is completed this year.
Although budget time officially kicks off in mid-July, the commission has been hearing reports for several months about various departments and their needs. The UG administrator has been getting some guidance from the commissioners on the direction the next budget will take.
County Administrator Doug Bach is scheduled to give his 2016 budget recommendations at 5 p.m. Monday, July 13, at City Hall, followed by several budget workshops. A final budget public hearing is scheduled at 5 p.m. July 27.
To reach Mary Rupert, editor, email [email protected].