Just who were the police protecting and serving in the Marion, Kansas, newspaper raid? | Opinion

Protect, serve?

Who exactly were the Marion, Kansas, police trying to protect and serve by raiding a newspaper publisher’s home and office? And who exactly are Kansas City police trying to protect and serve by refusing to release complaints filed against the former captain who became Marion’s police chief?

- Ken Nelson, Kansas City

Another outlook

Toriano Porter’s Aug. 20 commentary, “Sometimes, parents simply can’t control their children’s truancy,” (16A) gave me a new perspective on truancy and family court. Thank you to Mr. Porter for sharing his personal story.

- Beth Burnett, Kansas City

Batting averages

So Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred thinks it would be a terrific idea for Royals majority owner John Sherman to move the team to a new downtown ballpark. (Aug. 18, 1B, “MLB commissioner touts idea of new Royals ballpark”)

This is the same Mr. Manfred who appointed the same Mr. Sherman to a three-man relocation committee with Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton and Milwaukee Brewers chairman Mark Attanasio to “evaluate” a possible move by the A’s to Las Vegas, a shameless affront to Oakland fans. The same Mr. Manfred who described the World Series trophy as “a piece of metal” after the 2017 World Series sign-stealing scandal. And the same Mr. Manfred who has robbed baseball of its soul with the likes of imaginary runners and clocks.

I’m a native Kansas Citian now living in Arizona who has had Royals spring training season tickets for 10 years. I also attend Arizona Fall League and Arizona Complex League games. On each level, the Royals have steadily grown worse since Sherman purchased the team in 2019. And on his watch, many prices have gone up while amenities have all but vanished.

Mr. Manfred and Mr. Sherman have something in common: placing profits over fans and the sport. Build a new stadium at your peril.

- Greg Joseph, Sun City, Arizona

Make it better

I found MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s comments about the proposed new stadium all the more reason for the people of Kansas City to oppose the idea. While he was in town, partly helping to proselytize for a new stadium, Manfred was quoted in The Star as saying, “I think in our economic system, … new facilities provide a ballclub with revenue-generation opportunities that simply don’t exist in older footprints.”

In other words, it’s all about the owners making more money, not making our currently second-worst team in the majors better.

- John A. Christiansen, Kansas City

Stand for truth

I see Missouri’s U.S. senators are doing what they do best: lying for Donald Trump when they darn well know better. God forbid they do something for their country, like stand up. Stand up for the truth. Stand up and tell Sen. Tommy Tuberville to sit down and shut up. Fat chance.

Just take several weeks off. It’s on us.

- Jerry Wilson, Kidder, Missouri

Not MAGA or woke

I am conservative. Not MAGA. I consider myself a righty on fiscal restraint, defense and law and order, and a lefty on most social issues.

One of my pet peeves is the stance that “woke” people take in discussing current issues. To paraphrase a college professor: I find wokeness to be the attitude of a person who regards his or her opinions as so obviously correct and so profoundly enlightened that those opinions may not legitimately be challenged or questioned. And that only hate or bigotry must be assigned to one who holds a different belief.

Should you wish to discuss a national issue with this attitude in hand, my response will probably be quite belligerent and hotly peppered with choice words I learned growing up on the streets of Brooklyn. It will not be a productive or fun conversation for either of us.

- Graham Marcott, Fairway