Readers weigh in on Tucker Carlson firing, Century II service and Wichita pollution plume

Missing Tucker

With the departure of Tucker Carlson my long and satisfying association with Fox News has come to an end.

Once again, rich sheltered corporate types like Rupert Murdoch abuse their most ardent supporters using the most trivial of pretexts.

What the powerful fail to realize is when you betray your base, you eventually lose everything.

Gregory Bontrager, Hutchinson

Contamination cover-up

What an outrage!

To think we denied our own neighbors proper disposal of toxic waste, and, then to hide the evidence for so many years! (Eagle, May 7, “Health study released for 29th and Grove contamination”).

Despicable! It is only because we have such diligent and thoughtful professional journalists do we now know of the harm that was perpetrated upon our neighbors.

Believe me if that had happened in College Hill or Eastborough it would have been cleaned up immediately. Please keep us apprised of any new developments.

Judy L. Young, Wichita

Century II fail

Century II was swamped with Women’s Fail— or Fair, Freudian slip — and allowed to move Kansas Home Educators out of their usual space, and provided lousy service, limited food at outrageous prices, and a menu that took me bifocals to read to find that a pretzel cost $6 — and up for everything else.

No working water fountains, so people paid pop prices for water, and the toilets were so small that I had to consider how to pull my pants up without cleaning the walls first.

I walked half of the allotted space to find a trash can.

I understand that the head of the management group recently told the City Council what a wonderful job they were doing, and I beg to differ.

Cathryn Hay, Wichita

The long view of archaeology

Congratulations to Dr. Don Blakeslee and his team’s ongoing research of Etzanoah, (Eagle, April 30, “Portal to the past”).

But caution should be taken to ensure we do not view indigenous history through the lens of European terms.

Describing Etzanoa as the second largest pre-Columbian civilization feels like a disservice in multiple ways.

First, describing North America in just two phases, pre-Columbian and not pre-Columbian, glosses over the extraordinary diversity of cultures which existed, came and went, during the prior 12,000 years.

Second, using a term like civilization implies a certain hierarchical structure which only occasionally existed in these many diverse manifestations.

And third, assuming largeness means that what occurred at Etzanoa was more significant than what occurred in smaller locales, like Spiro in Oklahoma, is a classically European way of viewing things.

The ascent of European civilization is a millennia-long journey to sameness. What happened here in North America was a millennia-long journey of constant reinvention and societal experimentation.

The language we use to describe the two should be equally distinct.

Richard Vogt, Newton

Thank public servants

Since it was established by Congress in 1985, Public Service Recognition Week — May 7-13 — is an opportunity to honor and celebrate the contributions of public servants of all kinds.

From first responders to city administration, and public works staff to teachers, our friends who work in the public sector are vital to our health, safety, and quality of life. We know how hard they work to make all of our lives better.

This is an opportunity to recognize public servants as a community. As neighbors and friends it is our role to renew our commitment to the common good. Interested in getting involved? Here are a few ideas: post on social media, donate to your favorite cause, buy coffee for a friend who works in public service.

Please join me and the Public Policy & Management Center at Wichita State University in celebrating Public Service Recognition Week.

Let’s remember to appreciate the hard work it takes to create the communities we call home.

Misty Bruckner, director, Public Policy & Management Center, Wichita State University