Letters on kindergarten, Joyland, Middle East wars

Kindergarten more than finger painting

In discussion Thursday regarding House Bill 2326 (which would dismantle collective bargaining for teachers in Kansas), State Board of Education member Steve Roberts (an Overland Park Republican who was in some hot water back in 2013 for his contextual use of the N-word in public discussion) promoted the bill as a way to get more money to science and math teachers. When asked if it would increase salaries for all teachers, Roberts said he didn’t know the effect on kindergarten teachers who “specialize in finger painting.”

This slandering of kindergarten teachers really disturbs me. Since I retired from teaching high school in Kansas last spring, I have been a substitute teacher. And during my recent times as a substitute, I have been called upon to cover kindergarten classes a couple times for parts of a day.

It takes a very special individual to be a kindergarten teacher. You just can’t imagine what it is like trying to ride herd on a kindergarten class – let alone being able to maintain complete control and teach the fundamentals of education. I was way out of my league.

Roberts is way out of his league. He’s a member of the state school board, and he apparently doesn’t have a clue what it takes to be a kindergarten teacher. He’s making disrespectful public comments regarding teachers, and he’s making decisions that will adversely affect education statewide in Kansas.

Made Joyland

With all the interest in the former Joyland Park generated over the years, especially with the discovery at last of the famous Joyland organist, Louie the Clown (Feb. 20 Eagle), it seems fitting to remember the man who made Joyland so memorable, Stan Nelson.

I’ve spent most of my life in creative businesses, advertising and graphic design, and I have to say I’ve not known many men with Nelson’s creative ability. Whenever I was with Nelson, the conversation was about Joyland as he devised new ideas and discussed what he might do next. He ate, slept and drank Joyland Park, and was, together with his family, the singular reason it was so great.

The KFDI yearly event was one of his promotions, as well as the annual Easter egg hunt. And who can forget the great fireworks on the Fourth of July, the rides and family atmosphere – the train whistle that echoed through our neighborhoods in the evening?

Together with his wife, Margaret, and other family members, there was plenty to do to keep things going, and they worked hard at it.

There are many in our community who’d like to see Joyland returned to its original glory. I can tell you that will never happen, because Stan Nelson isn’t there to make it what we all remember.

Not our war

I see a lot of letters, such as “Obama no leader” (Feb. 8 Letters to the Editor), complaining that President Obama doesn’t do enough as a leader to take on ISIS. I think he has gone too far.

All we have to do is look at the Kurds to see that people who take an interest in their own democratic institutions are willing to fight ISIS and win. In Iraq, lots of land was originally lost to ISIS because the people do not respect the puppet government this country installed there thanks to President Bush.

There are also countries with no democracy or input from their people, such as Saudi Arabia. They don’t need the support or effort of their army because they just count on the United States to go in and fight for them.

We need to start letting these other countries fight their own war and get out of the Middle East. That fight is over land, oil and other resources, all of which do not justify the kind of military intervention we are involved with now.

This is not about our freedom or democracy.

This is not our war, and we do not need to waste our troops or resources in someone else’s battles.

Letters deadline

Letters to the editor about the March 3 primary must be received by 1 p.m. Thursday in order to be considered for publication.

This story was originally published February 22, 2015 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Letters on kindergarten, Joyland, Middle East wars."