Born in KC, grew up in Kansas, but his heart wants Chiefs to stay in the city | Opinion

Denny Medley/USA Today Sports file photo

Where it belongs

I was born in Kansas City and raised at 22nd Street and Indiana Avenue. I delivered papers at Municipal Stadium in the late 1960s, until the paper truck was hit by a car that ran a stop sign and put me in the hospital. My dad had taken me to a game when the Athletics played at Municipal Stadium. We walked to the stadium. We could sit on our porch and hear the crowd during games.

Seeing the controversy over a new stadium that might end up in Kansas is concerning, even though I lived and attended high school on the Kansas side. I now live in Michigan, but I am a Chiefs fan and my heart is in Kansas City.

Keep the stadium in Missouri where it belongs.

- Arlen E. Dahn, Owosso, Michigan

Our real choice

On July 1, the last guardrail of our democracy fell.

The Supreme Court, packed with Federalist Society-selected right-wing extremist justices, gave a president absolute immunity. It put its thumb on the scales of justice for a convicted felon and sexual abuser to become a dictator “on Day 1.” The playbook is the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 to dismantle democracy from the inside.

President Joe Biden said he will stand by the Constitution, which states clearly no one is above the law.

So now it’s up to us to choose democracy or dictatorship in November.

If we choose the former, we protect a woman’s right to reproductive health care, smart climate change policy, NATO, our Department of Education, the freedom to read books, separation of church and state and the freedom to love whomever one chooses.

If we choose dictatorship, that will be the last time we get to decide anything.

Democracy protects all the people. In a dictatorship, the only people protected are those loyal to their leader.

Our vote will decide democracy with a president who is held in check by the rule of law or a dictator who sets himself up as the law.

- Bernadine Kline, Liberty

Be a bridge

As a lifelong politician and patriot, the best thing Joe Biden can do is put his ego aside, handpick his replacement, then drop out of the race. Anything else risks ending our democracy.

Come on, Joe. Be the bridge you said you were going to be.

- Larry Schaffer, Kansas City

Real worries

Sa·cré bleu — somebody has finally addressed the elephant in the room in taking Donald Trump to task for his continuing irrational and nonsensical comments. Thank you, Issac Bailey. (July 11, 12A, “If ‘cognitively compromised’ is the criteria, I know my choice”)

Let’s quit worrying about President Joe Biden’s one bad night at a debate, which doesn’t prove a thing anyway, and put some heat on the inanities that issue forth from this other guy.

- Bob Cocetti, Raymore

Addressing obesity

As a physician, I am familiar with the obesity epidemic and the burdens it places on our society. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity has become one of the most prevalent chronic diseases, affecting an estimated 42% of the U.S. adult population. Obesity is a known risk factor for many of our leading causes of morbidity and was associated with $173 billion in medical expenditures in 2019.

Unfortunately, childhood obesity continues to increase. The American Association of Pediatrics and CDC both report that the rate has risen to nearly 20% for children ages 2-19.

There are many causes for increasing rates of childhood obesity: limited access to healthy food options, increased screen time, socioeconomic divides and systemic racism.

Fortunately, we can combat obesity through increased access to healthy foods, education on the life-threatening diseases linked to obesity and promotion of healthy alternatives to social media as sources for entertainment.

With little confidence in our government’s ability to enact change to improve the well-being of our communities, I believe the keys to change are ultimately left to us as individuals.

- Aidan McGowan, Kansas City

Keep it cool

As a pediatrician, I most often get summer safety questions from parents about recommendations for water safety, fireworks safety and generally how to avoid the emergency department. Infant summer safety is one area that is often overlooked — especially the risk of infants overheating.

Infants’ body temperatures rise faster than older kids, but they don’t have a comparable ability to sweat in order to cool off. This means that infants overheat much faster than other people sharing the same environment.

This is especially important at night because overheating increases the risk for sudden infant death syndrome. The ideal sleeping temperature for an infant is 68-72 degrees, which may not be possible in a house without air conditioning or when the AC can’t keep up with extreme heat.

If you find yourself in that situation, here are some useful tips for keeping your baby cool and safe:

  • Circulate air with fans.

  • Avoid thick blankets and pajamas.

  • Try to get breathable sleep sacks and onesies (preferably 100% cotton).

  • Avoid covering the baby’s head with a hat or blankets.

  • Follow the ABCs of sleep: alone, on the back and in the crib.

- Phillip Wozniak, Kansas City

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