Take steps toward cooperation
As a senior at the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, I spend countless hours at the Jewish Community Campus and the Jewish Community Center. Last week, my safe haven was transformed into a place of chaos and terror as a gunman shot at four innocent people, killing Dr. William Lewis Corporon and his grandson, Reat Griffin Underwood. The gunman then headed to another familiar place, Village Shalom, where my youth group USY leads Friday night services, and killed Terri LaManno, who was there visiting her mother. These people did nothing to deserve this, and it is disgusting that all it took to end their lives was a gun and one man’s hate.
The fact that people are capable of such atrocities makes me sick to my stomach.
Unfortunately, we cannot go back and change the past. These three innocent people will not come back to life. We have no influence over what happened, but we can work toward preventing future tragedies. We can promote acceptance and cooperation.
On the afternoon of the shooting, the JCC was planning its final production of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The story of a struggle for racial equality is all too fitting, considering the circumstances. Many of us like to believe that the fight for equality is a fight of the past. Let us grow from this tragedy, knowing that the fight is far from over.
Over the past few years, I have had the honor of participating in the Kansas City Interfaith Youth Alliance (KCIYA). Modeled on the vision of Eboo Patel’s Interfaith Youth Core, KCIYA allows high school students of all faiths to bond over the common value of service. We work together to better our community, discuss controversial interfaith issues and simply have fun. Personally, KCIYA allows me to connect to my Jewish faith as I live the mission of loving your neighbor as you love yourself. KCIYA has given me the opportunity to make a difference in this world, and I feel honored to be able to spread hope and remind people that even in times like this, we are capable of coming together as one community.
To prevent future tragedies fueled by hate, we must begin engaging our youth and teaching them lessons of love. But we do not need to stop at the youth. We all must work on taking the time to get to know others and show we care.
We can all make time to help those around us. Instead of searching for what divides us, we should bond over our common compassion. We as human beings work much better together than we do separately.
I challenge you to take one step toward cooperation. Reach out to somebody new. Learn about another faith or culture today. Discover how somebody seemingly different from you is not all that different. I urge you to act out and take a stand. I urge you not to just tolerate those different than you, but to accept them, even love them.
Alex Sher
Overland Park, Kan.
Baha’i community grieves shootings
The Overland Park Baha’i community grieves the shootings that occurred at Village Shalom and the Jewish Community Center. We send our deepest condolences to victims, family, friends and community of those who were killed.
These despicable acts of hate cannot be tolerated in our society. We join people of all faiths throughout the metropolitan area in solidarity and love for our Jewish and Christian brothers and sisters touched by this senseless tragedy.
The Jewish community has inspired us with their commitment to tolerance, civil discourse and religious understanding, through the many programs they sponsor throughout the year. This heinous act galvanizes all of us to strive with even more determination to foster religious harmony.
The holy writings of the Baha’i Faith repeatedly emphasizes the unity of humanity and the oneness of religion. They proclaim: “Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship … Know thou assuredly that the essence of the Prophets of God is one and the same … Their unity is absolute … Consort with the peoples of all religions with fellowship and harmony.”
Barb McAtee, Chair
Spiritual Assembly of the
Baha’is of Overland Park
Moving forward makes us strong
Kudos on the outstanding “As I see it” column in The Chronicle (April 17). We cannot let destructive people like Miller change our lives. We cannot be afraid, allowing such a monstrous individual to “win.” To know that we can move forward and live as we wish despite such events as occurred at the Jewish Community Campus and Village Shalom is what makes us strong. As we sat at our Seder in Ohio on Tuesday, others there asked me about the situation, knowing that I was born and raised in Kansas City and still return there to visit. I said that I was certain every Jew who had planned a Seder had one and that like others around our nation, the Kansas Citians I knew would move on and not be afraid. Your article will always be one that I remember with respect and admiration.
Patty Eisberg Kaplan
Beachwood, Ohio
Hatred can’t destroy JCC’s future
I would like to commend Barbara Bayer on her excellent opinion piece “I am not afraid, you shouldn’t be either.”
When I first heard of the horror at the Jewish Community Center and Village Shalom, I was deeply saddened by the loss of life of such innocent victims. But then, I was further dismayed by the prospect that my beloved JCC, which has provided this community with 100 years of joy, friendship, education and entertainment, would be harmed as well. Bayer’s editorial said it all.
We cannot let hatred destroy the JCC’s future, and the promise of 100 more years of incomparable programs, companionship and the ability to expand our intellectual and physical horizons. Thank you for expressing it so meaningfully.
Marian Shear
Prairie Village, Kan.
