Justin, thank you for your op-ed piece summarizing and analyzing the Glasgow town hall held by Missouri Rep. Taylor and Sen. Gregrory. We are fortunate to have a local paper for many reasons, but promoting public discourse is perhaps the most vital. And we all owe thanks to the Howard County Progressives whose clarion voices stand out  amid the din of confabulation and miscommunication and denial of facts. Their message concerning Gaza and Israel is  very much a state issue.

Consider recently  passed House Bill 937. Haidee Clauer, in the Kansas City Stare, noted said bill “ would adopt a definition of antisemitism that has been widely criticized, including by one of its original authors, as a dangerous conflation of antisemitism and criticism of Israel”.  The bill’s sponsor ( Rep. George Hruza) has stated allegations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza would be considered anti semitic ( and hence prohibited conduct).  It is a fact  Amnesty International states  Israel is committing genocide and that the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his  Foreign Minister. Similarly, two proposed  Missouri house resolutions in “support for Israel” ( Rep. Schwadron and Rep. Plocher) affirming Missouri’s support for Israel contain many errors of fact and historical interpretation, while neglecting to acknowledge that 60% of Americans, along with scores of UN officials and human rights organizations, support a ceasefire. I urge your readers to demand their state reps vote against these legislative actions.

Concerning conduct at the town hall your contention that Democrat’s loss in 2024 presidential election fomented “outrageously staged activism across the nation by those on the far left” is not consistent with national reporting by reputable publications like yours ( Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Times).  Republican representatives have faced crowds primarily populated by their own constituents whose concerns are neither red nor blue but universal: threats to Social Security, haphazard and dangerous DOGE slashing of vital government services, and NIH cuts threatening decades of life-saving research to name just a few.

Thanks again for the valuable service you provide our community. Yes, the volume and vigor of public discourse can challenge our senses; but let’s commit to meaningful  communication. As Arthur C. Clarke also said, “ what we need is a machine that will let us see the other guy’s point of view”.  The printed word is one cog in that machine.

Tony Cook