Coexist

-By Jim Culp

This past week was a time for some Kansas City citizens to show their true colors, the

colors of Black and White. This coincidentally comes long at a time when leaders call for the citizens of every city to coexist and learn to accepted each other instead of pushing their beliefs and ideals on to other persons.

On an evening that we will remember for a long time, two women dressed up and went out to a bar in Lenexa (a part of the Kansas City metropolitan area) that they had frequented many times, and even knew some of the management and other patrons.

This is a place that sells your average bar foods, and has beers on tap, as well as well drinks for average prices. There is an area where people can dance and have fun.

At some point in the night, some very ignorant and angry patrons entered the bar, and began making comments on the two women I am talking about, commenting on their sexual preferences and their weight, and giving them a general hard time.

This led to an accusation that one of them "bumped" one of the other party, and this led to an altercation that was brief and controlled.

But the management of this establishment decided that since no one else had complained, and that (in their opinion) there was no real issue, that the group of assailants would be allowed to return to the bar, where they would quickly and decisively devise a plan to attack and humiliate the two women.

Both women were assaulted, manhandled by a coward of a "man", and kicked out of the bar because they were defending themselves. The manager and bouncer were both criminally negligent in this act, and are both liable for damages and the concession of a hate crime. Yes, it is a hate crime to attack a person in any way for their beliefs, sexual orientation, or your ignorant perception of who or what they are.

Combine this with police that are as ignorant as the hate-mongers, and unwilling to help people who are assaulted because they themselves lack the ability to see past their noses, and you have the ingredients for hate to sow its seed in our society.

These women are both strong people, and they will move past this debacle, but they now know in their hearts that there is a sickness in our local society, and that is the sickness of Hate.