To Mike McMurran
First Capitol News Sports Editor
Saturday morning I went out to get the paper and found the weekly First Capitol News in our yard. Knowing that Mike McMurran’s sports column would be there, I quickly opened it and found the attached article. What a thrill it was to see that Mike had chosen to focus on “Family Tollefson” and our recent visit to Savvis for the Rage Home Opener.
I am sending this email to you three to let you know how much we appreciated the opportunity to attend the game as guests of the Rage, not to mention the wonderful hospitality we experienced during the game. My daughter and two sons thoroughly enjoyed being there. Mike really hit the nail on the head when he wrote about my youngest son, Andrew, and how much he enjoys the Rage games. Though he is a special needs child with some pretty serious physical disabilities, intellectually he is “all there” and truly loves sports, football, and going to the Rage games. Words alone will never adequately express what it meant to Andrew to be there, next to the field, receiving high fives from the players just before kick-offs, and receiving the autographed football.
Please accept my most heartfelt thanks for the joy you brought to Andrew, Peter, and Sophie. Keep up the good work — on the field and in the community!
Mike McMurran — Thanks for including us in your weekly column. It was pretty exciting to see your column and it gave us something to share with our friends and relatives. And, as always, I appreciate what you did in helping us to get tickets to the game. See you on the soccer field!
Kevin Tollefson
Dear Editor,
Until the following items are dealt with plus some others, Missouri is not qualified to pass safety laws for motorcycle riders. For the most part, we are far better riders than most people are drivers and we know, better than anyone, Missouri’s traffic laws are an hypocrisy designed by and for private interests. If Missouri actually wanted highway safety, they would:
-Defy the Missouri Transportation committees chaired by politicians with conflicting interests. Trucks are allowed to soar down our interstates at break-neck speeds in defiance of all the laws of physics while they pound our interstates into dust. It takes far longer to stop a thirty-plus ton vehicle than it does a one and a half ton vehicle. These facts are why most states pass laws to make them stay in the right lane at 55 to sixty MPH and actually write them speeding tickets if they don‘t!
-Enforce and improve the lane laws. We have them in Missouri but they are ignored by law enforcement people. The fact of someone in the passing lane holding up a string of traffic for a mile or two is disregarded right along with the victims passing on their right. The facts of accident results in these incidents go unreported by the police and the media in favor of speed estimates and seat belt usage. States that enforce their lane laws have found that removing lane hogs improves traffic flow resulting in less accidents and road rage.
-Stop cell phone usage while driving. Many states have recognized the fact that some drivers can’t walk and chew gum at the same time so they put a stop to cell phone usage while driving. Missouri often preaches “Driving is a full time job” yet they ignore egocentric drivers that blabber on cell phones causing no end of accidents and road rage. There is no way these folks could be paying attention to their driving.
-Make anyone over the age of seventy take a driver’s exam or at least a reflex test when renewing their license. Some of the elderly do not belong behind the wheel. They are a menace to themselves and others because of slow reflexes and ignoring traffic. Unfortunately, the AARP has more power than it should.
It should be considered that the vast majority of Motorcycle riders are not risk-challenged teenagers or smelly gangsters. We are older, responsible adults and almost all if us have health insurance. We do not appreciate badly-informed do-gooders, motorcycle haters and hypocritical politicians telling us how to be safe because they obviously don’t know.
Joe Morice,
Honda Riders Club of America; River Road Riders Club
