Many of us in Lawrence are quite familiar with the violent history of our own town. The struggle for the abolition of slavery in this area was marked not by immense daylong battles between matched armies. Rather Kansas saw guerrilla warfare, lightning fast raids, kidnappings, daring rescues, cold-blooded massacres of unarmed men, pillaging and looting. “Bleeding Kansas” certainly seems an apt moniker.

Kansas soil has borne witness to many violent periods. Kansas was the scene of numerous violent incidents involving American Indians. During the cattle-drive years, gunfights and rowdy cowboys kept things lively, to say the least. Carry Nation and her followers used to vandalize drinking establishments with axes and other implements. Outlaw gangs roamed the land holding up banks and having shootouts with lawmen and townsfolk. The Benders ran a sort of bed and breakfast that slaughtered unwary travelers.

Violence has always played a role in the lives of Kansans. Today is no different. The article seemed to indicate that this decision was the result of sensitivity to violence among the general populace as a result of the terrorist attack on Sept. 11.

I find it hard to believe that such sensitivity exists in our society. I am also offended that someone at the state level has decided for us what we the citizens can and cannot handle viewing. You’d think most of us could decide for ourselves whether to witness a re-enactment. Governments, however, are prone to censorship.

The biggest mistake in this decision was that Kansas will undoubtedly lose more revenue as result of this banning. In a time where public education and mental health are on the chopping block, you would think the state would want every dime it can get.

Andrew Brown,

Lawrence