Two Civic Lessons that Tell the True Tale of Our Kirkwood

The tragic events of February 7th brought our small community into the world of the nation’s sensationalism driven, 24-hours-a-day “news cycle.” We saw the national press, the regional press and even the local press give their impressions of our town. Some was good and fair reporting. Some simply was not.

The most disappointing aspect of these last few months of media coverage has been the editorials from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Webster-Kirkwood Times and now the Kirkwood Call, the Kirkwood High School newspaper. Reading their editorials chime in on our April city election and our at-large city council system showed how little our area professional journalists and budding journalists have an ability to take a fair and accurate look at Kirkwood.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial page from March 3, 2008 entitled, “A Long Time Healing” so drastically missed the mark. The Kirkwood Call’s recent editorial page from their group of journalists in-training did the same by simply parroting the distorted view of the trained professionals at the Post. Their uninformed and baseless demand that Art McDonnell resign if he was elected Mayor proves what little they know about how our or any other city government actually works. The Post claimed to be speaking out for those who feel like “outsiders” or claim to be “disenfranchised” in Kirkwood’s political arena. The Call attempted to speak for the entire community. Yet, both of their demands would have once again taken away the city council’s ability to have a quorum and conduct business. This would have further stifled the regular functioning of our community’s legislative body that has taken place as a result of Council Member Joe Godi’s illness and the tragic loss of Council Member Connie Karr and Council Member Michael Lynch. For Art McDonnell to resign if elected Mayor in a critical time like this would be both irresponsible and ridiculous. In addition, the Post and now the Call editors missed the mark by never making a single demand of those who claim to be the “outsiders” or the “disenfranchised” in Kirkwood’s political arena. They never offered this as an opportunity for Kirkwoodians to rally around their surviving City Council members to further the healing in our community. This only further emphasizes their failure to take a fair and accurate look at Kirkwood in their editorials.

The Webster-Kirkwood Times editorial by Don “Scoop” Corrigan did no better. He blatantly ignored so many facts that are readily available to him when he tried to dig up the bone of contention of a ward system for Kirkwood. These issues are dealt in this blog with my postings “What is the name of Scoop's dog in Kirkwood?” and “What is a "mandate" at the Times Newspapers?” His editorial is equally both irresponsible and ridiculous. Ward systems in St. Louis County do not produce any more of the attributes he claimed they do in his editorial when compared to the three at-large systems in St. Louis County. The election data speaks for itself. All he simply had to do was look at his own ward in Sunset Hills.

After such irresponsible and ridiculous editorials, I have to wonder if there is hope for the trained professionals at the Post or the Times. But, maybe the budding journalists at the Kirkwood Call have a chance to figure out how to bring a fair and accurate look at an issue with their editorial page. What all three of these journalistic bodies need is to have their editors take some lessons in Civics.

The necessary re-training of these three sets of editors should have included attending the last two Kirkwood City Council meetings. Those who attended the April 17th and the April 24th City Council meetings saw the high level of public service that we have been blessed to have in this community. These last two meetings are two great real life Civics lessons that tell the true tale of our Kirkwood.

On April 17th we saw Mayor Mike Swoboda defy the odds, work past the near fatal injuries he received on February 7th and fulfill his duty by attending his final council meeting of his 8 year administration. It is the crowning testimony to his many years of hard work and determination to give back to our community by serving as a City Council member and as our Mayor. These many years of service fly in the face of those who try to claim the “outsiders” or the “disenfranchised” are held back by some “hidden agenda” by an “old guard establishment.” Mike Swoboda has never been an “old guard establishment” man. Yet, he provided over these years a message, a platform and a campaign with corresponding actions that surely appealed to Kirkwood voters. The proof is in the number of times he was re-elected to serve. The only thing Mike has in common with any “old guard establishment” is his self-sacrificing and courageous actions on this night were the epitome of the high level of public service that we have been blessed to have from so many in this community.

On April 24th we saw our new Mayor, a re-elected member and two new members be sworn in to establish our new City Council. The voters of Kirkwood spoke and selected who they wanted to lead our community on April 8th despite the caterwauling of a select few demanding a delay of the election. This newly formed group of the same “disenfranchised” residents found a very willing local, regional and even national press to propagate their message. It is clear from the turnout and the results, however, that the vast majority of voters know who they wanted to lead our community through these times of healing and rebuilding in Kirkwood. Fortunately, our new Mayor and our newly formed City Council acted in the best interests of the community of Kirkwood as a whole. The Mayor did not resign and no one on the Council demanded his resignation. Not even the new City Council member the “disenfranchised” publicly backed, Gina Jaksetic. Yet, we saw all of the members of the City Council, but especially our new Mayor Art McDonnell make a commitment to reach out to those who claim to be the “outsiders” or the “disenfranchised.” Funny thing was I did not see any of the leaders of the supposed “outsiders” or “disenfranchised” at the meeting. How can they now realistically claim to be “Kirkwood Citizens Coming Together for a Bright Future?”

What can be learned from these two great real life Civics lessons that tell the true tale of our Kirkwood?

First and foremost, our political and election system in Kirkwood is not broken or flawed as some in the press and a select few of Kirkwood residents like to claim. It has served and continues to serve our community well.

Secondly, the editors at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Webster-Kirkwood Times and the Kirkwood Call have a lot to learn about the community of Kirkwood before they attempt any more editorials. They have not served their profession well.

Now is your chance to give your answer to:

What can be learned from these two great real life Civics lessons that tell the true tale of our Kirkwood?

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