by not going to the Black History Museum or so the Kansas City Star would like you to believe.
There are so many things wrong with this "story" I do not know where to begin. First off, this isn't a racial issue this is a fiscal issue. The Kansas City Star would like to make it one but we needn't look any further than our own Union Station to see poor spending on "museums".
1. The city of Wichita already gave the Museum(link to the museum site, which is the worst site I have ever seen) $1.5 Million dollars to purchase land. I am fine with that if there was support for the museum and it would be well attended.
2. The city coughs up 200k annually for the joint yet the people that run it can't balance a budget. They went over by 90k. Museum welfare.
3. The director says in the article that the museum has no mission. Then why does it exist? The article even claims that it was simply a ploy to keep a historic building from being tore down.
4. They have raised 12k when they need to raise 12 million. Then purge it with another museum. In business this happens all the time (see telco companies). Obviously the only people in the city that care that the museum exists are the people that work there.
5. The article states that the museum lost out on a display to the museum at Wichita State which leads me to believe that black history is being displayed (just not there).
I am all in favor of putting up museums if they are going to be well attended (public wants), but lets be honest if this was a thimble museum that was going out of business would it be news? If an Irish History museum had to bet a city for money I would be for closing it down as well.
I have never understood why there has to be a different museum for each and every different culture, event, etc... Why not ONE museum with different sections and displays? Wouldn't this be the more efficient way to gather funds and expose people to different cultures, times, places and events? If we have learned anything from Wal Mart it is that people like to go to one place to get everything. People don't want to stop at 15 freaking buildings (and shouldn't) to be educated on historical events, times & cultures.
This article was simply a dig to try and create controversy by the Kansas City Red Star.
