JOPLIN, Mo. —
I was so sad to hear that my neighbor, my friend and a remarkable community leader has died.
Fannun Kanan helped me experience one of the great adventures during my years with the Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Fannun was from Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. He was a star in his hometown. He knew the mayor and community leaders for decades. Fannun was a role model for religious tolerance.
He remained a lifelong Muslim, yet most of his best friends were Christian. When we did the Bethlehem experience a few years ago, I wanted a dinner for peace. Three prayers were offered, Jewish, Christian and Muslim. Fannun helped make it happen with his words and his treasure. A salute to a man of kindness and action. Fannun, you will be missed.
Vince Lindstrom
Joplin
Opinion
Your View: Remarkable leader
- Opinion
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Our View: Connecting the town
Well before the 2011 tornado, Joplin had a problem with “connectivity.” That’s right. The flow of traffic — whether it be cars, pedestrians or bicyclists — has been a sore spot with us for years.
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Other Views: Debt of honor
In Afghanistan, the Taliban have promised to kill Afghans who worked for the Americans and their families. In Iraq, similar threats were made by radical Islamic insurgents.
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Your View: Bold leadership needed
Dear City Council Members, Let me first thank you for your service to our community.
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Carol Stark: Dad took us on ‘travels’ that lasted a lifetime
This isn’t the column I had planned on writing, but it’s the one that keeps running through my mind. And so does this question: How do I cope on my first Father’s Day without my dad?
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Herb Van Fleet, guest columnist: Big Brother is always watching and listening
Sen. Church made that statement 38 years ago. He chaired a committee that was formed to develop legislation to rein in the CIA, FBI, NSA and other intelligence agencies, which had been operating outside the bounds of the law, including the Constitution.
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Geoff Caldwell, guest columnist: Jury still out on whistle-blower’s actions
Whether you see Edward Snowden as a hero, a traitor or something in between, there is no denying that the admitted “leaker” has opened up an industrial-size can of National Security Agency worms.
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Trish Patton, guest columnist: Downtown group needs stakeholders' support
On Tuesday the Downtown Joplin Alliance (DJA) tabled the Community Improvement District (CID) initiative.
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Our View: Earning a new badge
The Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland made a good decision Friday when it voted to give the community until November to develop a long-term plan to keep Camp Mintahama open.
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Other Views: Stop farm bill gridlock
With a hopeful sound of gridlock cracking, U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Wednesday that he will vote for the House farm bill even though he has “concerns.” He reasons that “doing nothing means we get no changes in the nutrition programs.”
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Marta Mossburg, columnist: Liberalism worldview doesn't make sense
The high priests of liberalism must be tossing and turning in their organic cotton bedding and downing more small-batch artisan whisky each night trying to cope with the abject failure of their cause
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