Bishop Finn needs help

Bishop Robert Finn is not a good man. He is ill. And all people around him should have sought help for him.

Shame on those who were and continue to be around him and allowed the abuse of harmless, innocent children with no regard for the children.

Marilyn Frenzel

Overland Park

KCK services lacking

Open letter to the Unified Government commissioners:

Soon spring will have sprung, the grass will rise.

I wonder where our sidewalk is?

We don’t have sidewalks; we don’t have curbs

But we’ve got a casino out in the ’burbs.

For 50 years we’ve waited here

Promises, promises is all we hear.

If we only had sidewalks, our mailbox would be at our door.

It’s now on the street; do we dare ask for more?

Then autumn will again come, and darkness will fall.

We’re getting old and slow, and after the mail we will go.

We dodge the ice, the cars as well

And we try to run as fast as…

Joseph Burris

Kansas City, Kan.

Obama at fault

Could someone please tell me why I should not feel that the Obama administration has responsibility for the deaths of four American diplomatic personnel in Benghazi, Libya?

Terrorists pulled the triggers, but the Obama administration failed to provide adequate security.

Bill Nulton

Prairie Village

Unions merit support

What everybody saw the first three weeks of the National Football League season is a good example of what happens when you put people with no training or experience on a job to handle what the job takes to complete and make as safe as possible.

The replacement referees made mistakes, and people were put in dangerous situations. The difference is they were playing a game.

The job site is no place for these mistakes. Do you want “replacements,” non-union, unskilled labor building your house, fixing your trains, building your bridges, building your cars or your roads?

Would you feel safe? Unions have higher standards and demand safe work environments and excellent quality from employees.

Without unions the middle class can’t survive, and without the middle class the United States can’t survive. Support unions and help create a stronger middle class and United States.

Angela Mattivi

Kansas City

Chiefs fans ripped

Cheers for Chiefs tackle Eric Winston (10-8, A1, “Chief rips fans’ cheering injury”). He deplored the cheering (jeering) by some fans when quarterback Matt Cassel was injured. He reminded us that Arrowhead Stadium is not like the Roman Coliseum of old — or is it?

Everybody knows pro football is a business where potential success motivates players to great effort but comes with the risk of great physical injury. Sincere effort (it’s not who wins but how one plays the game) is meaningless without success.

We just drag injured “losers” off the field to the boos and jeers of spectators. The spirit of the Roman Coliseum lives on.

John Couture Sr.

Kansas City

Graves falls short

The debt ceiling: When President Barack Obama wanted the debt ceiling raised, Rep. Sam Graves said he was against it but turned right around and voted to raise it for Obama.

States rights: When you ask Graves if he supports the 10th Amendment, he says he does. He actually does not support or vote for states asserting their rights under the 10th Amendment. Example: 17 states and the District of Columbia have approved medical marijuana; most of these were passed by ballot initiatives, and the rest by state legislators not rogue judges.

Graves consistently violates states rights by voting to keep federal raids going on in these states. Graves is definitely a hypocrite on states rights.

National Defense Authorization Act: Graves voted for this bill, which allows an American citizen to be detained indefinitely by the government without access to the court system to declare a defense. This is the kind of power a king or a dictator has; it does not belong in a democratic republic.

Social conservative: Graves claims to be a family values guy. This is a joke.

He definitely needs to look into the mirror before claiming this status.

Russ Lee Monchil

Cameron, Mo.

Americans worse off

What are President Barack Obama, his administration and Democratic leaders smoking or what pair of rose-tinted glasses are they looking through to say the economy is better now than it was four years ago?

Unemployment was 5.4 percent then, now it is 7.8 percent.

The U.S. deficit is higher now. More people are in poverty and on food stamps.

More Americans think the United States is in decline rather than advancing.

People’s homes are worth less than they were four years ago.

Retirees, who did what they were told, saved and invested in retirement accounts and now have seen their net worth decrease.

People have cut out all extras and nonessentials and drastically pared back everyday expenses.

One-fourth of homeowners are upside down in their mortgages.

Our allies want nothing to do with us, and our enemies have no fear of us.

Yet, Obama would have you believe that things are better, and if you just give him four more years he’ll fix all these problems.

How will more stimulus, more taxes, more regulations, more government-salvaged companies, more speeches, more czars and bigger government fix it?

They haven’t yet.

Gary Larison

Overland Park

Glenn McCoy cartoons

Glenn McCoy cartoons are not the least bit clever or funny or creative. Just hateful.

Helen Bontrager

Kansas City, Kan.

U.S. politics, football

Imagine you are the owner of a football team, and you have reached your first Super Bowl. It’s the first half, and the conditions are terrible — cold, wet and a strong wind in your face.

Suddenly it’s halftime, but you are still in the game. The coach made some good decisions and some not so good.

As the owner, you are worried. Soon it will be the second half. The conditions are still not great, but you do have the wind at your back now.

You have another coach. But he has never been in a Super Bowl either and has no new ideas.

Should you change coaches? Of course not.

There is no owner of any team in the country who would not let his coach finish what he started.

And if the other coach and his assistants loved the team, they would not stand on the sideline, hoping the team would lose.

No. They would do what is best for the team.

Tom Cain

Independence

Pets, art don’t mix

The Plaza Art Fair is a wonderful fall tradition that I have enjoyed for many years. But each time I go, this question comes to mind: Why do people insist on bringing their pets to this event?

I happened to go on a Friday night last month. The usual large crowds were there, and once again, so were the dogs.

They were tucked in tight spaces under tables at their owners’ feet or shuffling along with owners who were looking at the art. Some pets had their tails between their legs trying their best to not be accidentally stepped on or kicked.

There was even a cat wearing a collar around her neck that was attached to a leash. She was being dragged behind a child like a toy wagon.

I’m not suggesting that these people do not love their pets, but are they really thinking about what is best for the animals?

Kudos to these owners for wanting to spend time with their dogs and cats. But that time might be better spent playing at home, in a park or in some other environment that would be more enjoyable for the animals.

Kelly Campbell

Overland Park

Dear Mr. President

It is my wild hope and prayer that, somehow, you will see this letter and give to it your prayerful and thorough attention.

War is the evil of our time. We are losing men and women — each with useful, exciting gifts that we need in the United States and in the world.

Please have your top people in government work to find a ceasefire and recognize benefits for all.

Most important is the possibility of another world war.

You and your top government people know what would trigger such a horrible happening.

You have in your power the knowledge and ability to defuse such a condition. You must not delay.

Please, prayerfully, take action. I do think you have wholehearted support from citizens of our valued United States and from many people throughout the world.

Doug Sutherland

Raymore