Exercise right to vote

You and I will soon be casting our votes for people to lead us. Has there ever been a more important time in our lives when good leadership was crucial?

The president of the United States and countless others who are seeking to lead will be our choices.

What a challenge and what a responsibility.

When I go to the polls, when I make my selections, I want to have these people speak to my heart. I want to feel that I can trust them.

Out of my feelings I can experience joy. I can look into the future with confidence. I can see people experiencing satisfaction.

I can see many seeking peace, and I can see people forgetting about self and helping others in dramatic ways.

As in the past, there will be many unknowns elected.

We can hope their work and choices will be helpful and good.

Doug Sutherland

Raymore

Robo calls to end

After being deluged with more than 30 robo calls from members of one of the political parties, I’ve got to ask them: Do you think so little of me that you think bombarding me with automated calls is going to get me to vote for you?

Robert Mason

Kansas City

School traffic safety

In his Oct. 23 letter, Jordan Churchill made an excellent observation about the difficulty of safely making a left turn at 106th Street and Wornall Road.

For years, we have worked with Kansas City officials to improve the safety of this intersection. As a result, flashing lights were installed on Wornall Road, and recently a “No Left Turn” sign was posted prohibiting left turns during school drop-off and pickup times.

We encourage our students and families to practice safe driving, including not making a left turn at this intersection.

We welcome any assistance as we continue to work with Kansas City officials on this issue.

Eileen Crowe Johnson

Associate Head of Schoolfor Finance and Operations

Notre Dame de Sion School

Kansas City

Sudden infant death

My sympathy goes out to families that have lost children to SIDS.

I have lost a grandchild to SIDS.

On that day the world seemed to stop, and the pain was unbearable.

My daughter-in-law and son are very conscientious, loving and caring parents who always employed safe practices for their infant, including putting the baby on her back while sleeping.

After reading the Oct. 29 story, “SIDS fatality spurs action,” I decided to comment. A coroner also ruled our little one’s death to be the result of sudden infant death syndrome, even though our baby died less than 36 hours after a high fever and a visit to the emergency room.

No irregularities were found, so baby and parents were sent home.

I applaud Lexie’s Law, the landmark legislation that tightened oversight of Kansas child care facilities.

However, my story shows that SIDS is unpredictable and full of mystery.

The best parenting and child care cannot stop this terrible monster.

The blame game is not healing. We could easily blame the hospital that sent our little angel home to die, but we choose to “Let go, and let God.”

Cynthia Collins

Kansas City

Superstorm Sandy

How about Sandy, that superstorm? Satellite photos showed cloud cover stretching from hundreds of miles at sea all the way to the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.

Snapshots from New York City showed dozens of taxicabs under water, and the death toll has continued to climb.

Was this a consequence of man-made global warming? Probably, although the oil company lobby and its counterparts in the House and Senate — that god-awful bunch — will howl in protest, even though their statements are hard to swallow.

Are we past the tipping point — that stage in the denigration of the air, the water and the soil from which the environment cannot recover?

Will the drought of 2012 and Sandy-type superstorms become the new normal? Very possibly.

Tracy Leonard

Kansas City

Inspiring story in Star

Amid all of the political hubbub, it was so refreshing to read the inspiring, lovely article regarding Ruth Kerford (10/24, A1, “Quiet but determined, Kerford changed KC”). She did indeed “live a good life” and will undoubtedly reap those rewards.

Thank you Kansas City Star for a heartwarming story. Keep up the good work.

Cheryl Ellis

Lee’s Summit

Cleaning out church

Before his death at age 85 on Aug. 31, the former Archbishop of Milan and papal candidate, Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, pointed out why the Catholic Church is losing the future generation.

“Our culture has aged ... (and) our churches big and empty — our rituals and our cassocks are pompous; (we) must admit our mistakes and begin a radical change, starting from the pope and the bishops. The pedophilia scandals oblige us to take a journey of transformation. …”

He also commented on the church’s staunch laws against birth control, divorce and homosexuality and its discrimination of baptized members who remarry outside the church.

While the cardinal’s last words seem to resound from heaven for those who sought their own welfare rather than blindly obeying the church’s unjust laws, I have a question: Why didn’t his eminence speak up earlier?

He could have made a difference, even protected some children from pedophile priests and prevented divorced-and-remarried members from drifting away from the church. Was he afraid of losing his position? He probably was.

Still, I envision that the Catholic Church will shake ancient dust and do some housecleaning. It’s time.

Therese Park

Overland Park

Climate change, politics

This summer at both the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention, speakers voiced their concerns regarding climate change.

The speakers at the Democratic convention in Charlotte, N.C., spoke of continuing efforts to slow climate change. On the other hand, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney at the convention in Tampa, Fla., mocked President Barack Obama’s efforts to reduce our environmental impact, writing them off as frivolous and beside the point.

Romney went on to say that rather than promising to help the planet, he promises to help “you and your family.” His discourse has to make one wonder, though: If not now — when?

This year has been among the hottest on record. Not to mention hurricanes Isaac and Sandy. Sea levels are continuing to rise, and natural disasters are occurring at an unprecedented rate.

Yet, it looks as if by the time we take some legitimate action, the damage will have already been done.

Andrew Connor

Kansas City

LA Chiefs, anyone?

This may be a bit premature, but how does the name Los Angeles Chiefs sound?

Los Angeles has just approved a billion-dollar stadium, and you can bet the farm that the city will get an NFL football team from somewhere.

My message to Chiefs fans is don’t criticize owner Clark Hunt too much just yet. I suspect that the Chiefs will win enough games to mess up any chance of getting a top-notch quarterback out of the draft.

And the beat goes on.

Albert E. Reitz

Cameron, Mo.

Harmless kids’ candy

Candy is not cocaine, and to say otherwise is absurd (10-31, A1, “Maybe candy isn’t so dandy”). Kids won’t get the shakes after eating their Halloween haul or rob banks to get another fix.

The truth is that our brains’ pleasure centers respond to every sort of pleasant stimulation we receive. In fact, brain scientists at McGill University found that pleasurable music activates the reward circuitry in our brains.

What’s next, banning “Call Me Maybe” to combat “music addiction”?

Real health benefits are found in moderation. Parents worried about the effect of candy on their kids can send them outside to play.

J. Justin Wilson

Senior Research Analyst

Center

for Consumer Freedom

Washington, D.C.