Raise minimum wage

I think that the minimum wage should be raised in Missouri.

It has become very difficult for anyone, especially parents, to support themselves and their kids making only $7.35 an hour.

There are many single parents and young people in the metro area working minimum-wage jobs. More families are relying on minimum-wage jobs than ever before.

Raising the minimum wage would help working families, along with the state’s economy. Keep in mind that if the federal minimum wage had kept up with the inflation over the last 40 years, it would be much higher.

Connor Dorman

Leawood

April 2 nuclear issue

Vote yes for Kansas City and vote yes for the Earth.

I love Kansas City, even though I live next door in Independence. I’m sorry I can’t vote on the April 2 ballot.

Kansas City residency determines who will vote on whether a nuclear-weapons building is enabled by the city’s tax dollars — your tax dollars.

But nuclear contamination, borne by wind and water, does not stop at city borders. Anything to do with nuclear material (weapons or waste) cannot be a NIMBY (not in my backyard) issue.

It’s a global issue.

So, good neighbor, when you have the opportunity to vote locally for such a global issue, don’t let it pass you by. Remember, what we do to the planet, we do to ourselves … and our children.

Vote yes on Question 3. Stop the city’s future support of nuclear-weapons parts production.

Please make sure everyone you know in the neighborhood understands this vital issue.

Lu Mountenay

Independence

Constitutional rights

Rep. Rory Ellinger filed Missouri HB 545, which would make it a class C felony to manufacture, import, possess, purchase, sell or transfer any assault weapon or large-capacity magazine.

Although I try not to encroach into the minds of the individuals who support this legislation, I couldn’t help but ask myself why such legislation would appear as filed with the Missouri House.

The argument I hear in Jefferson City repeatedly is, do our constituents “need” these firearms in question?

As a country, did we need to fight the Civil War to free ourselves from the bonds of slavery?

Did women need to march in the streets in the name of suffrage?

Did the allied forces need to liberate Europe during World War II?

Did Rosa Parks need to sit at the front of that bus to make her stand against racial discrimination?

As Americans, we have the duty to say yes.

As a legislature, we have the obligation to support common-sense regulations keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. But we also must stand strong for our rights and constitutional protections, not let them be eroded.

Rep. Joe Don McGaugh

Carrollton, Mo.

Liberal hypocrites

Many people are noting our violent society. I have five comments:

1. We are constantly being told that it is OK to kill unborn children, in some cases just because they may be unwanted or because they might someday be neglected or abused.

2. Crime is difficult to prosecute in the U.S. because of proof beyond a reasonable doubt and the Miranda warning. It is often said that it’s better to let 20 guilty go free than to convict an innocent person. Any low-violent-crime countries do not have such provisions.

3. Liberals interpret all of the Constitution very liberally except the Second Amendment. Is that not hypocritical? I suggest they are “hypo-liberals.”

4. Several in Congress jumped to introduce new laws and regulations. If there is such a groundswell on this, why not go for broke and propose changing the Second Amendment?

5. Those who are pro-life and pro-death penalty, as I am, are accused of being hypocrites.

Let’s see, I support terminating the life of a violent, convicted killer but letting the most innocent of all live, while the pro-choice, anti-death penalty crowd believes the opposite.

Who are the hypocrites?

Wes Jones

Smithville

No movie for children

A movie this senior attended over a recent weekend contained graphic nudity, profanity, gun violence, extreme physical violence, and a plot that touted lawless acts and revenge as the preferred methods of dealing with crime and corrupt police officials. It was rated R.

All the while sitting next to me were the proud parents of three male children, all appearing to be less than 12 years old. To be sure they didn’t miss any of the finer points of the film, Mom and Dad cheerfully and loudly explained various parts of the plot and subplot to the boys.

Folks, it’s all about responsible parenting and everyone making intelligent decisions for our children — facts sadly and tragically lost on these parents and the theater officials who allowed them to be exposed to this type of “entertainment.”

Frank DeLeon

Shawnee

Focus on faith, not Finn

To those who chafe under the leadership of Bishop Robert Finn, it is my experience that the more I examine my personal relationships with the Lord as chief shepherd of his body, the church, the less time or interest I have in the mistake of my bishop or any other.

Father John McCormack

Kansas City

License guns like cars

Why can’t Kansas and Missouri require a license to operate a firearm, much like the current system licensing a person to operate an automobile?

Whether you own a gun or not, you would have to have your license if you are in possession of one.

Perhaps there could be different classes of licenses for different types of weapons, and in order to get a license you would have to show familiarity with the operation and safety features of your type of gun.

It could be renewed every year or two, like car licenses.

Maybe we could even require liability insurance like we do for car owners, licensing the operator against accidental damage or injury as well.

Dan Carmack

Liberty

U.S. freedoms lost

Thomas Paine in 1776 said freedom has been hunted around the globe and many countries have long expelled her.

I am old enough that the way our country is going it won’t affect me, but it will cost many grandchildren their freedom.

We want our citizens to be self-thinkers, but we are putting so many things in their way.

We have cars that park themselves, that tell if anything is in back of them and that tell us to slow down if unsafe conditions exist.

Now we strap children down and make them ride backward. I wonder what harm we are doing. Animals caged and then turned loose run wild.

We are feeding children three times a day in some schools and want them to be in school all year.

We’re taking parents’ child-raising away from them and then want children to be self-thinkers.

I saw where one mother said she has $45 extra because the school is feeding her child.

Our learning institutions used to be Christian, and now they are only in Christian colleges and churches.

We are getting close to not being able to evangelize the good news.

Leonard Hachinsky

Kansas City

Approach of comets

Comets are like cats. Both have tails and both do what they want.

With this in mind, Comet L4 PanSTARRS is still following predictions to become as bright or brighter than the stars of the Big Dipper as this comet makes its way toward its closest position to the Earth on Tuesday and closest to the sun on Sunday.

Currently, the comet and its tail are visible using binoculars from the Southern Hemisphere.

The comet should start becoming visible for us over the western horizon at sunset this week.

The comet will then climb higher each evening, heading toward the northwest as it moves past the Earth toward the outer fringes of the solar system.

Comet L4 PanSTARRS is the first of what could be two “comets of the century” this year, with Comet ISON (C/2012 S1) predicted to become visible during November.

Bob Riddle

Lee’s Summit

Kudos to Star carriers

I would like to thank the carriers who service the 8700 block of Metcalf Avenue and our neighborhood.

On Tuesday morning, with a layer of heavy snow on the ground and blustery wind, our Kansas City Star newspaper was at our doorstep.

This service is very much appreciated. Thank you, Star carriers.

Elisabeth Birky

Overland Park