Letters: Religious freedom, ballot box action, remembering history

Religious freedom

I was reading the Feb. 18 article, “Governor reassures religious conservatives,” about Gov. Sam Brownback’s encouraging words to evangelicals who are worried their religious freedom is in danger, and a thought occurred (not for the first time). I am amazed by the way some folks see religious freedom as an excuse to disobey laws.

The freedom of a county clerk to refuse wedding licenses for gay couples? Sure. She was right to do that, no matter what the law says.

An employer refuses to provide full health care coverage for female employees as mandated by law? Well, duh. How dare we offend the employer’s Christian beliefs?

But if a Muslim war refugee wants asylum? Oh, no! That’s a different story.

Jan S. Gephardt

Westwood

Ballot box action

It offends me when candidates and elected officials substitute fantasy and allegation for fact. It offends me when they apparently think we are too incompetent to check whether their claims are true.

It offends me when the Kansas secretary of state indulges in 3-year-old quality name-calling rather than documentation, especially when he insists on documentation for the right to vote. It offends me when politicians seem to think the majority of us are so gullible and superficial that we will accept any claim they make without checking it.

It offends me when politicians act like we are all incompetent idiots. I have had enough.

I am angry. I am so angry that I will take it out against these “gentlemen” in the caucuses March 5, the primary election Aug. 2 and the general election Nov. 8. I am fed up and I won’t take it anymore.

Chris Roesel

Roeland Park

Women, pro-choice

Another election season means we are subjected to even more debates about abortion rights. Actually it’s hard to call them debates as most are arguments between polarized groups. Maybe it’s time to consider another approach.

I am pro-choice, but that does not mean that I’m pro-abortion. I think all pro-choicers, like all pro-lifers, would be happy if there were never another abortion. Our disagreement is about who gets to make the decision.

So what can we agree on? Let’s start by accepting the fact that it’s impossible to eliminate abortion. Throughout history, women have gotten abortions and will continue to do so.

What can we do to minimize abortions? We need to consider why women choose abortion. Women get abortions because they think it’s the best option available to them at that time in their life.

If we really want to minimize abortion we need to focus on improving options for women. This means providing easily available sex education, contraception, family planning, day care, pre-kindergarten and good nutrition programs.

Let’s focus on giving women more help and better choices, and then leave the decision up to them. Given the opportunity to plan their families and care for their children, they will do the right thing.

Dan Cram

Overland Park

Remembering history

Having recently seen Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s production of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” and being vividly reminded of the political atmosphere in Germany that brought about the election of Adolf Hitler, it was not a big stretch for me to compare and thus, to be very concerned about what is currently happening in our own country.

I pray that American voters remember what a unique and remarkable democracy our forefathers fashioned and that we work toward selecting a president who would not foster fear and division but respect our Constitution as well as all people, and who would represent the United States in the world with those qualities of intelligence and character that we all have witnessed in truly great leaders whom we admire and respect.

I can never forget that a narcissistic, bombastic man who said he would “fix” Germany’s problems tried to exterminate a religious people, caused a world war, had an avid following and was actually elected.

Elizabeth Daniels

Prairie Village

Thankful for Scalia

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will be greatly missed by pro-life advocates like me. There may never be one comparable to his again sitting on the Supreme Court.

The word “just” is in “justice.” Justice Scalia recognized there is nothing in the U.S. Constitution that gives a woman the “right” to have her baby killed. So any of the other justices who disagree are not fit to be called justice.

So where do our rights come from? Well, let’s first begin where they do not come from. They do not come from government. Any justice who supports abortion is, in essence, saying that rights do come from government.

Then where do they come from? Does not the Declaration of Independence clarify this? It states that our rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” come from God.

So any justice who interprets the “right” to abortion is opposing God’s law. It comes as no surprise that President Barack Obama is going to attempt to appoint another justice to the court before his term is over. And I do not expect his choice to be another Scalia but a liberal interpreter of the Constitution who thinks that laws come from government and not God.

Thank you, Justice Scalia, for all your years of service, you will be missed.

Michael Rachiele

Prairie Village

This story was originally published March 1, 2016 at 9:08 PM with the headline "Letters: Religious freedom, ballot box action, remembering history."