Catholic Church sex abuse, Kobach’s success and the role of science
Specific meanings
A letter writer Monday (10A) who complained that celibacy is the root of priestly pedophiles should know that the strict definition of celibacy is being unmarried, while chastity means abstaining from intimate relations outside of marriage.
And in reality, many pedophiles are married.
George Osborne
Lawrence
Two ways forward
As an outsider, I would like to suggest two corrective actions to eliminate the overwhelming problem the Catholic Church is having with child abuse by priests:
▪ Allow priests to marry. As in almost all other religions, having this opportunity will attract normal men, and having a normal family situation will reduce substantially or eliminate the desire to molest children.
▪ Request resignation letters from all U.S. bishops. Thirty-one active and three retired bishops in Chile offered their resignations in May after a sex-abuse scandal there. The Vatican could then retain those bishops who have clean slates and bring in new bishops where the current ones have failed in their duties to protect children.
Ronald Ginson
Lee’s Summit
They were tougher
Many a president has been joked about. Many a president has been criticized over his policy or actions.
In the past, presidents would stop, listen and smile while shaking their heads. And then they kept right on walking because there were more important things to worry about.
Mr. President, that’s what made America great.
Michel Darling
Overland Park
SPCA can help
I strongly urge the writer of a Monday letter who described her problems with Kansas City, Kan., Animal Services, to contact the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals immediately. This organization will be able to provide assistance and legal guidance regarding the two dogs that are clearly suffering in her neighbor’s yard.
There is help available, but attempting to work with animal control under these circumstances is a waste of precious time.
Margaret Stout
Overland Park
In the know
In this age of increasing financial challenges for the print media, its denigration by our current president, the rising prominence of social media as a “news” source and the desperate need of the public to be well-informed, The Star’s series “Why so secret, Kansas?” was a stunning reminder of the vital role a free press plays.
The Star’s selection for the Pulliam First Amendment Award is so fitting. (Aug. 19, 4A, “Star earns national award for state secrecy project”)
Thank you, Kansas City Star, and to the writers who contributed. You are so important to this city.
Pat Daniels
Prairie Village
Keep it coming
In light of Kris Kobach’s gubernatorial primary victory in Kansas, I would like to encourage The Star to continue its insidious attacks against his crusade against illegal immigration and illegal voting. The Star has motivated his conservative base to turn out to support him.
Keep up the good work. We need a governor like him in Kansas.
Michael Kalny
Shawnee
Stand with science
As a science professor at UMKC and a former collaborator with the Environmental Protection Agency, I am appalled by the attempts of the Trump administration to restrict the science the agency uses to create safeguards that protect people and the environment.
For years, the EPA has relied on science and scientific research as the foundation for all it does. That work has led to countless success stories of lives saved and improved.
The Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science plan would prevent the EPA from considering scientific research where the underlying data is not publicly available. That means research that includes personal health information — which people understandably would not want to be made public — could not be used when the agency is considering a protection even if no personal information is revealed. The result would be a less informed agency with access to less sound science.
Science has rightfully been viewed for centuries as an unalloyed good. From my viewpoint, science is now under attack by an administration that would rather pick and choose opinions that serve its purposes.
The American people need to stand with science and reject any attempt at censoring its application in the process of our governance.
Charles J. Wurrey
Kansas City