Jury duty woes, Yoder’s failing Trump and climate action

Civic duty

Let me give a shout-out to the bureaucrats at the Jackson County Courthouse. As the 83-year-old caregiver for my 83-year-old wife of 63 years who has dementia, I requested to be excused from jury duty, supported by a note from her doctor. My request was denied.

I understand that being excused because I am a caregiver is not a right, but still: I have always tried to perform my civic duties. I am a five-year active Army veteran. I pay my taxes. I have never been involved in a personal civil or criminal case. I have served on previous juries outside Jackson County. And I voted Tuesday.

So I will show up at 8 a.m. Nov. 14. My daughter probably will take time off from work to assist, and I will employ a caregiver at $25 per hour to feed, clothe and clean up my wife while I am otherwise occupied.

I’ll donate my $6 jury duty pay.

Dean O. Allen

Kansas City

Out of step

The reason Sen. Claire McCaskill lost her bid for re-election is simple: She opposed two extremely qualified candidates for Supreme Court justices: Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

She tried to act like a moderate, but she is a dyed-in-the-wool liberal.

Enjoy your retirement, Sen. McCaskill, brought to you by the red state of Missouri.

Daniel Meier

Lake Winnebago

Not the cause

The Star’s Nov. 7 editorial said Democratic Party victories in Kansas were signs of voters rejecting President Donald Trump. (18A, “Kobach loses as Kansas rejects the Brownback era — and Trump”) Wrong.

Fence-sitter Rep. Kevin Yoder, like a number of other Republicans with no courage, would not get on board with this president, who is doing some great things. And then Yoder lost to a socialist-leaning candidate with cure-for-all-ills PC diversity factors that now appear to be paramount for some voters.

The Star’s constant anti-Trump drum beat in this case led to racing to tie the defeat bell on the president and appears to have led to some missteps.

Tim Maupin

Overland Park

Ticking clock

Now that the elections are over, I have but one question: When will Missouri’s U.S. Senator-elect Josh Hawley organize his presidential campaign?

Ellen Bigge

Lee’s Summit

Students stymied

As a college student, I am strongly disappointed with the convoluted voting process. I don’t live in the county where I attend college, so I requested an absentee ballot while I was home for midterm break.

It took eight days before the election board contacted me to request identification before my ballot could be sent out, even though that was not clearly stated as a requirement on the absentee ballot request form.

I sent a copy of my ID and was told the ballot would be sent that day, eight days before the election. I didn’t receive my ballot until the night of the election, after the polls had closed.

How am I supposed to fulfill my civic duty when I cannot receive a ballot, despite having requested it several weeks in advance? I want to be an active citizen and contribute my say to my government and my community, but that is nearly impossible with the current restrictions.

Only students who live on campus and are registered in the same county as my university can vote at the school, which prevents most students from voting there.

Students should be able to vote electronically or by some easier method.

Logan Peterson

Lee’s Summit

It’s up to us all

I know that Steve Rose is correct in his observation that candidates have gotten away with ignoring the global climate crisis for too long. (Nov. 3, 7A, “Candidates ought to be ashamed for ignoring this urgent issue”)

I also know that citizens across the country have done very little to hold those politicians accountable. This is especially true for many Christians, who have forgotten that, as Father Thomas Berry wrote, “The universe is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects.”

Ultimately, the priorities of candidates, politicians and regulatory agencies are set in part by the priorities of their electorates. We must have a cultural conversion about the way we consume resources, and then we must make those priorities reflected in the candidates for whom we vote.

Meanwhile, if we are looking for an organization to lead the way on grassroots climate policy, we should consider Citizens’ Climate Lobby, which was involved in Canada’s Carbon Fee and Dividend policy.

As for me? My parish of St. Francis de Sales in Lansing is starting a group of people in the community whose faith calls them to reflect and act on climate justice.

John Shively

Coordinator, Office of

Justice, Peace and Integrity

of Creation coordinator

Sisters of Charity of

Leavenworth