Letters: KC readers discuss worthy caregivers, youth sports and natural women leaders

Thank them

November is National Caregivers Month. We should take time and thank these wonderful people who have the very difficult task of caring for their loved ones. We always ask the one being cared for, “How are you doing?” Who asks the caregivers how they are?

Caregiving is a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week job. Let’s let them know we care about them with a phone call, a card or a casserole.

- Rita Einspahr, Overland Park

Wrong mindset

While our children are navigating online learning and an educational curriculum foreign to them, some are also playing and attending games in sports leagues.

Kansas is seeing the highest number of cases and deaths we have witnessed yet during this pandemic. We are shipping patients all over the state for routine medical care. We are rescheduling surgeries because our hospital situation is so desperate. And yet, we are playing games in person.

What are we teaching our young people? To put a game over the very health of our community, state and country. It gives the appearance that we value a game over progress, healing and containing a pandemic. It is this line of thinking that has put the U.S. in its current state.

I understand the spread of COVID-19 does not stop with canceling sports or similar events. I understand sports are important in learning team work, camaraderie and trust. But in a pandemic, it teaches that me is more important than us. It is ignorant to assume this does not escalate the situation. We can do better.

- Jesica Brown, Lindsborg, Kansas

How is it OK?

Almost 2,000 people a day are dying now, and all the president is doing is lying about the election on Twitter. Can you imagine the outcry from Republicans if this were happening under President Barack Obama?

Of course, the Obama administration had a plan to deal with pandemics, which President Donald Trump threw out. That might have reduced the deaths in our country.

More Americans will likely die of COVID-19 in a year than the total who died in World War II. I guess a large part of our country is OK with that.

- William Kenney, Kansas City

Natural leaders

Before COVID-19, when people could still travel, I visited the island of Crete and toured ruins of the Minoan culture. Here, women played leadership roles as administrators. It was a harmonious culture of equality and prosperity.

In our current toxic environment, which has resulted in a divided nation, more women are sorely needed in leadership positions. Though we are all different individuals, women are recognized for their cooperation, their collaboration and their ability to achieve consensus. In truth, women’s rights are people’s rights. Let us renew our efforts to sponsor and elect women to local, state and national offices.

In this recent election, let us recognize with eternal gratitude the groups of courageous, tireless African American women who through their diligent activism, voter registration and getting out the vote might very well have saved our democracy for now and for future generations.

Now that we’re in a post-election world, we shall continue to pursue social justice, gender pay equity and equal educational opportunities for all.

- Joan Shores, Harrisonville

This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Letters: KC readers discuss worthy caregivers, youth sports and natural women leaders."