Letters: KC readers discuss sports betting, use of military force, Catholic teaching
Wrong direction
I’m an old white man with many great black friends. I’m amazed at how out of touch some of my race are. While the whole world is upset and disgusted with the killing of George Floyd at the hands of those charged with protecting him, our state legislatures are effectively putting their knees on the necks of their opposition by passing restrictive voting laws.
Even someone lacking intelligence should know this is cruel and poorly timed. It certainly does little to lessen the stress among races. Let’s treat each other with love and respect and act like the Christians we claim to be.
- Ralph Moore, Leavenworth
Bet on it
One solution to the casinos’ decline in revenue is to allow betting on sports. About half the states already allow it, and it brings in billions of dollars. Can you imagine the amount of money that would come from Chiefs fans? This could help Missouri pay for the cost of Medicare expansion.
I would hope we could have it in place by next season. This is an effective way to raise revenue, since it only affects those who wish to participate.
- Don Merker, Raytown
War powers
On June 17, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 268-161 to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force, or AUMF, against Iraq by passing House Resolution 256. In co-sponsoring the bill, Missouri Reps. Cori Bush and Emanuel Cleaver helped open a new era for Congress to reclaim its Article 1 constitutional authority to declare war.
Before passage, the Executive Office of the President issued a statement of administration policy supporting passage of HR 256, indicating that the United States has no ongoing military activities that rely solely on the 2002 AUMF as a domestic legal basis and that repeal of the 2002 AUMF would likely have minimal impact on military operations.
It is now up to Sens. Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley to join their Senate colleagues in voting to pass Senate Joint Resolution 10 to repeal the authorization for use of military force against Iraq that was passed in 2002 for a mission that has ended, while U.S. forces remain in Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government under a strategic framework agreement signed in 2008.
- Steve Kellogg, Independence
What I read
A June 27 letter (16A) offered an interesting perspective from a writer supporting the Catholic bishops’ adherence to the Bible in choosing to deny communion to prominent Catholic politicians the bishops think oppose certain principles in the Bible.
I have to wonder if this is the same Bible a majority of these bishops used concerning an individual who stands in stark contrast to the man I have come to know in the Holy Bible. My Bible speaks of a humble, kind and gentle man speaking words of love and grace. He welcomed those wanting a better life. He took care of widows, orphans and the poor. He regarded women with the utmost respect. He was a servant to his disciples, even washing their feet.
The first part of that Bible lays out 10 rules paramount to living a principled life. Respect of marriage, truth telling, church attendance, positive speech and respect for all life are five big ones in my Bible.
Withholding health care, mocking the disabled, name-calling and humiliating rivals, disrespecting women and building walls were not the principles Jesus lived by. As a practicing Catholic, I found it disturbing those biblical principles seemed unimportant to many others in choosing a president.
- Marjorie A. Livingston, Overland Park
This story was originally published July 2, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Letters: KC readers discuss sports betting, use of military force, Catholic teaching."