Catholic Church’s silence on minimum raise initiative raises concerns about priorities | Opinion

Who’s valued?

The recent silence of the Catholic Church regarding Missouri Proposition A, which proposes an increase to the minimum wage and paid sick leave, is troubling. While Bishop James V. Johnston has sent Catholics in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph a statement on Amendment 3, the absence of a strong stance on issues affecting workers — particularly in advocating for a living wage — raises questions about the church’s priorities.

St. Joseph, the patron saint of workers, embodies the values of hard work and dignity. Catholic teaching, as outlined in the Catechism, emphasizes the importance of justice for all, including the living. By neglecting to address the pressing needs of workers in our community, the church shows itself disconnected from the realities faced by many of its faithful.

People are rightly concerned when the church’s voice is heard only on issues concerning the unborn while the struggles of the living go unacknowledged. This imbalance erodes trust and diminishes the church’s moral authority. It is essential for our leaders to advocate for comprehensive support for all people, ensuring that Catholic teachings on social justice are fully realized.

We need to hear the church’s voice uplift the rights of workers and the importance of fair wages and benefits. The silence is deafening.

- Jason Roberts, Liberty

Not a game

I was saddened to read a letter to the editor from a writer who quoted a lady friend’s remark, “If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.” (Sept. 29, 17A) A sacrament in which church? And the author’s response to her statement was, “Bingo.”

Whichever side one takes, I hope we can all agree that abortion is not an issue to be flippant about. I’m sorry that this letter writer and his friend think it is.

- Dennise Marie Weidenhofer, Overland Park

Online risks

We need your help. Experts with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are working to secure our nation’s cybersecurity, but we can’t do it alone. We need everyone in Kansas and Missouri to take steps to help make themselves secure online.

That’s the purpose of our Secure Our World program. It provides no-cost ways for individuals, businesses and organizations to reduce our collective risk online. With that said, if every reader did only these four things, it would make a huge impact:

• Use strong passwords, meaning long, random and unique to each account.

• Enable multifactor authentication on all accounts. We need more than a password to secure our information.

• Recognize and report phishing, or as we like to say, think before you click. Be cautious of unsolicited emails or texts, and never click unknown links or open attachments from unknown sources.

• Update software regularly. In fact, enable automatic security updates on all devices.

For more information about the Secure Our World program, or to explore our free cybersecurity resources, visit our website at cisa.gov/secure-our-world

By working together, we can secure America and secure our world.

- Phil Kirk, Regional director for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Region 7, Kansas City

Royal words

I bring Dan Quisenberry’s poetry to opening day.

It’s late March, and I have hope. There’s no real reason for it. The years have dragged me down.

And yet — the fans have come, despite the workday. Despite last season’s despair. The fans have sold out the stadium. I park myself above the right-field fountains.

I hold my beat-up copy of “On Days Like This” aloft like a starry-eyed child wielding a baseball glove. I recite Quiz’s poem “Opening Day” to the resplendent water and the carefree people, and to all the family and friends with whom I’ve ever seen a game.

It’s late September, and I have hope. My messy handwriting inks up my scorecard. The crowd around me smiles with the bright afternoon, with the heartening blue sky. I’ve sat by myself as the sun shines through wind tunnels and chain link, my hand tracing each ball and strike. I pack all that love into lines that Quiz wrote long ago.

Today, all teams are equal. Today we could win it all. Quiz and I both understand the poetry in possibility, the rhyme in the red-laced cowhide, the caesura between home runs and heart.

It’s October. And I have hope.

- Catherine Strayhall, Merriam

They shine

Taylor Swift is an angel of kindness. Travis Kelce is a warrior for goodness.

Together, they are a force of happiness for the world.

- Tom Krause, Kansas City

Vote truth

Why are you a Republican? Or why are you a Democrat?

We are all Americans first and foremost. Country over party. What’s good for all Americans and the country?

Think about your answer. How do you answer that question and why? What’s your position on gun control, abortion, schools, immigration, the insurrection, the Supreme Court, climate control and the truth?

How does Project 2025 align with your beliefs?

Are you a little of both? Independent or at least independent thinking?

Read the Declaration of Independence, one of the most circulated, reprinted and influential documents in world history: “We hold these truths to be self-evident”

What is your truth? Please vote.

- Bruce Alan Hagy, St. Louis