Print edition: 
Church correct about communion
Regarding "Communion should not be a weapon" (Nov. 24 Letters to the Editor): Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., chose his course of action. He alone decided not to be in communion with Jesus and the Holy Catholic Church.
No one holds salvation hostage or uses it as a weapon — each individual has the ability to save or condemn his eternal soul. How would it look if the church allowed this Catholic his public stance on the killing of babies and allowed him to pretend to be in complete communion with the church? It would fly in the face of the commandments and undermine the church's authority and the legitimacy of all the church has taught.
The Catholic Church is not a democracy, and just because some cafeteria Catholics like to believe that a woman's "right to choose" trumps "thou shall not kill," that does not make it right.
Kennedy can make this right. All he has to do is to confess this sin, stop his support of abortion and return to full communion with the Catholic Church.
This is not an angry action; it is an action of love.
JACK MARCHETTI
Goddard
Not just whites
Regarding "Rich whites rule" (Nov. 21 Letters to the Editor): It's a fact that a former CEO of Merrill Lynch, one of America's largest and oldest stock brokerage companies, was black. Under his direction, the firm went broke while he was receiving millions of dollars from the company. The former CEO of Fannie Mae was black. He was largely responsible for our current home-mortgage derangement, yet left his position with about $100 million in his pocket linked to overstated earnings.
Regarding "Naive 'facts' " (Nov. 21 Letters to the Editor): The letter referred to a Congressional Budget Office estimate that the House health care bill would reduce the deficit by $104 billion. Well, perhaps that might happen if everyone wants to surrender more freedoms by allowing the government to require all citizens to purchase health care coverage or face several thousand dollars in fines and possible imprisonment. But the system would end up in the red by caring for all those new prisoners.
Having been born during the Roaring '20, I learned that you don't legitimately receive something for nothing. But perhaps that's wrong. America has changed so much that most of the citizens want to receive and not give.
ROBERT L. KALBFLEISCH
Wichita
Lazy bums
I wonder if our senators and congressmen are bought by the insurance companies. So many people have had trouble with insurance companies. It's hard to believe that members of Congress now think these are great companies worthy of pride. I admit that Medicare needs some improvement, but I thought that's what we elected these congressmen and senators to do.
I believe we have elected a bunch of lazy bums who will do anything for another term.
KIYOKO SCHENCK
Wichita
Implied powers
The Constitution grants the government explicit and implied powers. Implied powers are those that are "necessary and proper for carrying into execution" the explicit powers granted to the government.
The threat the government's assumption of unspecified implied powers can represent can be seen in the present tax code and the proposed 2000-page health care bill.
"The tax code that started in 1913 as 14 pages now exceeds 67,000," wrote Glenn Beck. All those thousands of pages have been justified on the basis of an implied power to collect taxes.
In the proposed health care bill (justified, I suppose, by a mystical "implied power"), Congress is exempted from the requirement to use the proposed plan while the people are bound by it. These are examples of two clues given us by the founders for detecting tyrannical government.
STANLEY PETERSON
Wichita
Kind people
Hurrying to Wichita from Kansas City to attend a recent symphony concert, we encountered rain and wind. I drove for about an hour and then wanted to turn over those duties to my husband, as I don't like dealing with Wichita traffic. I stopped at an exit ramp of K-254 and rushed to get over to the passenger side, hoping not to get wet or blown over. As my husband moved to the driver's side, a young couple stopped and asked if we were OK or needed help. What a thoughtful thing for them to do. It's nice to know there are such kind people.
MARGARET ANDERSON
Winfield
Star in crown
God sent me an angel on a recent cold and rainy morning. I had to go to the Robert J. Dole Veterans Affairs Medical Center to pick up a prescription. It was very hard to find a place to park, but I finally did. It was a long way from the entrance, and I am on oxygen. I had to stop halfway and lean against a sign. When I had almost made it to the entrance and was breathing heavily, a kind lady walking in behind me told me to wait while she got me a wheelchair. She pushed me all the way to the pharmacy. The VA gave me an escort back to my car.
I wish I had gotten the lady's name. She has a star in her crown.
C. HINKLE
Wichita
