Platte County children deserve better mental health. Voters have a chance to help on November 5

For children

The first time I saw the boy, recently discovered hiding in his mother’s attic weighing less than 20 pounds when he was 7, I was terrified… of everything. After years of counseling, he approached our CEO, gave her a high five, and asked, “What’s up, Turkey Butt?” Maybe we brought that child too far, but that’s exactly what we do at Synergy Services and exactly why we need a children’s services fund in Platte County.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth ages 10 to 24 in Missouri. The 2022 Missouri Student Survey revealed that nearly 9% of participating Platte County students seriously considered suicide. About 60% of young people with major depression not receiving any mental health treatment. Those who cannot find help are at greater risk of dying by suicide. Platte County has a shortage of health providers, with a mental health patient-to-provider ratio of 840-1.

The Platte County Children’s Services Fund would help close this gap and connect children and teens to mental health resources. Existing funds in Jackson and Clay counties have saved lives. We should do the same in Platte County.

-Corky McCaffrey, Community Engagement Coordinator, Synergy Services, Parkville

Say no to 3

I was disappointed, but not surprised, by The Star’s endorsement of Missouri Amendment 3(Oct. 16, 8A, “The Star’s Endorsement of Missouri Amendment 3”) especially considering the justification given for the endorsement: “Women are equal to men. …The right to personal autonomy is inalienable: It cannot be eliminated by legislation or by a government decision.”

This logic ignores the rights of the most important individual: the fetus. Liberals have convinced the public that a fetus is nothing more than an unviable mass in a woman’s body. This is how they can make it a women’s rights issue: by ignoring the child.

But the baby is a living organism, with a beating heart, capable of feeling pain, that burps, smiles and kicks. An unborn baby has as much right to life as the mother who carries it.

Legislatures have recognized that right to be born. In many states, people can be convicted of murder if they cause enough harm to a woman that the unborn baby dies. How is that different from an abortion for reasons of convenience?

I strongly urge you to vote against Amendment 3. Instead, let us recognize the rights of a healthy unborn baby to live a full and meaningful life.

-Joe DeShon, oak grove

Example Set

Grandpa, who are you voting for?

Young man, I vote for those who look at the crowd and see a chaotic, disorderly family, not a hostile “us versus them.” I vote for leaders who demonstrate that they care about the people they serve, and not those who only seek personal gain. I vote for those who serve a shared pie, willing to cut off enough slices to feed everyone at the table, and for those who save some to make a better world for their children.

I vote for those whose records demonstrate trustworthiness, whose actions put others first, whose plans include all of us and generations to come. I vote for those faithful to the laws of the land and our common values. I vote for the patriot who risked his life repeatedly for all of us, not the coward who fled the hell he helped feed in our hallowed halls. I vote for your sister’s fundamental and sacred right to choose what is best for her health and well-being, free from government intrusions or hypocrisy from those who would impose their values ​​on others.

Someday I hope you vote this way too.

– Tony D. Cook, Fayette, Missouri

a choice

Donald Trump has repeatedly said he would be a dictator on the first day of another term. He has repeatedly said he would use the US military against political enemies. He said government employees must take oaths of loyalty to him or be fired.

He avoided military service with “bone spurs.” And then Trump repeatedly belittles our dead and wounded veterans by calling them “stupid.”

Other countries laugh at us. They are amazed and dismayed that the United States could elect someone so clownish and at the same time threatening. Europe has already seen a regime like this. Like Adolf Hitler, Trump calls other races “vermin” and says they are poisoning our blood. And Trump promises to send foreigners to internment camps. His own chief of staff, John F. Kelly, says Trump meets the definition of “fascist.” (October 24, 6A, “Former chief of staff has warnings about Trump”)

Do we want what happened in Germany in the United States?

His rambling, disjointed speeches sound like mental illness. Experts question his mental faculties.

I know some people don’t agree with Kamala Harris’ policies, but policies can be rescinded. Congress can block them. Trump has no intention of letting Congress stop him. He wants to be a dictator. Turning the United States into a fascist regime is a much more difficult evil to undo.

If you are a true patriot who loves this country and the Constitution, whether liberal or conservative, you should vote for Kamala Harris.

– Suzanne B. Conaway, Kansas City

america first

Now that Election Day is right around the corner, stop worrying and go vote, while you can, because it may be the last time you do. Missourians, vote yes on Amendment 3. Ignore the Republicans who tell you to vote no.

If we let Donald Trump win, our country will become what it rebelled against in 1776, and our American experiment will have ended in failure. The Founding Fathers warned about this and worked hard to prevent it. Trump would erase our constitutional rights, at least those of the First Amendment, meaning we would have no rights.

So please defend your country. Put country before party and vote for Kamala Harris, because she is the right choice. Our country, and perhaps our lives, depend on you and your vote.

-Niall E. Stallings, Kansas City

thanks joe

The price of gasoline is very low. Let’s all send thanks to President Joe Biden for bringing them down. After all, we blame it when prices rise.

– Henry F. Rompage, Lenexa

More options

Both major parties oppose ranked-choice voting, which would be banned in Missouri if Amendment 7 passesbecause this simple system allows you to vote for a candidate without running the risk of being a spoiler. You simply rank your first choice, your second choice, and so on.

Suppose Anne, Edward, and Mary are running. You favor Maria, who has little chance. So, include Maria first, include Eduardo second, and don’t include Ana (whom you want to lose).

If someone wins a majority of first-choice votes, they are elected. Anne wins in the first round if she gets more votes than Mary and Edward combined. Mary was not a killjoy because if all of Mary’s votes had gone to Edward, Anne would still have won.

If no one wins the first round, the votes of the last-place candidate are redistributed among their voters’ second choices. If María comes third in the first round, her vote changes to Eduardo for the second round. It’s as if the first round never existed. You have to vote for Mary and still choose Edward over Anne.

Ranking candidates is easy, no different than “I’d like chocolate chip ice cream, but if you don’t have it, I’ll have vanilla.”

Extremist candidates hate ranked choice because it can benefit the voter’s second choice.

-Claude Thau, land park