Little known fact: Catholics can vote their consciences

Little known fact: Catholics can vote their consciences
EDITOR:
I saw a recent report that 70 percent of Catholics feel the church leaders have no right to tell them how to vote.
On The Vindicator's Aug. 25 editorial page, there was a article "Not all Catholics will vote the same." Under "Vatican shift" it states that a top Vatican official, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, announced that it is OK for Catholics to vote for a candidate who doesn't oppose abortion. If a voter feels a candidate's position on other views outweighs his or her stand on abortion, then the voter is free to support that person. We have not been told this in church. All sermons and literature put out by church officials lean toward the Republican candidate, because of the abortion issue. I think we deserve the whole story. Could this be another cover up?
President Bush calls himself a Christian. A true Christian doesn't call himself one (he lets his achievements speak for him). So what are they? As governor of Texas George Bush put many people to death because he believes in capital punishment. Now President Bush has us in a terrible war, not sanctioned by the U.N., over a thousand Americans have lost their lives and thousands severely injured. He has killed the hopes and dreams of many Americans who have lost their jobs, homes, and families. More jobs have been lost under this administration than any other president since Herbert Hoover.
This Christian would make the angels weep.
I don't believe in abortion. I feel John Kerry has the experience and the fortitude to lead our country back to a stronger America. I do believe in that, which is why I'm voting for John Kerry for president.
JOHN COLLINS
Youngstown
Who pays taxes, who doesn't, who's for the little guy?
EDITOR:
I read in a recent Wall Street Journal that the Bushes were in the 30.4 percent tax bracket and that the Kerrys only paid 12.8 percent on 10 times the Bushes' income. Yet, we are told that Bush is for the rich and Kerry is for the middle-class.
However, if Bush is for the rich, then he is taking care of Mrs. Heinz-Kerry and her billions of dollar. And if it's true that Kerry wants to take care of us working stiffs, then he must want to take care of us the way Ted Kennedy took care of working girls.
I'm a Democrat, but I don't think I can vote for Kerry. I don't believe him.
GODFREY ANDERSON
Youngstown
It's a good theory, but ...
EDITOR:
The theory is I get a tax cut, it puts more money in my pocket, I buy more products, the increased demand creates more jobs, and the economy improves. Has anyone noticed where much of what we buy these days is made -- who are we creating jobs for?
While personal tax relief may have been a solution in the past, today we would go a lot further with opportunity, investment and education. We must allow workers present and future the opportunity to be educated, trained and retrained to meet the needs of worldwide competition in the workplace and this should be done with as little government interference as possible.
Give those companies that agree to provide such opportunities for their workers the tax break. This can work for people on assistance as well -- allow one half of the total dollar amount of a person's benefits to be used as a share of their wages. This would better enables those who hire to invest in the new employees by means of benefits and training. The worker could continue to receive the remaining one half total dollar amount of their benefits until they get a promotion or take their skills to another job.
We can reach into schools with a plan that allows students who maintain good attendance and a certain grade average the opportunity to work part-time in places of employment in the community. This would give the student firsthand experience in the workplace and the employer a prospective future workforce.
DALE W. CLARKE
Newton Falls