Here's how to fix priest shortage: Ordain women | Letters to the Editor

The Roman Catholic Church says that they are having a priest shortage — not enough priests for the parishes in the tri-county area.

There is a simple solution to that: ordain women to the priesthood. Do you think God is only calling men? It does not seem likely.

Also, why priests and nuns cannot marry is beyond me. The apostles in the early church were married. The first pope was married. What better way to explain family life than to have married priests that actually experience it?

And lastly, when is the church finally going to marry gay and lesbian people? Even Pope Francis says that they were born that way. If heterosexuals can marry in their faith, why not homosexuals? It seems the church will accept their weekly collections, but, sadly, will not marry them. The Roman Catholic Church is not moving forward — only backward — and they wonder why people are leaving.

Jim Jeziorowski

Wayne

Should the Catholic Church ordain women? Tell us what you think at freep.com/letters.

Netanyahu must allow humanitarian aid

We have long been supporters of Israel and its right to exist. However, we believe it is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s duty to declare a cease-fire to allow humanitarian supplies, medical supplies, food, water and fuel, into Gaza. This is the prime minister’s responsibility and moral and ethical duty. A policy of revenge will not negate the human suffering of either side. Jews, Christians and Muslims worship the same God. We do not believe God approves of denial of humanitarian efforts.

Gerald Maxey

Farmington Hills

Ranked choice voting is better for democracy

In the spirit of preserving our democratic values, Michigan citizens should consider the merits of ranked choice voting. ("Early, ranked choice voting gain attention in Royal Oak, Michigan ahead of 2023 election," Detroit Free Press, Oct. 9.) This will empower voters to express their preferences more accurately, fostering a system that aligns with our commitment to individual choice. This reform encourages a wider array of candidates, promoting healthy competition and discouraging strategic voting. With ranked choice voting, we will no longer have to vote for whoever had the highest chance of winning and instead vote for those that align with our views.

Teal Amore

Dearborn

Should state adopt ranked choice voting? Tell us what you think at freep.com/letters.

Michigan was our top choice to help women run for office

When Vote Run Lead Action — the sister organization of Vote Run Lead, the largest, most diverse 501c3 training organization for women — needed to determine a host city for its national training event this weekend, choosing Detroit was easy.

Michigan is one of our priority states for RUN/51, Vote Run Lead Action’s initiative to transform state legislatures to be 51% women, truly reflective of the population. It’s also an inspiring leader in civic engagement.

The last few years in Michigan have seen citizen-led ballot initiatives turn into real policies and practices that have transformed voting access and representation, including the formation of an independent redistricting commission.

State and local officials enacted and upheld pro-democracy reforms that the people wanted — and I am confident this is due in part to the reflective and diverse leadership. Currently, Michigan’s state Legislature is 40% women and its elected statewide leaders are predominantly women.

It ranks 13th for women’s leadership among all 50 states. Women hold key leadership positions including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and House Speaker Pro Tem Laurie Pohutsky. Among Vote Run Lead alumni are state Rep. Brenda Carter in District 53, and Sen. Rosemary Bayer in District 13.

The decision to select Detroit as the host city was a no-brainer. Its abundant artistic and cultural heritage, coupled with its status as the birthplace of legendary figures like Aretha Franklin, CeCe Winans and Diana Ross and the Supremes, and its pivotal role in the civil rights movement, demonstrated by Grace Lee Boggs' enduring activism and philosophical wisdom spanning over seven decades, made Detroit the perfect choice. With its dynamic blend of civic engagement and rich cultural history, Detroit was the perfect backdrop for our RUN/51 Summit which will serve as the launchpad for hundreds of women with aspirations of being victorious candidates and campaign managers in November 2024 and beyond.

Sabrina Shulman

The writer is the Chief Political Officer at Vote Run Lead and Vote Run Lead Action, which held a summit this weekend at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center

Too many Americans don't have enough to eat

Since I was little, volunteering with food drives has been incredibly important to my family. Every year I’d go door to door with my brother’s Boy Scout troop in our neighborhood to ask for spare cans, and then work closely with our local distribution center to sort the goods we collected that day. Later, as we helped bag up groceries for families stopping by, watching a little kid’s eyes light up when he found a jar of peanut butter on the shelf, I felt so resoundingly glad that we had the opportunity to come together and aid those in our community who needed a helping hand.

It’s heartbreaking knowing how many families struggle to put food on the table. In 2014, almost 46.7 million Americans were living below the poverty level, and on a typical night, more than 578,000 Americans were homeless. Additionally, according to research, one fifth of students on college campuses experience hunger; that’s one fifth of my fellow peers, classmates I see every day. No one should have to worry about whether they will have food on their plate or a roof over their head. That’s why we have to make a change.

More than ever it is crucial for us to come together and address this issue, to help families in Lansing and students on our campuses. We must urge legislators to take action on the issue of hunger and homelessness in our community. By joining together across the country, we can end hunger and homelessness.

Camryn Sparschu

East Lansing

Hey Congress, if you want to cut pay, start with yourselves

Congress continues to have a problem with passing the federal budget on a timely basis to prevent a government shutdown. Congress is fully paid while they work on an acceptable budget. Those elected to Congress are a highly educated and motivated to succeed. It appears they should not have a problem with completing a budget. It appears they do not have the same incentive as the rest of America to do the job they have been elected to accomplish.

Over the last year it appears that the House of Representatives has found a solution to improve results of those that they view as doing the job hired to do. They have considered reducing the pay to $1 of those in government they believe that are not doing the job they were hired to do.

This pay must be applied to those in Congress that do not finish the budget before the government has to shut down. The members of Congress will not do this freely. Therefore, the president needs to write an executive order to implement this change of wages to $1 during the period of approval. Some believe that Congress should receive the full wage held back during the budget finalization. Others believe they should receive only the $1 as full payment.

Donald Wade

Nashville, Tenn.

How about that Congress? Tell us what's on your mind at freep.com/letters.

Russia is still a threat, we have to support Ukraine

We are at a critical juncture for supporting democracy in Ukraine, because Congress is abruptly reversing course and holding back on promised support for Ukraine. ("Senate passes temporary plan to avoid brutal government shutdown before Thanksgiving," Detroit Free Press, Nov. 15.) The U.S. must not relinquish its leadership in protecting democracy around the world.

Russia poses a serious threat to democracy and freedom within the U.S. and around the world. Russian cyberattacks constantly target U.S. government agencies and even civilian targets, such as hospitals. We ignore the dangers posed by Russia at our peril.

Support for Ukraine and for democracy in Europe is a win-win for Ukrainians and the American people. According to the Congressional Research Service and the Department of Defense 80% to 90% of military aid for Ukraine is being spent here at home, increasing the number of American manufacturing jobs.

Ruth Shamraj

Ann Arbor

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: The Israel-Hamas, aid to Ukraine, the shutdown | Letters