The safety of conventional vs. organic milk
Re: “Pair turns expertise to making safer milk,” July 20 food story.
I read with interest your story about Windsor Dairy, and applaud your efforts to inform readers about origins of their food. However, the headline leaves readers with the impression that conventionally produced milk is not safe. In fact, all milk and milk products, conventional and organic, undergo extensive and rigorous safety and quality tests before they reach the grocery store. The dairy industry is often cited by other industries as a model for food safety. Strict quality control and regulatory oversight start at the farm and continue at the bottling plant with thorough testing and product safety measures. Pasteurization is a final safety step and has proven to be effective in ensuring that the milk and dairy products available at the grocery store are unquestionably safe.
Additionally, antibiotic residues are not allowed in milk, conventional or organic. Every tanker- load of milk is strictly tested for antibiotics. If a tanker tests positive, the milk is disposed of immediately, never reaching the public. It’s simply not allowed. In fact, according to the Food and Drug Administration’s 2004 National Milk Drug Residue Data Base, less than one- tenth of 1 percent of all milk produced annually tests positive for animal drug residues, including antibiotics.
While consumer interest in organics is growing and it’s great to have choices in the marketplace, it’s important to note that there is no difference in the safety or nutrition of organic dairy products compared with conventional dairy products. By law, all varieties of pasteurized milk are safe and nutritious.
Dairy farmers depend on healthy cows for their livelihood. Your readers can be assured that all dairy farmers care for their herd by providing a nutritious diet, good veterinary care and healthy living conditions.
Stephanie Smith, Communications Director, Western Dairy Council, Thornton
Connection between London terror and Iraq
Re: “London: In the eye of terrorism,” July 17 Open Forum.
Letter-writer David Maheu attempts to use the July 7 terrorist attack in London to justify the invasion of Iraq, which occurred in March 2003.
While this conflation of terrorism and the war in Iraq has been the primary talking point of the administration to justify our attack on Iraq since the WMD story was proven a lie, it has also been proven false by the Sept. 11 commission and others.
If Maheu is suggesting a cause- and-effect relationship, just the opposite is more likely the case, based on timing alone; the London attack probably was a result of our invasion of Iraq.
James C. Bailey Jr., Boulder
…
Here are my requests of letter- writer David Maheu:
1. Every time you think of this horrible event, remember that Iraqis did not do it.
2. Every time you look at pictures of those annihilated buses, trains and bodies, remember that Iraqis did not do it.
3. Every time you think of the innocents who were viciously murdered on their way to work, remember that Iraqis did not do it.
4. “Counsel” yourself that those who think the Iraq war is wrong are not apologists for Sept. 11.
5. Repeat many times: Iraq did not attack London on July 7 and it didn’t attack us on Sept. 11.
Afghanistan was a legitimate target after Sept. 11. Iraq was not. Yes, Saddam Hussein is a horrifying monster who terrorized his country, but that doesn’t equate to an imminent threat to the U.S.
We shouldn’t have gone into Iraq. Now that we have ruined its infrastructure and attracted terrorists to it, we cannot just leave, abandoning the Iraqis to the mess we’ve made. But remember – we shouldn’t have been there in the first place.
Lynn Robertson, Denver
The root causes of immigration problems
Re: “Kindness should know no borders,” July 15 Jim Spencer column.
Jim Spencer misses the real target by a wide margin. Rather than castigating our overstretched Border Patrol and the judicial system for upholding U.S. laws and protecting our borders, he should focus on the root causes of this humanitarian problem.
There is the incompetence and corruption of successive Mexican governments that do nothing other than perpetuate the poverty of the masses. Then there is the American consumer society and its ravenous desire for ever-lower prices that necessitate an endless supply of cheap, compliant labor.
It is tragic that people die for want of a better life, but Spencer should remember that it is not the responsibility or even general concern of most Americans. He should remember that these are illegals who made the choice to attempt the hazardous journey, knowing full well the dangers they faced. They may even be counting on good Samaritans to ease them on their way.
Spencer should also bear in mind that there is a reason that politicians like Tom Tancredo, who advocates strong immigration control and law enforcement, will continue to enjoy support from voters. Simply put, it’s what the people want.
Robert J. Kimber, Highlands Ranch
Importance of Referendums C and D
Re: “Referendums open GOP rift,” July 18 news story.
State Republican chairman Bob Martinez is quoted as saying about Referendums C and D, “I’ll be happy when this is behind us this November. The 2006 election is much more significant to the future of the Republican Party and good governance in this state than these particular referendums.”
It might come as a surprise to some people that running the state and trying to find solutions to our current financial straitjacket are more important than planning the next election. Gov. Bill Owens deserves credit, rather than scorn, from his own party for working with the legislature to resolve the problem.
When elected officials are sworn in, pledging blind obedience to the party dogma is not part of the oath.
Celia Greenman, Lakewood
Will Americans ever have enough?
I suspect I’m not the only one to appreciate the irony in evidence on the front page of the Scene section of the July 19 Denver Post.
On the left side of the page, Cindy Rodríguez introduces us to Robert T., formerly a member of Denver’s homeless population, and describes his amazement at the comfortable chair, small TV, and paperback books in his humble, subsidized apartment.
On the right side of the page, Douglas Brown extols the extravagant, opulent, pretentious amenities of the multimillion-dollar “castles” featured in this year’s Parade of Homes.
Will more, and more, and more ever be enough?
Anne M. Reiplinger, Denver
Treasure in Lakeside Amusement Park
Every resident of Denver should make a time-traveling pilgrimage to your amazing Lakeside Amusement Park. It’s 97 years old and the colorful neon signs, Art Deco ticket booths, spectacular multicolored tower and grand staircase are treasures from another era. The train that takes you around the lake is from the 1904 World’s Fair! The wooden Cyclone is one of the few coasters that starts you out in darkness for a full minute. And the prices! Most rides are 50 cents and it costs only $2 per car for entry.
This flower-filled park is a spectacular family resource – as well as a destination for art and architecture students. Don’t ignore this beautiful amusement park. I’m from Washington, D.C., and we stupidly let our amusement park die. We’d give anything to have Lakeside Park in our borders.
Appreciate it!
Margaret Engel, Bethesda, Md.
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