Death of park ranger
Re: “Hundreds attend park ranger’s send-off,” Aug. 11 news story.
The sad death of park ranger Jeff Christensen brought back memories. In 1991, when I decided to hike the relatively remote Pacific Crest Trail, I decided it was unsafe to do it alone. A lady answered my ads for someone to join me.
In the San Gabriel Mountains, north of the Los Angeles Basin, Jo fell trying to get around a small tree that had fallen across the trail. She fell on a bush about 6 feet down and had the good sense not to make a move. There was a 600-foot drop below her. When I came around the sharp bend in the trail, I saw her and was able to pull her back to safety. If she had been alone, she probably would not be with us today. We moved to Colorado, got married and settled down in Steamboat Springs.
Hiking in the wilderness is one of the activities which should not be done alone. Remember the hiker in Utah who had to cut off his arm to get back to civilization because there was no one to help him.
I do not fault Christensen. I fault the policy authorizing rangers to patrol alone. Not only is it bad example, it can cost someone his life.
Thomas E. Boyle, Denver
U.S. military strength
Re: “It’s critical to boost military,” Aug. 5 guest commentary.
Rep. Mark Udall’s proposal to expand our standing military by 80,000 troops ignores the core of the difficulties facing our armed forces in Iraq, namely that this was a war of choice and not of necessity.
We already have an enormous Pentagon budget trying to maintain a worldwide military standing that is not only ineffective against terrorism but, in the Muslim world, actually motivates it. The safety of our nation is not dependent upon a more massive military but upon wiser policy decisions and better intelligence.
Robert Porath, Boulder
Columnist Novak
Robert Novak and his leakers are no patriots. A patriot does not endanger our country’s security by disclosing the identities of secret agents for petty political revenge.
Remember, former ambassador Joseph Wilson’s “sin” was that he publicly told the truth about alleged acquisition of uranium by Iraq when the administration was promulgating false information to justify going to war. If Wilson was wrong, Novak’s duty was to attack what he said through facts and logic, not how he was chosen to investigate, or who he was married to. We may take the “ad hominem” arguments to mean that Novak couldn’t come up with anything better.
The CIA is quite properly incensed at this politicizing of intelligence-gathering. The public has a right to know how “shooting the messenger” improves our intelligence capabilities.
Ralph Taylor, Englewood
NCAA mascot policy
Re: “NCAA catches criticism for ruling,” Aug. 10 sports story.
The NCAA’s new policy banning imagery of Native American mascots from postseason games is one step in the right direction. And I am saddened by those who have voiced their hostile support for what they consider “tradition” and disregarded the feelings and statements of countless Native Americans and allies.
Naming Native Americans as mascots cannot be considered a “tribute,” considering the unacceptable treatment of tribes and all Native Americans in the U.S.
The NCAA’s policy has nothing to do with political correctness, it has to do with decency. There is nothing “political” about a group of people not wanting their history, religion and their selves to be mocked or exploited.
Jane Feustel, Lakewood
