Air Force coach’s comments on black players
Re: “AFA reviews coach’s remarks,” Oct. 26 news story.
Give me a break. Front-page news? So, Air Force football coach Fisher DeBerry states that African-Americans have a tendency to be fast, and that is controversial?
After coaching track in the secondary schools of Colorado for more than 25 years, it has been, may I say, a rather casual observation that the majority of sprinters and relay teams standing on the awards stands at the Colorado State Championships were African-Americans. My son, who is not African-American, was the state champion at 400 meters in 1991. I coached other great athletes who were also not African-American and were also great track athletes.
It is sad when the media, again and again, try stirring the pot of racism over any remark that a non-African-American makes about the tendency for African-Americans to be fast.
Jim Zastrocky, Keenesburg
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As far as this white person is concerned, Coach Fisher DeBerry’s comments regarding black runners is a nice compliment to the black race. I think to take it any other way would be a display of extreme insensitivity. Some factions in our society go out of their way to find fault with comments that are made off-hand with no ill feeling intended. Has any white group taken exception to DeBerry’s comments? Perhaps the news media can take a large part of the blame for this controversy by printing and broadcasting what I think is a non-story.
Paul Price, Aurora
The debate over Referendums C and D on Tuesday’s ballot
There has been a multitude of mailings, commercials and editorials describing the consequences to the individual if Referendums C and D pass or fail to pass. One yard sign reads: “If C wins, you lose.”
But what of the common good? Of community? A good Marine is fiercely independent, but also fiercely loyal to the Corps, priding him or herself on never leaving buddies behind. Jesus spoke of “love thy neighbor as thyself” and “as you have treated the least of these, so you have treated me.” The Preamble to the Constitution include phrases about establishing justice and promoting the general welfare. In the classic tale “A Christmas Carol,” Charles Dickens’ famous character, Ebeneezer Scrooge, finds real happiness only when he learns that generosity of spirit is more important than accumulating wealth.
The common thread in these examples? The importance of community. Since Referendums C and D speak to strengthening the infrastructure of roads and highways, the education system, and health care for the poor, disabled and elderly, I feel that it speaks to the welfare of most, if not all, Coloradans.
For me, a vote for C and D is a vote for the community of my fellow Coloradans. If it passes, I believe we all will win.
Tannis Bator, Greeley
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Hide your children if Referendums C and D do not pass. C and D must pass or the state will be forced to strangle every citizen over the age of 75. Family dogs will be subject to euthanasia to save state budget shortfalls. Elementary students will have Mondays off. Middle school will be closed on Wednesday and high schools off on Fridays to save the budget.
First the blue book and its state-sponsored advertisement for C and D. Then the newspapers (both of them) and their daily stomp for the cause disguised as news. Now the state has issued a schedule of cuts if this measure does not pass.
I thought you had to pay a fee to enter state parks. Now they’re gonna close. Raising the fee is too logical, I guess.
Five years ago, we passed Amendment 23 to put education first. Many say 23 has contributed to the state budget woes. Today the state claims it will spend the first 30 percent of C and D on education.
Last year, we voters approved a new cigarette tax to benefit health care. Show me where that money is going. End the madness. This is our money; in the hand of government, who knows where it will actually go. Vote “no.”
John England, Denver
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Having returned to Colorado from a 21-year military career spent mostly on foreign soil, I’m concerned about an insurgency right here at home bent on manipulating the future of my city and state.
Unlike the violent Islamo-fascists ravaging Iraq, our homegrown adversary is fellow Americans cloaking themselves in organizations claiming only altruistic and “educational” objectives. Their backers have unloaded carpetbags of money to fund a media blitz aimed at steamrolling tough but responsible decisions like supporting Referendums C and D and electing district school board members who care more about our children than their own misguided privatization ideology.
If your only sources of intellectual and emotional investment on current issues are commercials showing a politician snatching a kid’s ice cream cone, telephone recordings scapegoating illegal aliens, or radio spots warning us of a “thief in the night,” then you owe it to your community to sit at home and play computer games on Election Day.
If, though, you are willing to look beyond the spin and rhetoric, make an honest effort to understand the issues, and weigh the ramifications of your decision, then for the sake of your community, get out to your polling site and cast an informed vote.
John G. Stergius, Colorado Springs
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The government officials who favor Referendums C and D tell us our state will have severe cutbacks in services if the referendums fail. They tell us the budget shortage is $355 million to $369 million next year. But they do not address the fact that if C passes the increase in revenue will average about $740 million a year for the next five years – more than twice the shortfall.
I would favor a plan that would allow the state to keep enough TABOR funds to eliminate the shortfall, but Referendum C is excessive.
Stephen H. Cohn, Northglenn
Lakewood tax vote
As former mayor of Lakewood and as a citizen who loves her city, I urge Lakewood voters to vote “yes” on Referendum 2A. This is a critical time in Lakewood’s history. The future of our nationally recognized police department, of our beautiful parks and recreation facilities, as well as the condition of our streets and the quality of Lakewood’s basic services, are all at stake.
Lakewood has operated with a 2 percent sales tax since 1972. That tax level no longer can bring in the needed revenue to serve the needs of 145,000 people. No other city in the metro area has found it possible either, thus our sales tax rate is well below all other cities in the region.
Lakewood has always been a fiscally conservative city and should remain so. However, the investments that we taxpayers have made in our infrastructure and capital projects within Lakewood are in jeopardy of being lost. We all know that if we don’t spend adequate money to keep our own home repaired, its value will diminish and the cost of repairs will get more expensive over time.
Please vote “yes” on 2A, which will raise Lakewood’s sales tax to 3 percent.
Linda Morton, Lakewood
The writer was mayor of Lakewood from 1991-1999.
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