Youths’ guns, alcohol and attitude
I must rise in defense of my previous letter, now that letter-writer Bill Dietrick (Nov. 2 Open Forum) has accused me of being a “superficial scholar” of the framers of the Constitution.
Dietrick employs the familiar tactic of torturing quotes out of context to support his views. Many gun advocates do this routinely. To take one example, he quotes Patrick Henry as saying, “The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able might have a gun.” Henry was not a framer. He opposed the Constitution. More to the point, Henry was discussing the ability of the federal government to adequately arm the militia, when the states had failed to do. He was not talking about an individual right to own a gun.
Dietrick quotes John Adams, but Adams was not one of the framers of the Constitution. He cites Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton was talking about the militia, not an individual right to own guns. Finally, he quotes Elbridge Gerry. Gerry refused to sign the Constitution, he was so opposed to it. Citing Gerry is a little like citing Al Gore on the true meaning of the Republican Party platform. Had the framers meant to guarantee an individual right to gun ownership, there would be a clear record of it.
Dietrick writes that the Second Amendment guarantees a right to own a gun so citizens can oppose the federal government through armed rebellion. The Constitution has a word for that: treason.
Jeffrey S. Ryan, Breckenridge
Is America drifting toward being a theocracy?
Re: “Hart warns of theocracy trap,” Nov. 4 news story.
Former Sen. Gary Hart’s concerns regarding America’s drift toward a theocracy are well-founded. Hart notes that the language of politics has gravitated toward faith and values in the past decade. Hart says, “He who controls the definition controls the debate.”
Ironically, the danger of a theocracy trap has been heightened by the Democrats’ fear of the G-word. Jim Wallis, in his book “God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It,” opines that Democrats have abdicated their religious underpinnings. In doing so, they have created a religious vacuum and the GOP has rushed into the void. That has allowed the GOP to narrowly define moral values as abortion and gay marriage.
It would seem to me that the Democratic Party needs to re-evaluate its position on religion and push its theophobia to the side. Only then can the party gain equal footing with Republicans on moral issues and redefine moral issues in a broader context.
Phillip Coyle, Golden
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It seems that Gary Hart does not understand what a true theocracy looks like. In a theocratic state, citizens are forced to practice a government-sponsored religion and are punished for dissention. That is not the picture of America. Having so many citizens who practice Christianity (and subsequently elect Christian representatives) is not a theocracy. It’s a democracy, which Hart would undoubtedly say is one of the many things that makes living in America great. If he doesn’t agree with the values I hold, it is his right to go to the polls and vote accordingly. It was his right to run for office and then represent the people who elected him as best as he was able. But don’t Christians, or any other religious persons, also have the right to go to the polls and elect people who will represent their values in Washington? I know I am not living in Colorado right now, but his ignorant comments struck right at the heart of a lot people all across the country.
Cherie Berdinner, Irving, Texas
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Dictionary.com defines theocracy as, “A government ruled by or subject to religious authority.” And Gary Hart is worried that we are heading that way? We’re already there, Mr. Hart. The state religion has control of the courts of America, which mandate that we teach religion in our science classrooms. The state religion, for those who don’t know, is atheism. They call themselves humanists, but they are really atheists, and they are backed by the ACLU and the judicial system.
What religion do they teach? Evolution. Yes, that is a religion. It takes a lot more faith to believe that theory than it does to believe in a God of creation. I prefer to believe Genesis, regardless of what the state religion says.
Wes Nelson, Broomfield
Youths’ guns, alcohol and attitude
Re: “Youths learn wrong way to cap a night,” Nov. 4 Jim Spencer column.
In his column, Jim Spencer elucidates his bias and inability to provide a complete representation of a subject. Specifically, he puts forth his anti-gun agenda, but accidently provides the totality of the problem in the middle of the column (“mixture of guns, alcohol and attitude”) and does not further present the related issues.
Alcohol is possibly the most problematic substance in society, and its abuse by those attending parties is a contemporary subject in many media accounts, but Spencer chooses not to complete the relationship.
Attitude, and general degradation of manners in society, can be observed several times within any block of any street, while operating a motor vehicle or traveling as a pedestrian, but again Spencer does not further consider causation.
On the whole, the column is simply a poorly, incompletely presented opinion.
Craig C. Hopewell, Littleton
Jobs in, jobs out
Re: “Colorado loses 178 jobs but gains 250,” Nov. 4 business news story.
At first glance, the reported net gain of 72 jobs looks pretty good; that is, until you see what is really happening. Colorado is exchanging 178 highly paid engineering jobs with average salaries of $82,500 for 250 call service center jobs valued at $32,500. This is a net loss of $6.56 million in wages. Sure, more people are working, but this looks like a significant downgrade in standard of living for all. I guess I am not surprised that the new call center is hawking bare-bones car insurance to all those formerly high paid professionals who are home watching TV and looking for ways to cut living expenses.
Ken Agee, Commerce City
Broadcasting 911 calls
Re: “Boy clings to life after mauling,” Nov. 4.
I am disgusted by the continual playing of highly emotional 911 calls. Is this reporting of facts, or is this the furthering of desperation the media has turned to for ratings? Is listening to obscene terror and hysterical pleas for help necessary to understand the story? If I see on the news that a 911 call has been released, I always have my remote in hand to mute the sound. I don’t need it to understand that a child has been critically injured or a crime has been committed and the person needed help. That raw emotion makes me turn away from news reporting. It is a sad place the media has put us all in, where the lines of privacy and decency have been crossed. Will your next call for help be the big story and entertainment for strangers?
Sue Cole, Littleton
Lawsuits against priests
Re: “Archdiocese seeks to move 5 lawsuits to federal court,” Nov. 6 news brief.
No doubt the Archdiocese of Denver should be allowed to file in federal court the five lawsuits regarding alleged sexual abuse by priests that were originally filed in Denver District Court – as long as the victims would be allowed to pursue their allegations all the way up to the Vatican and Cardinal Francis Stafford, who was in charge of the archdiocese at the time of some of the alleged abuses. It’s fine to work one’s way up the chain of command in the pursuit of justice, as long as both sides are given the same option.
Joel Brence, Aspen
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