The right to choose which doctor to see
Re: “Mad rush to change state personnel rules,” Dec. 16 editorial.
Thank you for your editorial encouraging the General Assembly’s Office of Legislative Legal Services to hold the Owens administration’s feet to the fire for dancing around the state constitution and attempting to repeal civil service rules by fiat, even though the voters rejected such schemes in defeating Referendum A in November 2004. The will of the people should still count for something in Colorado, but given the Owens administration’s history of violating state personnel rules, the citizens will have to rely on the legislature to keep a tight rein on this runaway lame duck who has nothing to lose in continuing his arrogant practices of patronage. I only hope the legislature will also monitor the present administration in order to prevent its anticipated raid on the public treasury for roads, despite the voters’ negative response last month to Referendum D.
Guy Santo, Evergreen
Judge’s decision on teaching intelligent design
Re: “‘Intelligent design’ loses ruling,” and “Colo. groups split on ruling,” Dec. 21 news story.
I agree with the Rev. Paul Schairer of Englewood that it is the religious community’s responsibility (not the schools’) to teach about creationism. Furthermore, it is also a parental decision and responsibility.
Excepting fourth grade, I was educated at a private Catholic school through eighth grade. Science was taught as well as religion classes. I garnered an understanding of each school of thought. While attending public school in fourth grade because of financial reasons, my parents made sure I attended catechism classes on Saturdays.
Judge John E. Jones ruled properly, averting the blurring of lines between separation of church and state and adhering to our Constitution. Jones is not an “activist” judge; after all, he was appointed by President George W. Bush. He did an excellent job of hearing the case and applying the settled law of the land.
Linda C. Rinehart, Littleton
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The Pennsylvania judge’s decision in the intelligent design case shouldn’t surprise anyone. This case was clearly motivated by a group’s religious beliefs. If we were reading mythology and came across an account of the origin of life that stated that humans were molded from clay, we wouldn’t buy it for an instant. So why do intelligent design advocates expect their theory to fly as a science topic?
Faith-based belief systems don’t follow discovery. Intelligent design isn’t in the Bible, anyway. It’s a modern idea. Members of the God squad who wish to draw a line between science and religion, then insist that one must stand on only one side, aren’t thinking right. Science is open to be proved or disproved. The church is not, and it is quite blunt about it. Children growing up with the church are told from the beginning that none of this belief system can be proved or disproved. They are taught from the outset not to let this logic, no matter how convincing, affect their faith. By its very own definition, that is not science.
Jim Bell, Westminster
Gender equity in sexual assault sentencing?
Re: “Basketball coach gets prison for sex assault,” and “Deal gives teacher who had sex with teen 2 years in jail,” Dec. 21 news stories.
I question the sentences in the separate cases involving Craig DeBiase, a coach from Machebeuf High School, and Nicole Barnhart, a teacher at Ponderosa High School. DeBiase pleaded to one count of sex assault on a child by a person in a position of trust (with six other counts dismissed), and received a sentence of 15 years to life. Barnhart will enter a plea agreement admitting to sex assault on a child and attempt to commit sex assault on a child, and will serve only two years.
What is going on here? This sounds like fertile ground for more jokes by Jay Leno over teachers and students having sex.
Is it just me, or does it seem that if the adult is a female, and the victim is male, there is an inherent prejudice for lighter treatment of the offender by the criminal justice system?
Kory Nelson, Highlands Ranch
Federal eavesdropping
Re: “Judge resigns over spy program,” Dec. 21 news story.
The range of emotions I have experienced since first learning of the Bush administration’s bypassing the courts and the law to spy on Americans in the United States is deep and overwhelming. At first, I was extremely angry. Then I felt great sadness and regret that such a national offense had occurred. The comment by Bush spokesman Scott McClellan that the White House may not “cooperate with any investigation” and that the “highly classified program” has details too important to be disclosed gives credence to my fear that there may be more the Bush administration has kept secret from the public.
Gerald J. Higgins, Denver
Qwest CEO indictment
It is long, long overdue: Joe Nacchio is doing the perp walk. Too bad you didn’t provide me a picture of that blessed sight.
Nacchio’s exploits as CEO of Qwest have affected many more people than just those in Colorado. Being a former Qwest employee, I had my life turned upside-down by this slick New Jersey confidence man. I saw my 401(k) go from having almost $250,000 in value to just over $30,000 when I had to “retire.” Many of my longtime (27 years of service) friends and co-workers were either “retired” or just plain laid off, when the company nearly foundered after Nacchio’s rapacious leadership.
The sad part of the story, though, is those of us who lost our jobs, and our retirements, will never recoup our losses. The government will levy a fine. Nacchio most likely will never do a day of jail time. And we at the other end of the pay/power scale pay the true price.
Lance Bowman, Kent, Wash.
