“Book of Daniel” television show
I recently wrote a letter to the program director of the local NBC affiliate that is airing the new show “The Book of Daniel.” I expressed the problems that people of the Christian faith have with the show’s plot and characters.
He graciously wrote back, explaining that “The Book of Daniel is a fictional drama about an Episcopalian priest’s family and the contemporary issues with which they must grapple. We’re confident that once audiences view this quality drama themselves, they’ll appreciate this thought-provoking examination of one American family.”
Can you imagine if someone wrote a show about a local imam of Islam who has Muhammad riding shotgun in his car within a plot that is obviously in violation of the traditionally held beliefs of Muslims? The pilot would not even be considered by any reputable station. Or how about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as the Three Stooges. You could show them struggling with their inner desires and sneaking bacon cheeseburgers on the side. You know, it’ll be all about what you could term “grappling with very contemporary Jewish issues.”
It doesn’t get any funnier than that, unless you happen to be an Orthodox Jew or devout Muslim, in which case it is patently offensive since it strikes at the heart of your very precious fundamental religious beliefs.
Charles James, Northglenn
Cruelty at National Western Stock Show
I am saddened to see the extent to which local television stations and newspapers have gone to promote and endorse the activities of the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo. It is common knowledge that animals are severely injured and abused in rodeos and stock show stunts. Animals used in calf roping, steer wrestling, bull riding and barrel racing sustain terrible injuries such as severe bruising, broken ribs, open sores from spurs, and burns from fur being rubbed off and chafed underneath flank straps. These injuries are all a result of physical torture used to provoke and manipulate the animals into displaying wild behavior for entertainment purposes. Animals frequently die from these injuries. And let’s not forget one of the sole purposes of the stock show – to sell animals to slaughter houses where they will undergo further torment and ultimately suffer a cruel death.
Why would anyone with a heart choose to promote and celebrate this event? Instead, we should all try to educate the public and spread awareness about animal cruelty. If people really knew what goes on behind the scenes, perhaps we could be motivated by compassion and make some changes in the ways animals are treated.
Lindsay A. Gearhart, Denver
In defense of animal-shelter policies
Re: “Rescuing pets from ‘death row,”‘ Jan. 3 Scene story.
It is gratifying to read stories of people willing to fly across the country or drive to the next state to collect an animal that needs a new home. Unfortunately, this article helped perpetuate a negative stereotype by referring to open-admission shelters as “kill shelters” where animals sit on “death row.”
Open-admission shelters never turn away an animal, regardless of its adoptability. These shelters don’t create “death rows” – the communities that underfund their animal care and control agencies make euthanasia of surplus pets a necessity. People who work in shelters do so because they love animals. It is unfair to imply that the compassionate individuals who perform the necessary task of humanely euthanizing animals on the community’s behalf are killers.
Nearly all shelters in the Denver metro area, whether open or limited admission, work together through the Metro Denver Shelter Alliance to increase the number of animals that find homes in our community. By focusing on that common goal and eliminating judgmental and divisive language, alliance members and placement partners are saving more animals’ lives every day.
Jayme Nielson, Facilitator, Metro Denver Shelter Alliance, Denver
Supreme Court nominee
The more I read about Judge Samuel Alito, the more apprehensive I become. With John Roberts leap- frogging to the chief justice position, I cannot honestly believe that an Alito appointment will result in truthfully representing the mainstream of America. With all the distrust we now have in Washington and in large corporations, I believe that we desperately need a moderate nominee to replace Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Despite the American Bar Association’s “well qualified” rating of Alito’s capability, I think the most thorough examination of Alito is each senator’s duty, and it will find an ideology that will not help to unify this nation.
Stephen Bielfeldt, Denver
Abramoff scandal
Re: “Lawmakers’ connections to lobbyist Abramoff,” Jan. 9 Open Forum.
Letter-writer Steve Lange uses a Washington Post story to muddy the corruption scandal waters. Democrats took no money – zero – from Jack Abramoff himself. The Democratic recipients listed by The Washington Post got perfectly legal donations from, among others, the lobbying firm for which Abramoff worked and Indian tribes that were victims of Jack Abramoff (he cheated them).
There is a difference between contributing to a representative who shares your concerns, and giving money for a specific act, a quid-pro-quo. That’s bribery, it’s illegal, and in the case of Abramoff, so far it’s 100 percent Republican.
Kent Phelps, Conifer
New thinking for Bush?
Re: “Bush receives wider input on Iraq,” Jan. 6 news story.
George W. Bush and company have once again showed their disdain for any opinion except their own. I was initially encouraged to hear that Bush had invited prior cabinet secretaries to Washington until I discovered that most of the time allocated was spent on briefings and that he, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld had left the meeting early – so the secretaries got very little chance to voice any opinion or advice. I believe the hyper-egotistical Bush administration is incapable of taking any advice contrary to what it thinks. The fact that the post-conquest battle in Iraq has gone terribly should encourage Bush to invite and accept new thinking, but that will not happen.
Dave Miller, Sedalia
Potential of Concentrating Solar Power
Re: “Major step on wind energy,” Jan. 3 editorial.
The Denver Post provided kudos for Xcel’s leadership on renewable energy. Yet there is a huge, overlooked opportunity that Xcel, our policy makers and Colorado rate payers must consider.
Concentrating Solar Power, or CSP, is utility-scale solar power. It can be one of the most reliable sources of renewable energy for Colorado. The largest CSP plants in the world have been in operation for the last 15 years in California.
Arizona Public Service recently completed construction of a CSP plant near Tucson. In Nevada, a CSP plant will be operational early next year. California will be adding two additional CSP plants. And in sunny Colorado – nothing?
The San Luis Valley is blessed with prime solar resources. The Valley could easily support a 100-megawatt CSP plant to generate power for 30,000 homes. A 100-megawatt plant would yield 500 construction jobs and 40 permanent ones.
Respiratory ailments have increased in Colorado by 70 percent over the last 10 years. Concentrating Solar Power provides a solution for human and environmental health.
The governments and utilities in the southwest have come to see that CSP is the solar technology of choice. So what about Xcel and Colorado policy makers?
Claudine Schneider, Boulder
The writer is a former U.S. congresswoman from Rhode Island.
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