Legislating what’s in school vending machines
Re: “Schools vending wrong message?” Jan. 27 news story.
As the owner of a vending company and the mother of a public school student, I think it’s ridiculous for the state to legislate what can be put in vending machines. Kids can buy all the candy they want at the school store, which is in most high schools. The cafeteria food is mostly fried chicken nuggets and corn dogs, plus you can buy sweets in the cafeteria line. When kids are in high school, they can go to McDonald’s and Taco Bell for lunch. So, if you want healthier kids, legislate the cafeteria, school stores and restaurants, not just vending machines.
Jackie Yost, Morrison
Porn in the USA
Re: “Porn feeds human trafficking,” Jan. 27 guest commentary.
While it is a given that the human sex-trafficking trade is an abomination, it is absolutely not demonstrated, by any of guest commentator Daniel Weiss’ stats, that ordinary, run-of-the-mill porn “feeds” it.
Contrary to Weiss’ blather, the more freely available porn becomes, to both men and women, the more the rape and sex abuse stats recede. Indeed, the most sexually abusive societies and cultures are also the most repressive in terms of sexual representation and depiction. For more on the arguments behind this, see the book “Defending Pornography: Free Speech, Sex and the Fight for Women’s Rights” by Nadine Strossen.
Another of Weiss’ canards – the implication that most women in porn films are trafficked – was blown to smithereens long ago by Wendy McElroy, in her book, “XXX: A Woman’s Right to Pornography.” She noted that all the women she encountered and surveyed in the porn trade were there because they wanted to be. A few because they simply liked sex, but many more because of the pay – one of the few areas in this inequitable, capitalist society wherein females are properly remunerated.
Lastly, Weiss makes a big issue of “hard core pornography,” but as the PBS “Frontline” documentary “American Porn” noted, barely one half of 1 percent of all pornography is of this form. The rest is simply run-of-the-mill depiction – primarily aiming to help Mr. & Mrs. American to a richer sexual life.
Phil Stahl, Colorado Springs
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Daniel Weiss makes some good points. However, just like the demand for illicit drugs, the demand for pornography is what drives the market for it.
Weiss mentions, by name, hotel chains that have on-demand sex movies. How about DirecTV and Dish Network? Why leave them out? Perhaps just because they are too mainstream.
But the fact is, this is available by the more mainstream video providers because there is a demand for it, whether we like it or not. The best way to show your dismay over purveyance of the porn industry is to not use the sites and not pay the money to see the movies. Just as there would be no illicit drug traffic if there was no demand for illicit drugs, there would be no mainstream porn industry if there were no demand for the movies.
Chuck Smith, Denver
Withdrawal of U.S. attorney candidate
Re: “U.S. attorney candidate bails,” Jan. 27 news story.
I was disappointed to read, in the article regarding the decision of Troy Eid to withdraw his name from consideration to be U.S. attorney for the District of Colorado, the baseless suggestion that Eid’s decision to withdraw might be linked to the fact that disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff once worked at a different office of the same large national law firm where Eid now works. This was unfair to Eid, because it hinted at a personal professional connection to Abramoff where none exists or existed. Apparently, Eid began work in Denver at that firm only weeks before Abramoff was fired from its Washington branch.
Troy Eid has a long history of commitment to public service that deserves praise, not passing remarks that amount to unfounded guilt by association. I don’t say this from any partisan motives: Eid and I are in opposing political parties and fundamentally disagree on many, many issues. But we agree on the importance of public service.
The real scandal here is that a year has now passed without a nomination of a new U.S. attorney to fill the spot vacated by John Suthers when he was appointed Colorado attorney general. Colorado deserves better.
John Walsh, Denver
Analysis of Hamas political win in Palestine
Re: “Some see parallels to Nazi Germany,” Jan. 27 news analysis.
Your “analysis” of the Hamas victory in Palestine was as shameful as it was narrow-minded. Just because the White House doesn’t like the electorate’s choice in Palestine doesn’t make it “Nazi.” What the White House can’t stomach is that democratic choices in Palestine and elsewhere in the Middle East are largely focused on a) the elimination of Israel as a state, and b) minimizing U.S. influence there. Just wait until the White House sees democratic elections in Egypt and Syria. Let us also not forget that the elections in Iraq will ultimately result in an Islamic- leaning state closely allied with the mullahs in Iran. Would it not be better to deal with the realities rather than to call them “Nazi”? Be careful what you wish for; you might actually get it.
Frank Ohrtman, Denver
Placing legal limits on marriage
Re: “Inserting marriage into Colorado’s constitution,” Jan. 23 Open Forum.
Letter-writer Robert Larson states his position that the ballot issue proposed for defining marriage as between one man and one woman is unconstitutional because it equates to banning gay marriage and therefore it is preventing individual freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. This logic is a stretch. Even if such a measure were passed, the rights of homosexuals to pursue life and happiness are not being infringed – there are no barriers to pursuing their relationships. If a law were passed banning homosexual relationships, then yes, their rights would be infringed upon. What they are being denied, if you will, is having their relationship deemed a marriage, to obtain all the rights and benefits under the law that accrue to that state.
There is no such thing as a constitutional right for an individual to form whatever type of relationship they want and then be legally recognized as married. Legally and practically, there need to be both a definition and limits for marriage. Unfortunately, no definition or limits will please everyone.
Raminah Harbour, Thornton
Importance of arts along with 3 R’s
Re: “DPS priorities must start with the 3 R’s,” Jan. 29 editorial.
The Post’s editorial points out that reading and writing are the true vitals of an education and teach practical skills. But so do many electives as well. Sports teaches (at least it should) students when competition and aggression are OK and when they’re not. Music and foreign languages expose students to different cultures and help them keep an open mind. Art does the same. All of these are vital and practical skills. Perhaps a better solution, instead of simply cutting electives, would be to put certain academic requirements that must be met in order for a students to take such electives. Perhaps students in remedial reading and math classes have fewer options open to them and the incentive to improve is to be able to take more electives. Of course, the flip side to this is that some students stay in school only because of the electives and, without them, they would most likely drop out.
Matthew Griego, Albuquerque
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