Remembering the Armenian genocide
Last week, Armenians around the world commemorated the 91st anniversary of the Armenian genocide planned and executed by the Ottoman Turkish regime.
Colorado was notable in its high level of activity that honored this horrific event. Both PBS stations aired a new documentary, “The Armenian Genocide,” with graphic footage that brings to mind the current genocide in Darfur; state officials adopted resolutions and proclamations; and Colorado’s U.S. delegation proclaimed its genocide awareness through an unprecedented level of support for Armenian genocide initiatives.
The Armenian Assembly of America launched its Colorado Genocide Awareness effort last fall and the response has been extraordinary. Sens. Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar and Reps. Bob Beauprez, Diana DeGette, Marilyn Musgrave, John Salazar and Mark Udall have added their names to our national roster of engaged members of Congress.
Colorado citizens will continue to address this issue of humanity at a May 8 conference hosted by the Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action, of which the Armenian Assembly is a coalition partner. Together, we can make our voice heard.
Pamela Barsam Brown, Colorado Chair, Armenian Assembly of America, Boulder
“Nuestro Himno”: U.S. anthem in Spanish
What is the big deal about translating and singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” in a language besides English? President Bush actually stated last week that the national anthem should be sung in English. Is the president familiar with the First Amendment? According to the Legal Information Institute, “The right to freedom of speech allows individuals to express themselves without interference or constraint by the government.”
Why is Bush spending any time on this non-issue? If anyone wants to sing any song in any language, so what?
Ron Wallick, Littleton
…
The so-called Spanish-language version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” is not a literal translation of the English words into Spanish.
Further, the music to our national anthem was probably written by a British composer, John Smith, around 1780, to accompany the words to an old English drinking song, “To Anacreon in Heaven.” (Google “To Anacreon in Heaven” to see the words and hear the music.)
During the War of 1812, there were a few patriotic songs written, some of which were sung using the same music. Francis Scott Key in 1814 wrote a poem titled “Defense of Fort McHenry.” Those words are the words of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”The song became very popular, but it was not until 1931 that Congress declared it to be our national anthem.
So the Spanish lyrics are nothing more than words to another song sung to the music of an old English ballad.
Joe Power, Denver
…
Last Friday, President Bush declared that the national anthem should be sung only in English. To which I say:
Si cantamos himnos alabando a Dios en español, por qué no podemos cantar el himno nacional a nuestro país, los Estados Unidos de América, en la misma lengua?
Pero en fin, por qué me tienen que decir a mí en qué lengua debemos declarar nuestros sentimientos a Dios, a nuestra patria, a nuestros amigos, a nuestra familia?
In English: If we (I, my family, my parents, my ancestors) sing hymns praising God in Spanish, why shouldn’t we sing our national anthem to our country, the USA, in Spanish?
Anyway, why should anyone decide in which language I express my thoughts about God, our country, our friends, our family?
I am quite capable of deciding for myself!
Edward Franco, Lafayette
Governor’s veto of air pollution bill
Re: “Owens vetoes clean-air bill,” April 25 news story.
Two days after Earth Day, Gov. Bill Owens vetoed House Bill 1309. Despite thousands of public comments, and endorsements from groups as varied as the American Lung Association of Colorado and the City and County of Denver, Owens chose to veto legislation that would give Colorado the right to protect its air quality regardless of what the federal government does. Our neighbors in Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming all have this right.
Communities along the Front Range struggle to meet health standards for ozone. Federal rollbacks would allow industrial polluters to increase emissions of ozone-forming pollution by as much as 93 percent.
It’s disappointing that Owens chose to protect dirty industries over Colorado skies and public health.
Shari Malloy, Longmont
…
I recently attended a conference on weather organized by Mike Nelson of KMGH-Channel 7. Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Center for Atmospheric Research gave talks on global warming, and the news is alarming. Every person in this state should be aware of what is going on, particularly our governor. For Bill Owens to veto any bill that concerns clean air means he is paying no attention to a global problem.
Judy Campbell, Denver
Killing of mountain lion
Re: “Necropsy reveals suspect lion OK,” April 26 news story.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife needs to change its policies regarding mountain lion attacks. The attack on the 7-year-old boy in Boulder last month was tragic, and the family did everything correctly to deter the mountain lion.
However, killing the mountain lion was a mistake. The necropsy revealed that nothing was physically wrong with the animal, which tells us this was an accident in the human world but a natural act in the animal world. The mountain lion did what it was taught to do: find the smaller-sized prey that falls behind the group and act upon that opportunity. I would like to see the DOW change its policy and, rather than destroy offending animals, tranquilize them, conduct the necessary tests, then determine if the animals can be released a safe distance from civilization.
Chuck Anderson, Lakewood
Economics of gas prices
Re: “Oil giants in cross hairs,” April 27 news story.
Justifying high gas prices in the U.S. by quoting the economic principle of supply and demand is painfully simplistic at best and ignores the oligarchical structure of today’s multinational corporations and their relationship with the present administration in Washington.
After six years of tax breaks for the monolithic oil and gas giants, cuts in government funding for alternative energy sources and mass transportation, and resultant consistent record profits by these corporations, the recent noises by our president on the subject of gas prices are not just “too little, too late,” as Hillary Clinton has said, but just plain insulting to the majority of Americans, whose only way to work is via asphalt.
J. Brandeis Sperandeo, Denver
Colorado party politics
Re: “Holtzman reaps outside state,” April 24 news story.
The Denver Post recently reported that a letter from the campaign of Marc Holtzman expressed “grave concerns” about “the potential for widespread fraud and manipulation” during the voting at the state GOP convention. If he is correct that the process is so severely flawed, how can we voters trust the integrity of any of the candidates produced by the convention? I sincerely hope that the “culture of corruption” focused on in the national media has not contaminated our political process here in Colorado.
Gary M. Wederspahn, Littleton
TO REACH OPINION EDITORS
Phone: 303-820-1331
Fax: 303-820-1502
E-mail: openforum@denverpost.com (only straight text, not attachments)
Mail: The Open Forum, The Denver Post, 1560 Broadway, Denver, 80202 or PO Box 1709, Denver, 80201
