Gun control
Re: “Local gun control best option,” June 6 editorial.
Your past editorials, in singing the praises of the new statewide smoking laws, have lauded their uniform consistency as superior to the “confusing patchwork” of the local and municipal laws they replace. Yet in your editorial, you argued that Denver should be permitted to customize its statewide gun laws as it sees fit. The truth is, if Colorado’s gun laws are not to your liking, you would no doubt change your tune and argue against an inconsistent hodgepodge of gun laws.
John Contino, Arvada
Gay marriage
Re: “Marriage debate is a bit backwards,” June 8 Al Knight column.
Al Knight makes extremely valid points about what the majority of our citizens favor with regard to same-sex marriage. However, the tyranny of the majority will not prevail in this matter in the long run. I hold considerable hope that my partner of 25 years and I will eventually have our relationship legitimized. If it does not happen while I still inhabit this earth, I will not despair. I am absolutely certain that our time will come, just as laws against interracial marriages fell.
Regarding Knight’s concerns about the democratic process versus “activist judges,” I frankly don’t care by which means we achieve our goal. Fairness and equality will prevail.
Stephen Crout, Denver
Power plants
As a University of Colorado engineering student and new resident in Boulder, I’m deeply disturbed by the possibility of new coal power plants in Colorado. The prospect of damaging this wonderful environment and endangering public health for coal power when safer and cleaner alternatives exist is shortsighted and irresponsible. We should be looking to the future and investing in renewable energy and efficient technology that will keep this land as stunning a century from now as it is today.
John English, Boulder
No choice
In this year’s election for governor, pro-choice has no choice. Bill Ritter, the Democratic candidate for governor is against choice. I had been under the impression that Democrats were the party of choice, the party that would support reproductive freedom and access to safe and legal abortions. The Colorado Democratic Party has done a disservice to the people of Colorado by not giving us a candidate who will stand up for a woman’s right to choose.
Lori Colina-Lee, Bellevue
War’s toll mounts
Let’s call an end to this invasion of Iraq. Can matters in Iraq get any worse than U.S. Marines reportedly gunning down innocent families in Hadithah? And Sunni forces recently killed at least 19 Shiites, 12 of them students who were on their way to final exams.
Perhaps Einstein said it best: “It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.” Isn’t the killing in Iraq beginning to sound like that?
What is it our leaders call the killing of civilians? One of the unfortunate consequences of war? Hasn’t there been enough killing, and isn’t it getting worse instead of better?
The Brits are going to start pulling troups out of Iraq, and I think President Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld should call our troups home now. Better late than never.
Sally M. Harper, Fort Collins
