Retired soldier’s disdain for war in Iraq
Re: “Medically retired soldier concludes: ‘We are pawns’ in Iraq,” July 16 Cindy Rodríguez column.
I’m grateful to Cindy Rodríguez for writing Jeffrey Peskoff’s story of his experience as an Iraq war veteran. This is the true story of war, and so few journalists have the courage to write it or the intelligence to recognize it as important.
I just read “American Theocracy” by Kevin Phillips, and the facts, as he presents them, put the picture together on an even larger scale. It will take more journalists with Rodríguez’s intelligence and courage to put the case to the American people. It’s not easy for them to see themselves as aggressors or villains. Who in their right mind would want to identify with the kinds of people who have perpetrated such evil? America struggled with the same moral dilemma over our invasion of Vietnam. But we must own up to our tragic mistakes and recognize that this has become a dangerous pattern in U.S. foreign policy.
Carol Fitzgerald, Denver
State name game: Pronouncing “Colorado”
Re: “Pronouncing the name of the Centennial State,” July 20 Open Forum.
Who in the world appointed letter-writer Ronald Kinnes “Pope of Pronunciation”? All my dictionaries list both pronunciations for Colorado and, as a matter of fact, show Mr. Kinnes’ preferred colo-RAH-doe in second place behind the more commonly used pronunciation with the flat “a.”
Robert Davis, Westminster
…
As one of the six remaining natives residing in our fair state, I have spent my life hearing transplants butcher the pronunciation of places like Westminster (pronounced as it is read, not West-MINI-ster) or Arvada (are-VAD-uh, not are-VAH-duh or are-VAY-duh) or Louisville (not Louie-ville like Kentucky, rather Lewis-ville) or even with some exception Buena Vista (which may as well be changed to Byew-nuh Vista by now). I found it unusual how Ronald Kinnes of Littleton found it necessary to put forth the Californian pronunciation of Colorado as the correct one.
While the absolutely correct pronunciation of Colorado follows the Spanish pronunciation – coe-low-RAH-doe, I have spent most of my life hearing friends, neighbors, passersby or anyone else who has spent more than two weeks in the state pronounce it two ways: CALL-uh-rad-uh (usually overheard at the Stock Show or your nearest cowboy hangout where dropping the “g” from the end of words like “painting” is common) or call-oh-RAD-oh, which is what everyone else who grew up here says. Be it truly correct or not, one thing is for sure, you can move here and change your license plate as fast as you can, but the jig is up once we hear the “ah” show up in Colorado.
Aaron Dalbey, Englewood
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The “do” in Colorado should not be pronounced as “doe.” Rather, the last syllable should be pronounced as “though.” So the correct pronunciation is colo-RAH-though. The “d” is similar to the English “d,” such as in the word “bed,” but with the tongue further forward; it is pronounced very softly similar to the “th” in “the.”
The word “Colorado” is Spanish for red or colorful and should be pronounced as such. Anglos have changed the pronunciation of many Spanish words. Hispanics do the same with English words. It’s called an accent. I am not pointing the finger at Anglos, but humans in general.
Jose Sanchez, Black Hawk
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Ronald Kinnes tells us that that proper way to pronounce the name of our state is colo-RAH-doe. Many years ago, I worked with cowboys who assured me that only Easterners who live in Denver said colo-RAH-doe. The right way to pronounce it is call-uh-RAD-uh. I wish them both the joys of their opinions.
Yaakov “Jim” Watkins, Denver
Should the president have a line-item veto?
Re: “Wrong place for Bush to use veto,” July 17 editorial.
I was disappointed to read in your editorial that The Post supports giving the president line- item veto authority.
The proposed line-item veto would allow the president to sign legislation, and then, for up to one year after, propose to cancel (“veto”) specific spending provisions in them. While it might make some sense to give the president the power to knock out “pork-barrel” spending, the current measure goes much further. The president could use this authority to eliminate funding for virtually any program he merely dislikes, including child care, education or environmental programs.
Further, some analysts and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office have suggested that the line-item veto might actually increase spending as smaller items turn to bargaining chips in negotiations over more expensive matters.
Congress must face the nation’s budget problems and start making the tough choices, not shift power to the president. They should work together in a spirit of shared sacrifice to restore true fiscal discipline. They could start by agreeing not to pass spending increases or tax cuts unless they are paid for.
Granting the president line-item veto authority not only shirks Congress’ responsibility, but it endangers funding for programs that benefit us all.
Kathy A. White, Denver
The writer is project coordinator for the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, a project of the Colorado Center on Law and Policy.
Destroying embryos
Re: “Stem-cell debate turns deadly dumb,” July 21 Jim Spencer column.
Jim Spencer makes one salient point in his column. That point is buried in the 13th paragraph: “Perhaps the president should push a bill outlawing in vitro fertilization.” Excellent idea, considering that the unwanted human embryos are destroyed once the family has the children they want. Those embryos aren’t going to grow into any other kind of organism. They are human beings.
For those who say that the embryos are only a “collection of cells,” I would respond, “So am I. So are you.”
Donna Jorgenson Farrell, Broomfield
Mini race-car drivers
Re: “Mini racers hit mega speed,” July 20 news story.
No one knows the possible immediate or long-term effects on kids participating in the recent craze for track-racing for ages 3 to 17, as reported in The Post. It is urgent that the sport be monitored carefully and objectively. The headlines “Mini racers hit mega speed” and “Youngsters get an early taste of fast lane” should raise a danger flag for parents and society. Is this another version of Little League, in which parents frustrated by speed laws on public roadways project onto their kids the urge to get ahead?
At the very least, I believe that before these kids are turned loose on streets and highways with a driving permit or license, they should be required to complete and pass a re-education and attitude adjustment course.
Dean Farringer, Denver
Not the first cowtown
Re: “CowParade will beef up Denver’s outdoor art scene,” July 21 7Days story.
It’s great to know the CowParade has come to the streets of Denver. The Post notes that Chicago produced the first American version in 1999. But let’s give credit where it is due: It was the Swiss – who also know their cows – who dreamed up this “medium rare” contribution to public art. An artist in Zurich launched it before any U.S. cities made their mooove (sorry). Among those that have featured different creatures, Washington, D.C., unleashed PandaMania in tribute to the most popular residents at the National Zoo.
Barbara Haddad Ryan, Denver
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