It’s affordable, but is it necessary?
Re: “The SUVs of the bath tub world,” Sept. 13 Open Forum.
Thank you, letter-writer William Autrey, who wrote, “Just because we have the money to splurge on SUV bath tubs doesn’t mean we should.”
Every item we consume is a lien on the world’s resources. Think about how much Americans consume and how it depletes the resources for the world’s current and future population. It saddens me to see a two-person household who feels they need to live in a 6,500-square-foot house with imported marble and gold accents. I’ve seen people needlessly waste water and state that it doesn’t cost that much more on the monthly bill, so why should they care? Why does someone driving on paved roads need a Hummer that gets pitiful gas mileage to get their kids to school and go to the grocery store?
Take a moment to think that just because you can afford it, the resources to make that happen have to come from somewhere. Think beyond the instant gratification and display of wealth and look at the reality of what we are doing to our Earth and our future. Reduce, reuse and recycle.
Kathy Nelson, Pueblo
Support for homeless
I am formerly homeless due to bipolar disorder. I have worked relentlessly to have the voices of homeless people be recognized and never forget all of the work that homeless people do to survive and prosper. Being homeless bears no stigma to me. It is an endless reminder of our responsibility to all citizens. The homeless are as much a part of the solution, the dedication and courage to end the scourge of poverty as the mayor, the City Council, the human services administration, the social service providers, the public who are housed, and the business community. If homelessness is to end, the people who are affected must realize their gifts and share with the world their stories. In all walks of life, there are those who are affected by poverty. Every family, every faith, every economic group, every community must realize that to change this situation we must stand shoulder to shoulder while lifting one another up. Please, support all programs that provide a safety net for the poor and vote.
Randle Loeb, Denver
The writer is a member of Denver’s Commission to End Homelessness.
Bush’s battle with Senate on terror interrogation
So it’s come to this. The so-called “war on terror” has dissipated into President Bush lobbying Congress to ratify his practice of torturing prisoners in secret prisons. Unable to win the streets (much less the hearts and minds) of Iraq, he’s focused his attention on denying basic human rights. He also wants to sidestep the Constitution and deny fair trials to people who have been held for three, four and five years without any charges whatsoever being brought against them. These issues are so important to him that he personally trekked up to Capitol Hill to promote his warped vision of democratic values. Are our torture prisons any different than Saddam Hussein’s?
We in America are now guilty of hauling people off the streets, hiding them away at prisons we deny exist, treating them inhumanely, and refusing them any avenue to prove their innocence. Sound familiar? Bush brings shame on every one of us, our country and our beloved democratic ideals.
Jo Ann Soker, Denver
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President Bush has said repeatedly that the United States doesn’t torture its prisoners, but he has asked Congress to authorize what he called “an alternative set of procedures” to be used by the CIA during interrogations in foreign lands. These “alternative procedures” would include methods which would violate the Geneva Convention (to which the U.S. is a signatory) if inflicted on prisoners in the U.S., as they would be considered to be torture. Simple logic says that whatever procedures our government authorizes to be used against our enemies would be freely used with no compunction against our own soldiers who are captured in battle. According to the president, such treatment is acceptable. Is this what he has in mind when he frequently appeals to us to “support our troops”?
Jim Muhm, Englewood
