Hostage situation and killing at high school
It was both shocking and upsetting to read about the gunman at Platte Canyon High School killing a perfectly innocent young girl. It is truly a sad commentary on what passes for our civilization that a person could develop into a murdering monster.
I happened to be sitting outside yesterday afternoon when the Flight for Life helicopter flew over our house en route to the hospital. Now I realize who was in it, and I grieve for the parents.
Though I’m far from being a psychologist, I wonder if such a creature seeks recognition and some sort of notoriety, even in death. The remains of such a vicious criminal hardly deserve a dignified disposal. If his name was never released and he was described only as a common hoodlum, other nutcases might get the message that they won’t make the headlines and innocent lives could be spared.
Tom Johnson, Lakewood
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I would like to take the opportunity to publicly thank the brave professionals of the Park and Jefferson county sheriff’s offices. On Wednesday, they were put in a position to respond to the actions of a deranged criminal. It is an absolute tragedy that young Emily Keyes was murdered. The responsibility for that death rests solely with the killer who took her and several other innocent young women hostage. The actions of officials saved countless lives. If it were my children in harm’s way, I would want professionals of the caliber of the Jefferson County SWAT team responding.
Justin Smith, Estes Park
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Ask yourself how much bravery is required to face a man with a gun who says he has a bomb. Rapid and Immediate Deployment (RAID) is a Columbine lesson, tempered in this case by the possibility of negotiations, and successful hostage releases.
When hostage releases and negotiations end, decisions nobody wants to make have to be made. Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener and the Jefferson County SWAT team saved one of the last two hostages. Some will say they lost one of the last two hostages. Not me.
My prayers are for the family of Emily Keyes. Please join me, if you will. I know prayers can be felt from any distance by those who are receptive.
Steve Schweitzberger, Littleton
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So, I see things still haven’t changed after Columbine or any of the other school shootings that have occurred around the country. Having taught in Colorado for 17 years, I know how big a joke school security can be. A person can easily go in and out of school buildings without ever seeing an administrator or security person. It was that way even immediately after the Columbine incident.
Considering the bigger picture, I’m having a hard time figuring out why our government wants us to be so afraid of terrorists. I’m too busy worrying about our own psychos right here in the U.S. As of now, it seems that criminals have more rights than good citizens.
Mike Nevin, Lansdowne, Pa.
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Yet again, Colorado has achieved the dubious distinction of hosting a school shooting where students have died. Why is this?
I blame the National Rifle Association. The NRA tells us, time and again, that guns are good. The NRA tells us we should not trace guns. It tells us guns should be freely available. What this means is that the overall society will be very unsafe, and yet again, on Wednesday, we had a demonstration of this obvious fact.
When more guns are available, more tragedies happen. That’s because the number of nuts in the world is constant. When more guns are available, more nuts get them.
So, when the NRA tells you we need more guns, remember that more wackos will get guns. If you don’t control the guns, the wackos are in charge. That’s what’s going on Colorado now. And there are a bunch of people with kids in Platte Canyon High School who are probably wondering whether guns make us safer. I can answer that question. They do not.
Paul A. Thompson, Belleville, Ill.
Candidate’s old comments on Social Security
Re: “O’Donnell counters with own Social Security defense,” Sept. 22 news story.
We’ve all seen and heard the various ads meant to panic people. They throw the words of a 24- year-old young man into a race when the man is much older and wiser.
Maybe the opposing candidate believes that he had never said anything stupid in his life. Being 44, I cringe at things I said at 24. We must all be allowed our youth. Given time and opportunity, we grow up. We mature.
Maturity, though, means change. Change of heart, change of mind, change of opinions. Maturity also means being able to see where you were wrong and being responsible enough to admit that.
My parents taught me that a man admits when he was wrong. Rick O’Donnell has made such an admission about his youthful thoughts on Social Security. His opposition, though, continues to act like immature brats, taunting us with words said long ago and no longer applicable to the candidate in question.
The choice, then, for the 7th District appears to be between a brat and a man.
O’Donnell is the man.
Charles Tucker, Aurora
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Youthful hubris at age 24. Give me a break. Republican congressional candidate Rick O’Donnell wrote an article in 1995 advocating the end of Social Security and now blames it on youthful hubris.
His lame excuse is an insult to every American who has ever served in the U.S. military. The majority of Americans who have died for our country have been under the age of 24. The majority of Americans still serving are under 24. Rick, do you get the message? We can only hope the voters in the 7th Congressional District get it.
Roy Legg, Highlands Ranch
Democrats and Bush
Re: “Dems just say ‘Gotcha!”‘ Sept. 27 David Ignatius column.
David Ignatius’ column represents a baffling viewpoint which seems to be common to many national pundits. Ignatius apparently expects the Democrats to have an answer for every mess George W. Bush has created in Iraq and everywhere else.
Note: Bush got us in and only Bush can get us out, no matter what the Dems think.
Here is a good example of Ignatius’ fuzzy thinking: “I wish the Democrats were asking this question: How do we prevent Iraq from becoming a failed state?” Great question – who are they supposed to ask? Rummy? Ignatius should ask George Bush that question; it’s his war. I’m sure he’s listening.
Jim Ayres, Littleton
Finally, a debate on 9/11
In the last several days, we’ve witnessed the beginnings of a debate on Sept. 11. See letters to the editor by Wayne H. Langley (Sept. 17), Gerald E. Anderson (Sept. 22) and Carol Hoffman (Sept. 26). This debate should have taken place many years ago. It should have been exhaustive and completely disconnected to partisan interests. Unfortunately, the Sept. 11 commission was neither. The commission fell short for manifold reasons, including a lack of funding, a lack of cooperation from the White House and the Pentagon, and because it neither followed the money trail nor mentioned the destruction of 47-story World Trade Center Building 7. The crime scene was allowed to be thoroughly sanitized prior to the investigation, and the commission laid responsibility for America’s monumental lack of preparedness on no one.
Since most of us are not professional investigators like Michael Ruppert, who wrote on the topic of the Sept. 11 attacks in his book “Crossing the Rubicon,” we can debate until hell freezes over. As much as we’d like to put this ugly chapter behind us, we cry out for closure. We cry out for honesty.
We need a real investigation into all aspects of this dastardly attack and its aftermath.
Richard J. Bluhm, Westminster
Clinton vs. Fox, GOP
The recent dust-up between Fox News and former President Clinton has further cemented a belief I’ve had for years. I am 100 percent convinced that had Al Gore been president on Sept. 11, 2001, the Republicans would have been calling for his impeachment on Sept. 12. Yet again, the Republicans have proven that they believe W. is infallable and their philosophy has dangerously become “party over country.”
James Burness, Denver
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