Safety programs on Colorado ski slopes
Re: “Follow safety rules on slopes,” Dec. 5 editorial.
I applaud the general tone of your editorial, but I think you should be aware that a number of resorts have been addressing this issue for some time now. One of the first programs was Copper Mountain’s SlopeWatch, which has been in existence for eight years. I have been involved with this all-volunteer group for the past four years, and we work very hard to promote safe skiing and boarding on the busier runs at Copper. Intrawest Resorts management has been greatly supportive of our program. I know of similar groups at Keystone, Breckenridge and Vail.
However, the bottom line is that skiers and boarders must take responsibility for their own behavior. There is a limit to what the resorts can do to police stupidity. Colorado’s Skier Safety Act states that “It is your responsibility to maintain control of your speed and course at all times, and to maintain a proper lookout so as to be able to avoid objects and other skiers. Careless and reckless skiers will have their skiing privileges revoked.” In addition, “It is unlawful for you to ride a lift or to use any ski slope or trail when your ability to do so is impaired by the consumption of alcohol or any drug.”
Clearly both of these laws were flouted by one of the parties in last week’s collision at Vail. In my opinion the “petty misdemeanor” that the snowboarder was charged with belies the severity of this kind of behavior. (He was released on a $100 bond, this after fleeing the scene of the accident.) We can be thankful that no serious injuries occurred, but the authorities involved in prosecuting this individual need to take a more harsh approach in order to discourage others.
Erik W. Jefferts, Denver
Relating Iraq torture to attacks on Sept. 11
Re: “PeaceJam club’s dramatization of torture,” Dec. 5 Open Forum.
While letter-writer Carl Blackman is free to believe that the people of Iraq were somehow behind the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers, the overwhelming majority of informed people on planet Earth know there is no such connection. Neither Saddam Hussein nor the Iraqi people had anything to do with Sept. 11.
I think it’s irresponsible of The Post’s editors to allow such corruption of reality to be printed even on its opinion pages without a note of correction. Hundreds of thousands of innocent people have died or had their lives ruined because such false notions continue to be repeated without regard for validity.
It’s past time to stop torturing the facts to fit a failed notion of reality.
Bruce McNaughton, Denver
…
What Carl Blackman fails to understand is that when a terrorist kills or destroys, our principles and morals demand that we do everything we can to stop them. Who we are and what we stand for call us to action. However, when our own government restricts our rights, stoops to spying on its citizens, and makes torture and indefinite detention legal, who we are has been devalued, what we stand for has been injured, and our principles and morals are tarnished. A terrorist can only kill us. When our government acts more like the terrorists, it kills what we stand for and who we are.
John R. Pack, Parker
Bush’s language on Iraq
While some may argue whether or not George W. Bush is the worst president of all time, I expect that most would agree that his administration is the very best at the use of language and the use of spin to promote their cause. For example, his recent comment that “we’re not satisfied with the pace of progress in Iraq” was said as though some progress had already been made, but that, according to Bush, it’s just not quite enough. Masterful spin, but who in their right mind would ever suggest that the carnage, destruction and corruption going on in Iraq now could be considered progress of any kind or any pace? It seems wrong to suggest that all we need to do now is to go faster in the same direction.
Bob Kropfli, Golden
Injured Frontier worker
Re: “Frontier staff asked to help hurt co-worker,” Dec. 5 news brief.
I find it outrageous that Frontier Airlines finds it necessary to ask fellow employees to donate vacation time to help the injured ramp agent. Working around moving aircraft is plenty dangerous without the added hazard of a slick frozen tarmac. The idea that this fellow slips on the ice, is run over by a loaded jet and then must hope that he can recover within his two- week sick time is pitiful. It is repulsive that his employer chose to ask others to give up their vacations instead of making sure the injured employee gets everything he needs.
Frontier management might want to check the aircraft tires for damage from bone fragments; maybe the employees can chip in on that as well.
Ken Agee, Commerce City
Senators’ resignation
Re: “Early exit for 2 state senators,” Dec. 5 news story.
If the quote attributed to Sen. Dan Grossman is accurate, it says all it needs to about the need for legislation such as Amendment 41: “I came to the conclusion that I would not be able to advocate for a cleaner environment to leave our children.” This is a pathetic attempt to use political rhetoric to play on poorly informed people’s emotions. This guy has obviously lost sight of what public service is. Here is a thought: Why not volunteer if he wants to save the environment for our children?
Steve Carpenter, Littleton
Changes to RTD bus schedule with new rail
Good luck, RTD, with the new light-rail line. May you carry many passengers happy to give up their cars for public transportation.
You have, however, forgotten many of us who live north of the new rail lines. Additionally, you have stranded those of us without cars who live a distance from Colorado Boulevard and who depended on the popular B line to take us south on Colorado Boulevard and north back towards Cherry Creek. Instead, you left us with two buses – No. 46 and No. 40 – and a highly trafficked, dangerous Colorado Boulevard to cross for the return trip.
Since RTD hasn’t figured out how to create a system where one bus meets another with only a few minutes of passenger waiting time, this leaves former B line passengers waiting in the cold in winter or the heat in summer for at least 15 minutes. Former B line passengers, many of them senior citizens, find this new arrangement incomprehensible and cruel.
R. Pollack, Denver
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