Protesters arrested at Sen. Salazar's office
Thank you for recognizing Helen Ring Robinson, the first female state senator in Colorado and the second in the nation, in your “On the Side” column (Feb. 23). I am writing her biography because she was a great leader who deserves more recognition. There are a few details I would like to clarify.
She was elected in November 1912, not 1913, and took office in January 1913, just as legislators do now. She served just one four-year term, from 1913 to 1917. In those days, the General Assembly did not meet in the even years. She expected to serve only in the 1913 and the 1915 sessions, but because of the mining strike and the Ludlow massacre, the legislature met for a short special session in 1914 as well.
She was not only a member of the Denver Woman’s Press Club at the time of her death in 1923, but she was very active in that club from the time she joined in 1899. From 1906 to 1909, she served as president.
Her extensive record of public service as a senator, as a world suffrage leader, and as a peace activist should make all Coloradans proud.
Pat Pascoe, Denver
The writer is a former Colorado state senator.
Re: “Jaguar’s attack kills zookeeper,” Feb. 24 news story.
I’m so glad we weren’t present when Jorge the jaguar, while protecting his territory at the Denver Zoo, attacked and killed a zookeeper who entered his cage. The jaguar is third in size to the tiger and lion and has the most powerful jaw of all the big cats. Who would expect otherwise from such a wild animal? This tragedy was compounded when a zoo guard shot and killed Jorge. All of this occurred in front of zoo spectators.
Zoo president Clayton Freiheit reportedly said, “We are deeply saddened by this loss … a part of our family … one of our own.” Mayor John Hickenlooper said in a statement, “We are deeply saddened at the loss of a city team member and send our condolences to everyone in our community who is grieving this loss.””
What about condolences and grief for the unnecessary death of a magnificent, endangered, captive animal of the zoo? We are sorry that what apparently was a careless mistake resulted in a human tragedy. But there are those of us who are grieving for the loss of Jorge, too.
Eve Reed and Judy Reed, Centennial
…
I was saddened to hear about the most recent incident at the Denver Zoo. Jorge the jaguar should not have died. Let’s see, you take a wild animal, put it in a cage for people’s amusement and entertainment, a person goes into that cage, the wild animal acts like a wild animal, and then people are shocked at the result. Of course, then the animal is then killed for being itself. This incident just sounds wrong, and people should be questioning the competence of the Denver Zoo management. Zoos are not much more than sad animal jails, and it’s unfortunate that people patronize them.
R.F. Burns, Denver
Re: “7 protesters arrested at Sen. Salazar’s office,” Feb. 22 news brief.
The Denver Post printed four sentences about seven people who were arrested when refusing to leave the Denver offices of Sen. Ken Salazar on Feb. 21. It did not mention what motivated seven people with lives and families of their own to use their time and energy this way, why they were at Sen. Salazar’s office, or that citizens all over the nation are presently targeting their own paralyzed government representatives in the same way.
Those arrested sought an audience with the senator about an issue that is taking the lives of too many soldiers and destroying the U.S. economically. Furthermore, the world is observing the destruction of the country we set out to “save.” A recent U.N. report estimated that in 2006 alone, 34,452 Iraqi civilians died, 36,685 were injured, and nearly half a million became homeless.
What the protesters were asking was simple: that Sen. Salazar vote against the $93 billion supplemental funding bill for the Iraq war. His aide pointed out that he represents a variety of people and that a freshman senator can’t go out on a limb.
Those elected to make hard decisions need to make some. Work it out, Ken. Say you’ll cut off the lifeblood of a policy that is bleeding us all.
Shirley Whiteside, Denver
Re: “$460,000 sought by DA to battle Denver’s gangs,” Feb. 22 news story.
Thanks to Denver City Council members Michael Hancock and Jeanne Faatz for having the desire to fund District Attorney Mitch Morrissey’s plan to battle the gangs that continue to rain violence on our city. Although gangs are not prevalent in the school in which I am currently assigned, I’ve witnessed the terror and devastation that gangs have had on my students in other schools in which I’ve taught. When gangs are allowed to operate unimpeded, their influence not only interferes with our educational efforts but directly challenges the authority of our institutions. And while many people may think that the gang problem in our schools is generated primarily from adolescents and teens, think again. Many problems arise from parents who are affiliated with gangs. Gangs destroy and challenge civilized culture at a systemic level. Morrissey understands this. Let’s give him the support he needs to save our children. Go get ’em, Mitch.
Doug Wilhelm, Denver
“Amazing Grace” movie
Re: “‘Amazing Grace’ has none,” Feb. 23 movie review.
I was disappointed by Michael Booth’s review of “Amazing Grace” in The Denver Post.
I thought the acting was good, the story inspirational, and the scenes of London vivid. In showing how a group of individuals can move the policies of a superpower in the direction of social justice, the film calls on us today to do the same. In depicting religious faith as moving people to act to make a better world, the film asks people of faith to address issues of global poverty, inequality and repression today.
Jana Everett, Denver
Death of woman in jail
Re: “Deputies found not negligent in jail death,” Feb. 20 news story.
The article about Emily Rae Rice, who died in Denver’s jail after a car crash, has made me angry and amazed. How could a patient at Denver Health Medical Center be released with a “lacerated liver, several broken ribs and a ruptured spleen”? Whether she caused the wreck by driving drunk should not have been a consideration. Emily deserved to remain in the hospital for observation. She must have been in terrible shape, with external injuries indicative of the internal injuries. For a young woman to die like this is a very sad measure of the jail and the hospital. Of course, no negligence will be found anywhere.
Mary Ann Lueckel, Arvada
U.S. prisoners in Cuba
Re: “Guantanamo prisoners’ claims tossed,” Feb. 21 news story.
Of all the ways our federal appeals courts have tried to disallow our traditional legal protection for those we have imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay, last week the U.S. Appeals Court was driven to the most mind-numbingly stupid reasoning ever:
“Cuba – not the United States – has sovereignty over Guantanamo Bay,” wrote Judge Raymond Randolph. So now Castro controls our prisoners?
Gee, thanks, Raymond. Now we can let Cuba worry about those unfortunates we’ve imprisoned for years, and we can get back to more important business.
Gregg Painter, Denver
To send a letter
E-mail: openforum@denverpost.com (please send only straight text, not attachments)
Mail: The Open Forum, The Denver Post, 101 W. Colfax Ave., Suite 600, Denver, 80202
Fax: 303-954-1502
Guidelines: The Post welcomes letters up to 200 words on topics of general interest. Letters must include full name, home address and day and evening phone numbers. Letters may be edited for length, grammar and accuracy.
To reach us by phone: 303-954-1331
