Sen. Salazar s support of Albert Gonzales
I’m asking my liberal gringo friends to back off from being so critical of Sen. Ken Salazar’s reluctance to call for the immediate resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
Not because I think there is any doubt that Gonzales should go. Geez, he is arguably the worst and most politically partisan attorney general in history. I just ask my Democratic brethren to try to understand how incredibly difficult it must be for Salazar to sell a fellow Hispanic down the river, even an awful one like Gonzales. Remember that it was Ken Salazar who introduced Gonzales to the Senate at the beginning of the attorney general’s confirmation hearings.
Salazar knows better than anyone how groundbreaking it was to actually see a Hispanic nominated to become the chief law enforcement officer of the land. It must be heartbreaking for him to see a fellow Latino so abuse the position. Sadly, Gonzales and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have both shown us that as desirable as minority appointments are, they can obviously be just as disastrous as the appointment of politically inspired, unqualified white folks.
Roberto Lopez Moreno, Denver
State adoption bill and the will of the voters
I am very distressed that we are seeing an adoption bill that will allow any two people in a household to adopt children. It would allow any two people, regardless of sex, to adopt children.
It is another way to circumvent the voters who, not long ago and very decidedly, defeated Referendum I. It is in the best interest of children, as study after study has shown, to place children in homes with both a mother and father. Please give our children safe environments. If this bill passes, I am concerned that Christian adoption agencies will close their doors, rather than place children under these regulations.
Ann Burger, Colorado Springs
Reaction to Obama-Osama reference
Re: “Obama shrugs off wordplay on his name by Fox News chief,” March 12 news story.
Have people totally lost their ability to interpret someone’s statements except as a slur to them or their organization? Sen. Barack Obama apparently realized he was not really being impugned. It seems to me that Roger Ailes’ remark about the confusion between Obama and Osama (“Why can’t we catch this guy?”) was clearly not intended as any slur to Obama, but rather a humorous allusion to President Bush’s continuing difficulty in keeping straight the names of national and international leaders. If anyone were to get upset, it should be the president, but I thought it was a pretty funny joke.
Roberta L. Marro, Aurora
Future homes: Two master bedroom suites?
Re: “Snoozing happily in separate bedrooms; Sleep-deprived couples nudging building trend,” March 11 news story.
This article thoroughly misunderstood a statistic presented at this year’s International Builder Show, making the premise of the article rather unnewsworthy. Not that separate bedrooms aren’t an interesting idea, but the fact presented by Gopal Ahluwalia was that 62 percent of the architects and builders he surveyed believed there would be “more” or “substantially more” demand for custom homes with dual master bedrooms by 2015. He did not to suggest that 60 percent of homes would have this feature. I’d be surprised if more than 10 percent of custom homes have this feature today, and although this number may increase slightly, it is unlikely to rise dramatically in the next eight years. This is hardly front-page news.
Scott M. Fisher, Denver
Keeping animal care in the hands of vets
If House Bill 1296 becomes law, animal owners could take their animals to non-veterinarian therapy providers without so much as consulting a veterinarian – potentially harming animals, their owners and the general public.
[The House passed the bill on March 6, and it is now in the Senate.]This bill raises four dangerous concerns because it:
1. Increases risks to the health and well-being of animals. Animal patients could suffer when provided therapy that may be inappropriate for their medical condition.
2. Eliminates safeguards that protect public health. Communicable diseases can pass from animals to humans. Veterinarians must report these diseases, which would pose dangerous threats when overlooked by the untrained eye.
3. Negates an effective and reliable professional licensing system. Veterinary licensure protects animal patients and public health.
4. Discounts highly trained and knowledgeable veterinarians. Veterinarians today have more skills and knowledge in complementary and alternative medicine for animals than ever before.
Supporters argue that HB 1296 gives animal owners the rights to determine how the animal can be treated. In reality, this bill creates an opportunity for untrained individuals to provide therapy to animals without appropriate education, regulation or consumer protection. This bill defies veterinarians’ core beliefs: helping animals to lead longer, healthier lives and protecting public health.
Stacy Hudelson, DVM, President, Colorado Veterinary Medical Association, Meeker
Reflecting on the Irish
Oh, for us all to be Irish, if only for just one day. To remind ourselves of the perilous journey our forefathers took to come to this land. To remember the fear they felt, where even in a land that shared their language, customs were so foreign in all but their own local clan. To imagine the long hours of the seemingly endless, back-breaking work they did for so little pay, with no recognition of their contribution to the fabric of society. To be regarded as a stranger, an interloper of potentially villainous intent. To fight so hard for a gain that hardly impressed those in the mainstream. And then, after generations of struggle, to finally overcome. To be able to say to the next generation of immigrants, “Mi lucha es su lucha” (“My fight is your fight”).
J. Brandeis “Mc” Sperandeo, Denver
Immigration reform
Re: “Bush vows to intensify push to ease immigration laws,” March 15 news story.
I’m glad to see President Bush resisting some of the worst of the anti-immigrant extremists in his own party. But the message he gave in his visits south of the border didn’t offer much hope to immigrant workers. His mix of tougher border measures and a guest-worker program that leaves the “guests” totally vulnerable to exploitation by the employers who sign them up to come isn’t likely to win much support from either side of the debate. When will we start treating these workers who fill such a big need in our economy with the respect and dignity they deserve?
Eric Wright, Denver
A crane called Baby
Re: “Birding up baby,” March 16 news story.
Thank you for including us in Baby the crane’s excellent adventure; you had me from your headline, which should win a prize for punning. I could hardly wait for the next installment of her journey and was holding my breath for a happy ending. This was great writing and a charming story. By featuring it on the front page, you created thousands of well-wishers for Baby and were instrumental in her safe return.
Beverly Bennett, Aurora
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