Bushs appeal for patience with Iraq war
Re: “Bush appeals for patience,” March 20 news story.
On Monday, President Bush appealed to the American public to have patience with his new plan for securing Baghdad. “Success will take months, not days or weeks.” When our children were small, parenting classes warned us against being “helicopter parents” who continually hover around their children, doing practically everything for them and thus impairing the children’s ability to stand on their own feet and to learn to make the right choices. After 48 months in Iraq and thousands of lives destroyed, isn’t it time to take off the training wheels? This administration has issued dire warnings about what will happen if we do draw back, but it certainly wouldn’t be the first time that they were wrong. It’s time to see if the Iraqi people can step up to the plate.
Jim Lowe, Wheat Ridge
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Re: “Revived protests seek firm footing,” March 18 news story.
Given that our country has committed so much blood and treasure to secure the freedom of her fellow Muslims in Iraq, it’s grotesque that a Muslim girl is pictured in your Sunday edition wearing a sweatband with the word “peace” printed on it. Is she not aware that, according to a poll taken by ap Research Business, many Iraqis say life is better now than it was under Saddam Hussein? Perhaps this girl’s protesting skills could be better utilized elsewhere.
David Cassidy, Denver
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Your page of photographs showing Colorado servicemen and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan (March 19) is heartbreaking. Surely, even if they wanted to serve in the military, they didn’t expect or believe they would die so young. And surely, despite our political differences in this country, we can all look at their faces and agree that the fact that these young people – so full of life and courage and potential – are no longer among us is a tragedy.
Lisa Hyer Davenport, Englewood
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You are running a feature on your website listing the names of Coloradans killed during active duty. You incorrectly state that they have died fighting the “war on terror.” Those who died in Afghanistan were truly fighting associates of al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization. Deaths in Iraq have nothing to do with terrorism or terrorists. By making such a claim, you provide support to the discredited liar who has taken our country into this immoral misadventure.
E. Gallagher, Aurora
Immigration and labor issues in U.S., Mexico
Re: “Bush vows to intensify push to ease immigration laws,” March 22 news story.
President Bush’s guest-worker program will be an insufficient, surface mend to the deeply rooted tangle of immigration. To address the root causes of migration, we need to create better trade policies and higher labor standards for workers in the U.S. and Mexico. U.S. free-trade policies perpetuate migration through the exploitation of natural resources and human labor in Latin America. Our policies leave people desperate and unable to support themselves and their families in their home countries. We also need to create higher labor standards for workers in the U.S. and Mexico. Creating more low-paying jobs will only perpetuate the cycle of migration and poverty. Workers must be able to work in safe, humane workplaces and have health care. They must have the right to collective action and the right to have a say in their working conditions. Lastly, we need to create paths to citizenship, support family reunification, and reduce backlogs. A temporary-worker program without a path to citizenship supports exploitative labor conditions, hurting wages and conditions for all U.S. workers. Opening more border checkpoints is not the answer.
Katherine Hoff, Denver
Principals CSAP pep talk for black students
Re: “Pep talk for black students raises eyebrows,” March 20 news story.
However well-intentioned Morey Middle School principal Dori Claunch may have been, her decision to segregate her African-American students in order to deliver a CSAP pep talk may have had an effect exactly opposite to what she intended.
Some years ago, Stanford psychologist Claude Steele discovered that when subjected to racial stereotyping, students perform less well on standardized tests. In one experiment, Professor Steele separated white male Stanford undergraduates into two groups. He told one group that the exam would compare their math skills to Asian students. He said no such thing to the other group. After testing, those white students who had been subjected to the racial stereotype in advance of testing scored lower than the other group. He found the same results with other racial groups including African-Americans.
The performance gap between students of different races, ethnicities or genders is not attributable solely to such stereotyping, of course. Nonetheless, my prediction would be that Ms. Claunch’s pep talk had the unintended effect of lowering the CSAP scores of Morey’s African-American students.
Thomas D. Russell, Denver
Grand Canyon Skywalk
Re: “Tourist Skywalk not so grand,” March 21 editorial.
I think The Denver Post’s editorial objection to the Hualapai Reservation Skywalk at the edge of the Grand Canyon is just plain silly. I could and would agree with The Post if the new, ultra-modern looking, glass-bottomed observation deck was located at the only site where the public can view the natural wonder of the Grand Canyon. But there are hundreds of miles of incredible vistas along the Grand Canyon that the Skywalk does not affect in any way.
Further, this modern marvel actually offers a special, spectacular way of viewing the canyon that can’t be found anywhere else. I can hardly wait to get there.
Darrell Arnold, La Veta
Ballet’s season finale
I had the great pleasure of attending the March 17 performance of “Dance Creations,” the season finale of the Colorado Ballet, featuring two world (and one Colorado) premieres.
Choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie’s “Second Exposure” was mesmerizing, the difficult choreography (reminiscent in places of Balanchine, and perhaps Tharp) ably and enthusiastically performed; Jessica Lang’s “De Profundis” was disciplined and visually stunning; and the bravura dancing to the toe-tapping music of Lila York’s “Celts” was technically and theatrically exciting.
This company has superb soloists and principals, but every member of the company seems capable of world-class work. I look forward to next season, and will try not to miss a production.
Susan Upson, Longmont
Nacchio’s tears at trial
Re: “Foes come out swinging,” March 21 news story.
Puuuulllleeeeaaaasssse! The artist’s rendition of former Qwest CEO Joe Nacchio as he “wipes his eyes” (on trial, in the courtroom) was more than I could stomach. It pretty much ruined my morning as I again was reminded of the thousands of Qwest stockholders and employees who previously have had to wipe their eyes as Nacchio’s actions wiped out their modest financial security.
Jerry Keintz, Parker
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