Bush vs. Congress over Iraq spending bill
Re: “Blast in Centennial leaves 1 dead, home demolished,” April 15 news story.
Our family wishes to express our sincerest appreciation to the firefighters, the Centennial and Arapahoe county sheriffs and cadets, along with the Red Cross, for their quick response and their attention to our safety after the house explosion last Saturday morning on South Jasmine Court.
We live just a few houses away from the demolished home, and in the few minutes it took us after the blast to get out of our house, the fire and police personnel were already in our street and were working to get us and our neighbors out of our houses and to a safe location.
We were impressed with the speed and efficiency of the firefighters to contain the large fire and to prevent it from consuming the adjacent homes. They worked to maintain the safety of our neighbors and themselves.
We and our neighbors were visited by the sheriffs at regular intervals to inquire of our well-being and to inform us as much as they could about their colleagues’ progress. Their training and execution were evident in how well they performed their duties, but their caring and compassion expressed to us and our neighbors in the midst of this horrible situation was very noticeable and welcome.
It will take some time for our neighborhood to recuperate from this tragedy, but in the meantime, we want to express a heartfelt “Well done” and “Thank you” to those emergency responders that morning.
Mark Hamouz, Centennial
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Re: “Bush vows another veto of stem-cell research bill,” April 11 news story.
Does the government represent the people or their narrow interest groups? President Bush once again shows why he is out of touch with America and setting up the Democrats for a sweep in November ’08. Last week, the Senate passed a bill lifting the stem-cell ban, and Bush vows to ignore American sentiment and veto it.
Further, Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn calls those diabetics who would benefit from this scientific progress the “maimed and diseased.” Well, boys, count out my “maimed and diseased” vote next election (I have lived with, not in spite of, Type I diabetes for the past 20 years).
If they stay out of touch, the Republicans will stay home after the next election.
Sam Fair, Parker
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Re: “President’s opposition to stem-cell research,” April 13 Open Forum.
Letter-writers Howard M. Botnick and Paul Siegel don’t understand why President Bush would veto another stem-cell research bill. Many of us fully understand and support the president’s veto, and therein lies the deep division that exists in our nation today.
Quite simply, none of us would exist had our lives been destroyed at the embryonic level. Practically speaking, embryonic stem cells have not proven effective. They are too potent and produce tumors. On the other hand, adult stem cells have proven very effective and no lives are destroyed in the process. To quote Mr. Botnick, “Makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?”
Kathy Cain, Yampa
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I am absolutely appalled by the posturing going on between Congress and President Bush regarding the Iraq spending bills. This game of chicken is not going to get us anywhere, especially out of Iraq.
What is needed is for someone to offer a “Peace in Iraq” bill that will: 1) petition the U.N. Security Council to create an all-Muslim peacekeeping force to replace American and British troops in Iraq; 2) declare unequivocally that the U.S. has no intention of maintaining a permanent military presence in Iraq; 3) affirm that Iraqi oil belongs to the Iraqi people; and 4) commit some serious money to fund reconstruction projects operated by and for the Iraqi people.
Is there anyone in Congress willing to step up to the plate and present a bill that incorporates these points?
Rev. Roy G. Smith, Denver
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Cindy Rodríguez’s
farewell to readers
Re: “Moving on in life, moved by memories,” April 15 Cindy Rodríguez column.
It was with great disappointment that I read Cindy Rodríguez’s last column Sunday morning. Ms. Rodríguez’s columns were some of the most powerful writing I ever read in The Post. I found her columns to be more controversial than anything I read in the Perspective pages. Ms. Rodríguez, like Al Lewis, has been a voice for The Post. Her voice has been enlightening, strong, fiery and passionate in a way that inspires people to think.
I pray that whomever you hire to bring a new voice to that column is a fraction of the columnist that Ms. Rodríguez is.
Alex Teitz, Denver
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Cindy, I wish you the best in your new job and other changes in your life. We (I’m certain I speak for many) will miss your column, in particular your willingness to put a human face on immigration, and your ability to say it well.
Michael Worrall, Denver
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Cold-case funding
Re: “Jury spares prison killer’s life,” April 8 news story (early edition).
Finally, seven and a half years after killing a fellow prisoner, a jury recently determined that William Sablan should be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
The case is a textbook example of why the death penalty needs to be abolished. Had the government agreed, Sablan could have pleaded guilty and received exactly the same sentence within months after his arrest. Instead, their steadfast refusal to pursue the death penalty cost taxpayers millions of dollars, money that otherwise could have been used to help families of homicide victims. One expert quoted in The Post on Feb. 6 estimated that the costs for the trial could exceed $4 million.
A bill currently being debated in the Colorado House of Representatives would abolish the death penalty and use the cost savings to investigate some of the 1,200 unsolved murders in Colorado. The Sablan case is yet another example of why this bill needs to be passed.
Michael L. Radelet, Boulder
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Re: “Vonnegut was cosmic, comic, classic novelist,” April 12 obituary.
In the early 1970s, I went with some friends to hear Kurt Vonnegut speak at the Library of Congress. The auditorium was packed with hundreds of people as the lanky author walked on stage. He arrived at the podium, looked out at the audience, paused and then softly said, “I’m very sorry but I just can’t do this tonight.” There was stunned silence as he began to walk off, when a woman rose and said, “Can I tell you that we love you?” With a slight smile, Vonnegut responded, “Thank you, that almost made this worthwhile.”
After he exited, the host from the library went to the podium and said these words: “While a prisoner of war in Dresden, Kurt Vonnegut witnessed the incineration of tens of thousands of residents when the Allies fire-bombed the city.” Perhaps this was his effort to convey how trauma could affect someone many years later. We left disappointed, but deeply moved and filled with compassion.
William Edwards, Centennial
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