The latest U.S. intelligence assessment of Iraq
Re: “Bleak outlook for Iraqi regime,” Aug. 24 news story.
In response to the National Intelligence Estimate, politicians and pundits are issuing statements about the ineffectiveness of the government in Iraq and are calling for the replacement of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. This makes it clear that the notion of a democratic government in Iraq is a sham and that whoever is in this position is perceived as a puppet whose job it is to do the wishes of the U.S.
What is unquestioned in the press is the idea that we have the right to change the governments of countries that do not fully support our policies. When the weapons of mass destruction weren’t found, pundits accepted the alternate rationale that the removal of Saddam Hussein was a valid justification for the invasion.
We have a history of removing leaders who do not put our welfare ahead of that of their own country (Iran, Argentina, Panama, etc.). And we are trying to remove Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, who wants to use the oil resources of his country to benefit the people of his country instead of the international oil companies.
How can we purport to foster democracy while claiming the right to change the government of any country that disagrees with us?
Mary Casper, Bailey
. . .
From the latest assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies, it’s hard to tell who’s more to blame for the bleak outlook in Iraq: President Bush or Prime Minister al-Malaki. Perhaps they are both hapless victims of the same political virus that has infected both our countries, causing us to underestimate our opponents by demonizing them as enemies.
By refusing to recognize the shadow cast by their own ideological skew, both men end up being seen as “the enemy” themselves – unwitting saboteurs of the very national unity they profess to serve.
Joel Brence, Aspen
Musicians returning jazz to popular culture
Re: “Still jazzed about jazz?” Aug. 26 letter to the editor.
I disagree with a recent printed statement that jazz is a dying art form. People love jazz.
This last week, I played saxophone for an open mic night at a bar in Louisville. The people in the crowd were in their 20s and 30s. The groups that played were mostly rock and punk. They were great musicians, but when I got up and played John Coltrane’s “Mr. P.C.” and other jazz standards, the people were literally dancing and screaming. They loved it.
There’s a misunderstanding these days that all jazz is smooth jazz and will put you to sleep. Jazz is played in elevators and on hold when you call the insurance company, not in popular settings. That’s changing, though, with musicians like Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson becoming popular. There are some of us musicians out there dedicated to seeing jazz return to popular culture, and are having much success at it.
Ben Gallegos, Thornton
Public should weigh in on U.S. 36 corridor planning
After four years of planning, the U.S. 36 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is now available for public comment. The importance of this document – the catalyst for expanding travel choices, reducing congestion, and improving safety for one of Colorado’s most important employment corridors – could hardly be greater.
The DEIS is the vehicle that defines future transportation improvements for the 18-mile study area between I-25 and Foothills Parkway in Boulder. The Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration are leading the study with the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Regional Transportation District.
The DEIS includes a “no-action” and two “build” packages for the highway configuration, each estimated to cost $2 billion.
Even as the U.S. 36 coalition of governments and businesses has achieved a long-term vision for the corridor, funding to build has steadily diminished. Coalition partners are now left with limited resources to implement whichever of the DEIS packages is ultimately chosen.
We believe transportation improvements to U.S. 36 are badly needed for safety, quality of life of daily commuters, and to support mobility choices. As the U.S. 36 DEIS points out, employment and population growth are expected to increase dramatically between now and 2030. If no action is taken, the level of service will deteriorate to stop-and-go traffic throughout the day.
The coalition supports a phased implementation of highway improvements that identifies segments where funding is identified to accomplish the ultimate build-out of the corridor.
The coalition supports elements of both Packages 2 and 4, and favors a “hybrid” of the two as the preferred alternative. In Package 2, we are concerned about lack of corridor-wide access in the express lanes, which limits access to employment and activity centers. The coalition would like to see further analysis to provide a continuous travel advantage for carpoolers and vanpoolers.
The public comment period, which ends Sept. 17, offers interested citizens the opportunity to shape the future by helping to determine a recommended alternative. Please participate in an upcoming DEIS public hearing. Dates and locations can be found at .
This letter was signed by the U.S. 36 Mayors & Commissioners Coalition and 36 Commuting Solutions. The U.S. 36 MCC consists of the mayors and county commissioners from Boulder, Superior, Louisville, Broomfield and Westminster.
Please, feed the bears
Re: “Hunger’s lure, bears’ peril,” Aug. 24 news story.
Instead of worrying each year when the bears come down out of the mountains and forage for food in town and
threaten kids and small dogs, why not take some garbage up to the mountains and create a seasonalgarbage dump for bears? This would encourage the bears to stay in their own territory, fulfill their needs there and quit bothering the natives.
As the season changes and winter approaches, the bears will fatten themselves in their own territory and go into hibernation and the dump can be closed. When spring comes and the bears, now hungry again, come out of hibernation, they will find food in their own grounds, growing with the coming warm season.
The folks in town can let their kids out in the yard.
Repeat seasonally, as needed.
Dorothy M. Alexander, Denver
Why single out Vick?
Each year, tens of thousands of greyhounds are killed when they are too old to race or if they lose too many times. How many more, among poor breeders, are killed with a shovel?
Each year, hundreds of race horses that are too old to race, losers, or injured are shot or go to slaughter and end up on French dinner tables.
Thousands of elk, deer and other game are wounded and left to die because hunters are too lazy or inept to track them. These animals are finally put out of their misery by the coyotes, wolves or bears that find them.
On game farms, thousands of farm- raised birds are let out of cages to fly over dozens of shotgun hunters, who kill many and wound many, and no one goes to find those flopping around wounded. No one eats the pellet-filled carcasses.
Dairy farms monitor each cow’s milk output daily, and when it falls to a nonprofit point, the cow is sent to slaughter. The same happens in egg-laying barns.
Each fall, working horses on Western ranches are culled and the losers are sent to slaughter, rather than fed over winter.
Compare with current scapegoat Michael Vick. Enough, already.
A.L. Schafer, Red Feather Lakes
Sweltering schools
Re: “Lack of AC in schools isn’t cool way to start,” Aug. 26 news story.
This story sounds familiar. Back in 1954, when school went into June, I and my classmates were sweltering in classrooms at Denver’s East High School. Apparently the only thing that has changed in more than 50 years is the time of year that students swelter.
Bruce Johnson, Estes Park
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