Flags fly at half-staff outside of the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center last Monday, three days after a police officer and two others were killed at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs. (Eric Lutzens, The Denver Post)
Re: “Planned Parenthood shooting: 3 killed, including 1 police officer in Colorado Springs,” Nov. 28 news story.
It is with great sadness that I read about the slaughter of innocents in Colorado Springs. It seems that we are witnessing these kinds of tragic incidents at the hands of deranged/mentally unstable individuals with ever more frequency.
As a Christian who values the sanctity of all human life, I find it difficult to fathom how anyone could morally justify the murder of their fellow human beings for any reason except self-defense. If there are issues of concern, then we, as citizens of a civilized democracy, voice those issues and debate them, but do not kill one another because we may disagree with them.
We also need to enact more stringent regulations prohibiting (or at least severely restricting) mentally disturbed individuals from owning firearms.
Michael Pravica, Henderson, Nev.
This letter was published in the Dec. 6 edition.Re: “In Colorado Springs, a familiar tale of an armed fanatic,” Nov. 30 editorial.
I commend The Denver Post for its position on the deplorable crimes committed at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs. I agree that “strong rhetoric” is a necessary part of a vigorous democracy. I do wish, however, the editorial had concluded that Second Amendment rights end when the applicant for weapons cannot pass a background check.
As a nation of immigrants, we now face the question of whether or not to accept the immigrants-in-waiting from Iraq and other countries where the Islamic State is active. I assume that Second Amendment defenders will be among those who are insisting on a rigorous background check of the immigrants. Once these people do pass such a test, they will be able to seek citizenship, and once obtained they will have the right to bear arms.
Why not, then, require such a background check on the homegrown “armed fanatic” who feels the need to do “domestic terrorism,” two of the terms used in the editorial?
Phillip K. Tompkins, Denver
Re: “Reactions to shooting at Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs ,” Dec. 1 letters to the editor.
Some letters-writers have chosen to blame Republicans, Christians and pro-life people for the tragedy in Colorado Springs.
I detest the Planned Parenthood business of killing innocent babies; however, it never entered my mind to go on a shooting spree. I am a Christian and I try to be a Christian in every part of my life. That means love your neighbor, pray for them, attend church, show your kindness and respect for all life.
The person doing the shooting was doing none of the above-mentioned things. And when in heaven’s name are people going to realize that these shooters of the innocent do not need a motive? They are either mentally ill or not thinking clearly. They need help and they are not getting it in this country. The shooter may be using his hatred for Planned Parenthood as an excuse, but no right-thinking person kills the innocent for any reason and most intelligent human beings understand that.
Mary Carter, Englewood
This letter was published in the Dec. 6 edition.People who think the rhetoric coming from conservative talkers, pundits and politicians doesn’t have any influence on others are in denial. The shooter in the Planned Parenthood murders stated “no more baby parts” when he was arrested. This has been an issue these conservatives have been railing about for several months.
Sen. Ted Cruz, a presidential candidate, when asked about the murders, stated the fact remains that Planned Parenthood is in the business of buying and selling body parts, which is patently false. He’s obviously playing to his conservative base to obtain votes.
Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly railed against Dr. George Tiller, a Kansas abortion provider, for several months. Dr. Tiller was murdered by an anti-abortion activist while he was in church. Of course O’Reilly denied any culpability in the murder, quite possibly motivated by his rhetoric. All of this rhetoric is of course not the only reason for all of the violence, but it is definitely part of the problem.
Robert Driggers, Denver
This letter was published in the Dec. 6 edition.Re: “San Bernardino shooting: 14 dead, more than a dozen wounded,” Dec. 3 news story.
Colorado Springs, San Bernardino, and four more in between. Right on cue, those on the right are sticking to their NRA talking points: now is not the time for action, now is the time for grieving, blah blah blah. Let me offer another narrative. Now is the time for our elected representatives to listen to the citizens of this country and act. Poll after poll shows that even the majority of NRA members are in favor of common-sense gun legislation, yet our cowardly politicians are more interested in appeasing their donors than actually listening to their constituents. Anyone still believing big money in politics isn’t a problem is delusional.
Dave Peregoy, Clark
This letter was published in the Dec. 6 edition.Why are we so surprised when these mass shootings occur? Our country is historically steeped in violence. We are and have been the most violent of all the industrialized nations of the world. Eldridge Cleaver put it succinctly when he stated that “Violence is as American as apple pie.” How prophetic and accurate. To make matters worse, we have generally chosen political, military, religious and moral leaders who use rhetoric to inflame the angry, violent, alienated and mentally ill in our society. I exhort all Americans to choose our societal leaders more wisely in the future.
Stan Sanders, Arvada
This letter was published in the Dec. 6 edition.With the problems of jihadist terrorist killings worldwide, and mass shootings here in the U.S., flags flying at half-staff is the new normal. Perhaps we should just keep all flags flying at half-staff indefinitely as a reminder that until our nation comes together as one people, united, to address these issues, it could become an eternal half-staff flag — something no one ever imagined could happen.
Jerry Witt, Reunion
This letter was published in the Dec. 6 edition.
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