If you give a kid a book …
Re: “How can we reverse the steady decline of reading by teens,” Sept. 2 news story
I am 17 years old, and I agree that kids don’t like to read books like they used to. I, however, do like to read. Here are some thoughts about how to help kids like to read.
I like to read because my mom read to me for many years, and she read lots of different types of books, so that I now find lots of topics interesting. Good books catch my attention with amazing descriptions. For example, in “All Quiet on the Western Front,” the author made me feel I was right there, and I realized how bad war really is.
My advice to parents who want to help their kids read is to find what kinds of things your kids are interested in and get them books about those subjects at the library. When your kids are older, then adults should read the same books at the same time, so you can talk about them together.
My advice to teachers is not assign books that aren’t interesting to the whole class, like “Twelfth Night,” which made no sense whatsoever. Instead, give kids a list of great books, and let the kids choose from that list.
It is really hurting our generation not to read. I think adults should be worried. Itap important for every kid to have an adult that reads to them and helps them find books they like.
Jonathan Werner, Castle Pines
Trump’s trade war price tag is too high
The recently announced $12 billion bailout bill for farmers is an indication that President Donald Trump doesn’t plan to stop imposing tariffs anytime soon.
Having grown up on a family farm, I can assure you farmers want reliable markets to sell their products, not this crazy bailout. They do not want to be pawns in an international trade war.
Some of the largest beneficiaries will be corporations. Cargill, Inc. a privately held American global corporation with businesses that trade, purchase and distribute agricultural commodities will certainly benefit. Small family farms will not.
After the trade war began, soybeans dropped $2 per bushel. To put that loss in perspective, a farmer with 600 acres of soybeans and an average yield of 45 bushels per acre will lose $54,000 this year. President Trump’s bailout will compensate farmers for about 80 percent of their losses. In this example, the farmer still loses more than $10,000 and it cost taxpayers $12 billion!
Where does this end? How many more industries will need to be bailed out because of the financial suffering the trade wars are causing? What part of this makes sense?
J.F. Evans, Aurora
Abortion debate goes too far
Re: “Jared Polis knows legal abortions keep women safe,” Sept. 12 letter to the editor
I find Ashley Wheeland’s letter overreactive and just plain ridiculous. She cites worldwide data. Letap talk about the U.S. Roe v. Wade will not be overturned.
It could be turned over to the states but it will not be overturned. Wheeland says women’s lives would be in danger.
How about all the babies whose lives have been aborted — many at a late term? Any concern for their lives? What about all the couples who would love to adopt babies? Couldn’t health care workers be provided to help women through their unwanted pregnancies?
I resent my tax dollars going for abortion but I wouldn’t mind my dollars going for helping women through unwanted pregnancies.
Kay Robbins, Denver
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