Wages are kept low while the rich get insanely richer
Re: “U.S. is short 10 million houses; White House report lays out a fix,” April 14 news story
The article about housing states that an “analysis notes that home prices have risen 82% since 2000, while incomes are up just 12%.” It is all well and good to attempt to reduce the cost of housing, which in a growing inflationary environment seems virtually impossible, particularly with the loss of construction workers.
Why are there seldom discussions about requiring businesses to pay livable wages? The federal minimum wage is . If it weren’t for Denver and other cities raising local minimum wages, even more people would be homeless. Why not change the dialogue to forcing the large businesses and billionaires to start paying decent wages to the same people who helped make them insanely wealthy?
Joe Crystal, Denver
We can take steps to prevent mass shootings
The anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting is not just a day of remembrance — it is a call to action.
Decades later, survivors still carry the weight of that day, and too many others have since joined them in grief. We owe them more than our thoughts and prayers.
For me, it is personal. I was a junior in high school when the attack occurred. It shaped my life’s trajectory. Today, I serve as the president of Eradicate Hate, an organization founded by the survivors of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. Our mission is urgent: to convene those with expertise and lived experience to forge solutions to prevent hate-fueled violence.
Prevention is possible. Research shows exhibit concerning behavior or communications before an attack. In 81% of , at least one person was aware of the attack in advance, and in 93% of these cases, that person was a peer. Students often see what adults miss.
That is the insight behind our UP End Hate initiative, which equips students with the tools they need to recognize warning signs and feel safe and empowered to speak up. During the pilot program, two students reported weapons on campus, demonstrating the program’s lifesaving potential.
Columbine inspired a generation of school-based violence. We know how to prevent it; success now depends on collective action and widespread adoption of proven tools.
Together, we can work to prevent the next act of hate-fueled violence before it occurs. To learn more, visit .
Brette Steele, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Doxxing is bullying, not free speech
Re: “Activist guilty of doxxing Denver police commander,” April 4 news story
In a democracy, it is accepted that being equal has to do with rights, not ability. The right to free speech was intended to protect people’s right to express ideas, even those critical of political and religious leaders. That some are particularly inept at expressing ideas and thus resort to insults, taunts, etc., is unfortunate but pretty common. The right to free speech protects speakers from bullying and intimidation, but it should protect those on both sides of an argument.
A person who puts themselves out there as a public servant knows that they will experience insults and challenges to their policies, but they should not have their families being bullied, intimidated or threatened. Doxxing is just a form of stupid bullying, not free speech.
A. Lynn Buschhoff, Denver
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