LETTERS: A nation of big babies; Dog is not my friend; and more

A nation of big babies

When I heard on the radio this morning that due to hot weather students would be excused from school if they wanted to stay home because of the heat I was amazed! That in a nutshell is what’s wrong with America. We are becoming a nation of big babies. Can we possibly find any more ways to coddle our children here in America? Won’t most of these kids stay home in houses without air conditioners? How hot does a kid get sitting quietly at a desk in a classroom? What would our forefathers think if they ever heard about kids staying home because it was too hot to go to school? Appalled I am sure.

Next I heard something about bond money needed to air condition these buildings. That is a stupid waste of money. Here in Colorado public schools start in mid August which is usually a hot month for us and school ends in early May which is historically pretty mild. So a simple, cheap solution would be to adjust the start and stop dates of our schools to those used in the East. Let school start after Labor Day and finish up in June. Problem solved, not costing a penny!

Virgia Szostak

Colorado Springs

Read labels, ask questions

Re: Letter of Sept. 1, “More jobs, more money”.

There isn’t a lot we can do to reduce buying products from China since so much of what we need is manufactured there. However, we can stop buying food products from there. In order to do that we must read labels and ask questions. Case in point: I recently bought a jar of chopped garlic with the store brand name on the jar. I didn’t bother to check where it was from until I got home — of course it was China. Like we don’t have good garlic from California. The other day I was going to buy frozen grouper with the store label and saw that it came from China.

One of the most deceiving labels is frozen wild salmon from Alaska. It comes from Alaska, or so it says, but is processed in China.

Remember stores are required to disclose where fish comes from. Fresh fish is easier to deal with because you could always ask the counter person if the price tag doesn’t specify the country of origin.

Howard A. Sanders

Colorado Springs

Unleashed dog not a friend

It has been said that a dog is “man’s best friend,” Dogs are wonderful creatures, and many would agree with that quote. However, an unleashed dog is not my best friend. For much of my life I owned a dog, and there were many special times spent with my dog. I would like to request that dog owners please keep their dogs on a leash in areas where a city ordinance is posted requiring it. I like to hike and bike on many of the designated trails here in Colorado Springs. Almost always I encounter loose dogs, even though the ordinance is posted requiring them to be on a leash. Just this past weekend on a trail near Bear Creek Park I saw a large German shepherd running around way ahead of its presumed owner. I turned my bike around and went back to a paved road to avoid the stressful encounter. Numerous people have shared similar experiences, and expressed their wish that more dog owners respected the rights of others with regard to leash requirements. Some, like me, often avoid the trails because of loose dogs. I have reported specific violations (description, time and place) to the Humane Society, but the response I received was less than encouraging.

I certainly understand the desire to let a dog run free, and there are dog parks where this is permitted. Dog owners, please understand that lots of folks are fearful of loose dogs unfamiliar to them. There are lots of signs around Colorado Springs encouraging everyone to “share the road”. Dog owners, please “share the trails” by keeping your dog on a leash on trails where it is required.

Bill Hill

Colorado Springs

Honesty, character and class

Both CBS News and TIME magazine recently reported that nearly $78 million worth of valuables and money lost in the tragic tsunami and earthquake catastrophes in Japan have been returned to their proper owners.

I salute the Japanese people who displayed this regal honesty and cultural class. I wonder if the people involved in the recent American flash mobs and the congressional people who pilfered money from Social Security funds for pet projects (and votes!) will have enough character, chutzpah, moxie, or class to do the same thing?

The former should listen to Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia, and the latter should listen to the American people. Mayor Nutter displayed much needed character and class missing from the flash mob participants. I hope Mayor Nutter’s character and class catches on in Congress.

Roger W. Louden

Colorado Springs

Interpret the Bible as a whole

David W. Ball’s comments (Aug. 30) on the King James Bible being sexist were taken out of context and without understanding of the circumstances being addressed at the time they were written.

It is fairly easy to make a point using a couple of the thousands of scriptures in the Bible. Ball failed to mention the verse Eph 5:21: “Submitting yourselves (hupotasso) one to another in the fear of God.” Or Eph 5:22: “Wives, submit yourselves (hupotasso) unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord”.

The Bible must be interpreted as a whole and not just using selected verses. Interpreted as a whole it tells us that we are to esteem woman, cherish and love them. As it says in Eph 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it”.

I know I picked out a couple verses to show what the Bible says but there is not room for me to use all that support the facts on how men are to treat women.

My suggestion to Ball and anyone who agrees with him to read some good commentaries and/or get to a church or Bible study that teaches the word and you’ll see how wrong you are about what the Bible as a whole teaches.

My marriage is based on Biblical teachings and my wife will tell you she is very happy with how she is treated. I know of many other marriages where the same is true. God as our creator developed the user’s manual and it works. May God bless you.

Charles King

Colorado Springs

Destroying the trail system

Plain and simple, bicycles are destroying the trail system in Palmer Park. Now a 24-hour bike event is going to take over the park and inflict further damage. How shortsighted and irresponsible of our parks department.

Mike Matthews

Colorado Springs