Letters - Saturday

NEW LIFE SHOOTING

Does Bourbonnais deserve more compassion?

This letter is in regard to the story “An emotional return” in the Dec. 17 Gazette. How unfortunate that one of the victims of the New Life Church shooting was escorted out of the church and told never to return after some “disturbance.” This raises many questions about the handling of this situation.

It would be very normal for someone who had suffered, as well as been shot and also tried to help save lives, to be emotionally upset, perhaps traumatized. Instead, Pastor Boyd said that he had been wrong in trying to save lives — and blamed the victim. Yet, this is who Jesus came to save — the wounded, broken-bodied and brokenhearted, the confused. On Wednesday night, when I attended the service, Boyd said there were psychologists and counselors standing by. Where were those counselors to help Larry Bourbonnais? Where were the people who knew him, from his spiritual community, to kindly take him aside and listen to his concerns? Where was compassion and outreach?

Does this imply that no minister from that church visited him immediately after the incident, to know that he was all right, physically and emotionally? How sad that a church would expel someone, just when he would have need of a spiritual community to help him through this incident. Perhaps Boyd is trying to get over this much too quickly.

Jesus created many disturbances and disruptions and challenges. Perhaps New Life Church needs to be better at listening, healing and bringing understanding and grace into the emotional upsets that are a natural part of this healing process. This is no time to toss someone out of the spiritual community — particularly someone who is clearly hurting and who heroically tried to save lives.

Linda Seger, Th.D.

Cascade

Parishioner deserves counseling, not rejection

I am appalled that New Life Church would turn Larry Bourbonnais away one week after he was a victim of the shootings at New Life. Is it because he criticized one of the security guards? Is it because he was vocal with the newspapers and reporters?

What kind of a Christian church is New Life? If the man is volatile, why doesn’t the church try to counsel him and help him through his traumatic experience? No, instead the church decides to seek a restraining order and ban him from the property.

In Monday’s Gazette there is a comment attributed to Pastor Brady Boyd that he told parishioners to be honest with their feelings. Why can’t Bourbonnais be honest with his feelings? Does the church see any similarities here between what happened to Bourbonnais and what happened to Matthew Murray? Murray was also turned away by so-called Christians. I’m glad I can see New Life’s true colors now.

Marian Harris

Colorado Springs

ECONOMIC FORUM

We prefer dogs, trucks, trails to a ‘mega community’

This is in regard to the story “City must attract high end retail, panelists say” (Dec. 12) about the recent Economic Development Corporation forum. First, I note that four out of the five participants quoted are from California. Do we really want our city to emulate California? These people want to make Colorado Springs into a Californialike mega community.

High-end retailers do in-depth market research before deciding to build a store. They recognize that we are a blue-jean community more interested in our pickup trucks, our Harleys, our dogs and our biking and hiking trails.

If people here want a California existence, they can move to California. We don’t want their taxes or their gangs or their liberal lifestyle here. I hope our new California city manager understands this.

Ronald Kunzelman

Colorado Springs

IMMIGRATION

Another amnesty would only reward the lawbreakers

E.J. Dionne’s column headlined “Immigration plays differently in local, national races” (Dec. 13, Other voices) was very interesting, revealing and for the most part very true. It discussed the effect of Hispanic voting in elections concerning illegal immigration.

One thing that Dionne seemed to stress is the tendency of Hispanic voters (American citizens) to vote for candidates and issues that favor illegal immigration. This is one of the big concerns than many Americans have about illegal immigration.

If amnesty had granted legal status and eventual American citizenship to the at least 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States this last summer, just how would they vote on future illegal immigration issues? According to Dionne, Hispanics included in that amnesty would vote in favor of candidates and issues that favor illegal immigration.

Dionne insists that the only answer for the “at least” 12 million illegal immigrants living in this country is to grant them a “path to citizenship.” I disagree completely. We tried that in 1986, and it only encouraged more illegal immigration. How would the consequences of another amnesty be different than the last one? Twenty years from now, how many million illegal immigrants will be demanding legal status? Probably 40 million. The effects of granting amnesty will snowball with each amnesty and according to the column, the increased number of illegal immigrants who have become voting American citizens. We should not reward people for breaking into our country.

For more than 250 years this country has successfully assimilated immigrants into this country. I fear this success is ending.

Ralph Kelly

Colorado Springs