Letters - Tuesday

PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION

High court upheld ban on only one type of procedure

I watched with amazement at Sen. Barbara Boxer and her condemnation of the Supreme Court decision that outlawed a particular abortion procedure commonly called “partial birth abortion.” Let’s be clear about this. This doesn’t outlaw abortion; women can still abort their babies up to the point of birth. This ruling simply recognizes that this particular abortion procedure is not necessary for the health and safety of women. You would think that people such as Boxer would applaud a decision that will protect women from a barbaric procedure. Yet, by her response and the response of pro-abortion advocates, you would swear that Roe vs. Wade was overturned.

What is also amazing is that during the week of the most horrific shooting in American history, she is more concerned about protecting abortionists and the abortion industry than showing concern and mourning for the innocent victims of Virginia Tech. Most of government and most of America were pausing to reflect on the sacredness and precious value of life in light of the tragedy, yet Boxer and the abortion supporters forgot about Virginia Tech once the Supreme Court decision was announced. Is abortion that precious that we stop mourning innocent victims of violence? And how much has abortion on demand created the culture of death we live in that made Virginia Tech possible?

Rev. Bill Carmody

Respect Life Director

Diocese of Colorado Springs

We wouldn’t subject animals to barbaric operation

The partial birth abortion procedure is barbaric. If we had been doing it to baby seals, it would have been outlawed decades ago.

Harold S. Dallas

Colorado Springs

GLORIFYING A KILLER?

Gazette out of line for publishing photo

I was very unhappy to see a large color photo of the Virginia Tech killer, complete with gun, on the front page of the April 19 Gazette. The story should have centered on victim issues and photos, but instead attributes a certain amount of glory (intentional or not) to a mass killer. Would The Gazette publish a photo of a sex offender with his pants down?

The media share responsibility for inflaming the sick, violent tendencies of troubled persons who, whether we like it or not, are emboldened and obsessed by excessive, repeated exposure to violence. Can The Gazette prevent all tragedies? No. Can the paper participate as a responsible member of society committed to transmitting information without glorifying evil? I hope so.

Lisa Mahaffy

Colorado Springs

Victims should be focus of media coverage

I couldn’t believe the front page of the April 19 Gazette. To have a huge picture of the Virginia Tech shooter was appalling enough, but to choose a picture that showed him sneering and pointing a gun? What were the editors thinking?

Giving that kind of publicity to the perpetrator of such a heinous crime is reprehensible. The Gazette played right into his hands and gave him exactly what he wanted. The front page should have had pictures and stories of the victims, candlelight vigils, etc., to help with the healing process, instead of a picture that just rubs salt into the wound.

Patty David

Colorado Springs

WEIGHING THE ODDS

Psychiatric drugs not worth their risks

Was I the only one to notice an odd occurrence of two stories in the April 18 Gazette? One reported the Virginia Tech shooter had been on anti-depressants (“Acquaintances assemble portrait of a troubled man”). Just below that article was the story, “Antidepressants worth risks in kids, study says.”

The study said the small risks are trumped by the benefits of the treatment. The question is, what benefits and to whom? Of course the risks are worth it to the psychiatrists and drug companies who make billions of dollars from these socalled cures. Ask the families of the 32 people who were killed at Virginia Tech if the risks are worth it.

The article reported “only one in 50 people treated with anti-depressants experienced worsened suicidal feelings.” That number is acceptable only if your child isn’t the one in 50.

Psychiatry is the greatest fraud of all time and also the most dangerous. By their own admission, psychiatrists do not know how to cure a single mental problem. Psychiatric drug sales total $76 billion per year. Last year, psychiatric treatment generated $306 billion with zero cures. Despite trillions of dollars invested in it, psychiatry does not cure or alleviate. On the contrary, psychiatrists ruin lives and undermine society at huge costs.

In the wake of the recent killings, Rosy O’Donnell and Barbara Walters are jumping on the gun-control band-wagon again. They are mistaking a symptom for a cause. Why aren’t they instead demanding we stop prescribing psychiatric drugs to more than 20 million children world-wide — drugs known to cause violence, psychosis, hallucinations, suicide, homicide, strokes, diabetes, heart attacks and death? All this for alleged disorders that have never been scientifically proven to exist?

Joe Buonassissi

Colorado Springs

AMAZING BUT TRUE

Getting license plates was smooth sailing

Four weeks ago I purchased a new motorcycle. About a week ago I received a card from the Motor Vehicle Department, asking me to come in and receive my license plates. I scheduled at least an hour for this event.

I walked into the Motor Vehicle Department at Chapel Hills Mall and received a kind greeting from a very nice lady. I explained my business to her and before I had a chance to sit, I was called forward by one of the many friendly clerks to complete my business.

My total time from walking in the door to walking out the door was less than 10 minutes. Now that’s amazing.

Rev. Michael Butler

Colorado Springs

DIVERSITY FESTIVAL

Cultural celebrations not limited to ethnicity

The argument against including gays and lesbians in a festival celebrating cultural diversity seems to be the belief that cultural diversity means ethnic diversity.

The Oxford American College Dictionary defines culture as “the customs, arts, social institutions and achievements of a particular nation, people or other social group,” and cultural as “of or relating to the ideas, customs and social behavior of a society.”

Nowhere in these definitions are the words “ethnic,” “ethnicity” or “race.” I do, however, see the word “social.” A multi-cultural festival would be celebrating all of the different ideas and customs of social groups. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people clearly qualify as a social group.

A celebration of cultural diversity certainly would include food, history, and dress, but a truly inclusive cultural festival should not be limited to only that. Any group wanting to participate in the festival should be allowed, and the City Council should support all groups of people.

A festival to celebrate multi-culturalism is a great way to show Colorado Springs values all members of the community.

City Council is deciding today whether to sponsor the Multi-Cultural Festival. It will be at 1 p.m., at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave.

Erin Bennett

Citizens Project

Colorado Springs