Letters - Tuesday online

DOW too eager to kill bear

I am certain the Division of Wildlife has been getting letters from a few of my neighbors about the killing of a bear in our backyards. I feel the same way about this bear killing as my neighbors. The bear didn't harm the woman, the car did, and the car got away. I guess DOW kills only bears that are curious.

It was total stupidity to kill this bear! Shame on those who did this. There are six bears that live in two caves in Pulpit Rock Public Space and never bother anyone. They roam through the surrounding area to find some food when they are not sleeping the winter away. Just living the life they are supposed to. It is fascinating to see them occasionally roaming around, sometimes with new born cubs in tow. We encroach on their space - more and more each year and can't just let them live the life they were created to do. It is so sad to hear this kind of thing, to hear the total insensitivity to animals to just end their life. Another reason to get rid of guns before we kill ourselves and all wildlife.

One news article I read out of Denver says they have seen that killing of wildlife is too often the only response DOW makes when responding to an event involving a wild animal, even a sighting. Is this true?

The wildlife in this area are a blessing we have, and we are the ones that encroach on their lands - more and more all the time. Of course we need to be cautious and educated about their presence, and respect what they can do. But I believe most of us can say that we enjoy having them around and marveling at their beauty.

Is the DOW full of trigger happy workers? I can't believe this happened on my land while I was at work. It is an awful shame - a travesty. And the shooters are paid for with our tax dollars!

I am writing to learn what the policy is on incidents of this nature, especially ones where the bear or other animal has not done any harm to a human. I would also like to know what the guidelines and purpose of the Division of Wildlife is.

I want to not only voice my concerns and outrage, I want to make certain this kind of thing can never happen again to another animal, not just in my yard or neighborhood, but across this state of Colorado. I would have imagined that the DOW is always doing it's best to conserve our precious animal wildlife - not kill and dispose of them.

I am not only concerned for the poor animals, but as a homeowner, I believe all the area homes are valued higher as they are surrounded by fabulous wildlife like this bear. We all moved here knowing there were bear, fox, mountain lions and deer. It is what drew us to choose to live here and enjoy it all. I believe that this bear was a female and could have been emerging for the first time since hibernation and possibly having just given birth to young cubs to find some food to get strength to return and feed her cubs.

DOW might not have killed only one bear, but seriously impaired the likelihood of being able to live for some young baby cubs.

I hope this has caused DOW to think, to realize how shameful it was to do what it did, and to let us all know in this neighborhood and throughout the state that officials will promise to not do such an outrageous slaughter again.

Richard Gamuac, Colorado Springs


DOW made correct call to euthanize bear

I would say that vast majority of online comments on gazette.com regarding the bear story show the complete lack of understanding of "wildlife." I, too, am saddened that the bear was destroyed, but I do not blame the DOW, I blame the irresponsible residents of the home range of the bear.

I live on the west side and we have an abundance of wildlife that visit our homes on a daily basis (including bears). It is important when you live in such an area not to provide food shelter or a comfortable environment for these animals. Once they become at ease around humans and feel no threat from them, they will begin to take chances, to see how far they can go or even begin to believe that the docile critters living around them (us) could become a potential food source once theirs dries up. This is a major problem in some of our northwestern national parks where bears (and other animals) have no fear of humans.

I am a hunter, I have had a close encounter with bear (eight feet). In my experience the bear ran off, what a wild bear is supposed to do. I was frightened but I stood my ground and no one was hurt. Most people will never feel that fear, and some might have been mauled or killed.

So before you get on your soap box about how the DOW was irresponsible by destroying this bear, think about having a 300-pound animal that has the ability to crush your skull, or maybe your child's skull with one bite, chase you or even follow you for a short distance.

Wild animals are just that, wild. We are not supposed to tame them, we are not supposed to provide them food and shelter. We are supposed to admire their beauty and keep them at arm's length.

In closing, I would ask all those people that have criticize the authorities this question: If this bear had been relocated and later hurt a human, or child, because it was desperate for food and saw humans as providers, how would you feel? I am guessing you would probably be first in line to criticize those authorities responsible not destroying this "tame" animal in the first place.

Thank you, DOW, for making an unpopular, important and correct decision.

Rick Baucom, Colorado Springs


Democrats had full knowledge of enhanced interrogations

On April 16, President Barack Obama's national intelligence director, Dennis Blair, released a memo that "not only revealed that members of Congress (including Democrats Pelosi, Harman, Rockefeller, Graham) repeatedly signed off on enhanced interrogation methods such as waterboarding during repeated briefings by the CIA to the executive branch and Congress, but received permission to use the techniques." The information gained from enhanced interrogation on Kalid Sheik Mohammed "thwarted an attack called the Second Wave which planned to use Asian operatives to crash a hijacked airliner into a building (Library Tower) in Los Angeles."

Former CIA director and operative Porter Goss told the Washington Post in December 2007 that "members of Congress had been fully briefed on the CIA's special interrogation program. Among those being briefed, there was a pretty full understanding of what the CIA was doing and the reaction in the room was not just approval, but encouragement."

He has now stated that "for the first time in my experience we have crossed the red line of properly protecting our national security in order to gain partisan political advantage."

It's obvious that for the few minutes after 9/11 when Democrats actually supported efforts to protect our country from further attacks that leading members of their party not only supported "enhanced interrogation methods" but wondered was that all they intended to use (Pelosi). Shortly thereafter Democrats realized it was to their advantage to use these interrogation methods to discredit the Bush administration in the eyes of the world and the American people to help them win future elections. They knew this could be easily accomplished with the help of fellow Democrats (the media) and far-left kook bloggers (Daily Kos, Moveon) who spew hatred and lies that easily sway the uninformed.

Former CIA officer Gary Bernsten has stated that Obama has demoralized those members of the clandestine service that make enormous personal sacrifices and take risks to keep our nation safe". "I can say that the rank and file is truly horrified by President Obama's naive decision making."

It should be obvious now to those who voted for Obama expecting "change" and a new beginning that Obama is yet another partisan Democrat hack who is beholden to the kooks on the left that helped put him in office and since he is in permanent campaign mode he has thrown some red meat to these kooks who desperately want to see Bush administration officials imprisoned and are willing to destroy America's intelligence gathering abilities to accomplish this. Unfortunately for the kooks, pursuing this avenue will reveal the extent to which their leaders like Nancy Pelosi were complicit in authorizing these investigative techniques that they believe is torture.

Torture is listening to the president of the U.S. apologizing to European nations, that spent centuries subjugating and colonizing nations throughout the world, for the supposed evils committed by a nation that has spent its short life span not only liberating nations but helping individuals throughout the world.

Torture is watching the president of the U.S. smiling like a simpleton while listening to Latin American dictators and thugs lie about your country and his refusing to chastise them.

Now that Obama's administration has revealed our "secrets" detailing the steps taken to protect our country from terrorists, how does he expect to protect our nation's secrets in the future when the ACLU declares they should have access to all our secrets?

Do you feel safer now that the Obama administration has compromised the intelligence gathering capabilities of the CIA since agents will now be wary of taking steps necessary to protect our country knowing that partisan politics might land them before one of the Democrats' many congressional show trials? The Taliban is now 60 miles from the capital of Pakistan, meaning that Pakistan's nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of Taliban and al-Qaida terrorists. Hopefully the CIA and the military won't be afraid to gather the necessary information to stop these terrorists. I guess we don't have to worry, though, because Obama will just contact those "moderate" members of the Taliban to work out a solution - maybe he can contact those three clerics who just had the young couple executed for the heinous crime of eloping.

Arlene Barron, Colorado Springs


Bills would increase cost of health care

In his April 22 letter, Werner Ziegler rightly assessed HB 1344, Inflation of Medical Malpractice Damages, sponsored by Rep. Christine Scanlon and Sen. Betty Boyd. This is one of several bills that will increase government involvement into our health care and raise costs to all Coloradans. HB 1293, seeking federal matching funds to increase the number of Coloradans covered by government insurance, is an uninsured cost-shifting scheme that will increase annual premiums by $85 per insured Colorado resident. Medicare and Medicaid already increase the annual cost of covering a family of four by $1,788. SB 061 is a bill that would require that insurance carriers obtain an opinion from a "like-kind specialist" or medical expert whenever there is an internal review process. This is not practical for several reasons. It would result in increased insurance premiums and also create yet another basis for bad faith litigation and open the door to third-party bad faith. Only five states allow third-party bad faith, all of which have driven up insurance costs. If the legislature should pass HB 1273, the Colorado Guaranteed Health Care Act, then all Coloradans should be truly concerned.

These bills place bureaucrats in charge of health care, not doctors. It is social engineering and it is dangerous to our health and freedom. The legislature is deciding who needs medical care, who shall insure Coloradans, at what cost, etc. Rationing, increased costs and deterioration of health care are inevitable under such schemes.

Janice Taylor, Colorado Springs


Healing, not reparations, is what nation needs

H.R 40, the Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act, has been introduced into the 111th Congress by Rep. John Conyers.

I can think of no greater divisive or acrimonious bill. I find it difficult to believe that any person of color under the age of 100 could make a case for reparations. I believe slaves that came to this country were not captured by Americans and enslaved, but were sold into slavery by rival tribes or warring factions on the African continent. Slavery was at best abhorrent and wrong, but legal. It was accepted by society as normal for those times (1619 to 1865). It was accepted, just as throwing Christians to the lions, and the many other forms of slavery, bondage and torture that were practiced then was accepted. The most notable perpetrators then and now were and are the countries of Africa, the Middle and the Far East. That does not make it right. It does, however, call attention to our history and lend credence to the fact that this is the greatest nation in the world. This nation not only abolished slavery but it made great efforts and progress to remove all effects of slavery. No other nation in the world has done as much to right the wrongs.

No other nation in the world has expended as many resources or enacted as many laws to insure that those that might have been affected were given every opportunity to be accepted and prosper.

There can be no case for reparations, because slavery does not exist in this country. No current individual is affected. Since slavery was not a capital crime at the time, the statute of limitations must apply and those affected are long gone. It is time for those who would try to extort reparations or gain for the sins of their forefathers and fellow countrymen to reflect on their blessings and not dwell on the events of the past that they had no control over. They were given a hand up, and they were given a handout. It is time they take advantage of the opportunities available, look to the present and the future, and develop a positive attitude. They can take charge of their future, grasp the brass ring, and not look back to see if there is someone or something to blame for their lack of good fortune. Above all, it is time for us all to unite as countrymen, and be proud of who and what we are. We need to come together and make sure that the United States remains the greatest country in the world, and not seek ways to create acrimony or divide us.

Matt Fronzaglia, Colorado Springs