NOT OUR WAY
Bruce's many lawsuits flout representative government

In its Aug. 14 Our View, "The Return of Douglas Bruce," The Gazette noted that "Bruce has masterminded an array of lawsuits and ballot issues designed to put the power of government in the hands of the governed. To the genuine freeman, Bruce is a living legend." It is well to remember that there are monsters in legends, too

The problem is that government has never been out of the hands of the governed. We live in a constitutional republic, not a direct democracy. The Founders were very concerned about the tendency of democracy to degenerate into the tyranny of the masses, and therefore designed the government of this country as a representative system.

When people like Bruce use lawsuits and the initiative process to undermine the elected government, they are in fact subverting the will of the people.

Bruce does not represent me in any way. Yet, he has wasted taxpayer money trying to prevent the government officials I have elected from doing their job. In the case of the TOPS tax, he deliberately attempted to subvert the direct will of the people.

Spare us the libertarian freeman nonsense. Douglas Bruce is someone who is not able to carry out his agenda using the normal political process, so he uses the system to try to impose his will. We do not need this narcissistic ideologue to keep our government in check. Let's hope he retires to lick his wounds in private and let the government function as designed without his perpetual interference.

Paul S. Bowman, Colorado Springs

COINCIDENCE?
Economic woes likely linked to Christian reputation city has

After reading one article after another concerning some obtuse religious issue, it occurs to me that there is a correlation to the downward economic trend in Colorado Springs. The reputation this area has acquired regarding the political involvement of the Christian Coalition and other groups may be detrimental to attracting the venture capital and innovative thinkers needed to elevate the economy.

I suspect these forward-thinking people will not look favorably upon an area so dominated by dogmatic thinking and so opposed to new ideas.

Like it or not, the future for the local economy will probably be tied to the reputation the area has received as a result of the national exposure created by Focus on the Family and similar groups.

Alan Amark, Cascade

JOB SECURITY
Unions help protect workers from uncaring employers

I don't know what letter writer Richard Rice meant by saying that "Democrats don't seem like friends of the working class" in Saturday's Gazette. Just ask one question: "Do persons who belong to unions make more take-home pay and have more job security than persons who do not belong to unions?"

Then vote for the Employee Free Trade Choice Act. Then you make more money and have more take home pay than people who don't work for unions.

Bill Talbot, Colorado Springs

GROUP AMNESIA
We forget presence of missiles right here in our state

The Gazette story on the removal of the Minuteman III display at the Air Force Academy had a gallows humor ring to it. Where else could this be treated as a tourism phenomenon?

The omission from the story of Colorado as a deployment site for the missiles (there are 49 of them in this state) is symptomatic of the group amnesia on the subject. After all, we're nice people around here who would never tolerate weapons of mass destruction in our midst.

Bill Sulzman, Colorado Springs

HATE CENTRAL
Don't blame gays for reputation caused by Amendment 2

It would behoove Al Ackerson to check the facts regarding Colorado Springs being slandered on a national level as the epicenter of hate ("You spit on me, count on me spitting back," Letters, Aug. 16). Colorado Springs was indeed labeled as such. However, it was not gays who picked the fight.

The issue arose with the advent of Amendment 2 to the Colorado Constitution which denied equal rights to gays and lesbians in housing and employment. The amendment passed but was struck down by the Colorado Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Fortunately the citizens of Colorado Springs now live in an atmosphere which has greatly improved. This is thanks to the Gay and Lesbian Fund of Colorado, P-Flag (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), the Pride Center, plus the many churches and businesses and fair-minded citizens who have facilitated this change.

Eva McGeehan, Colorado Springs

GOOD JOB
Residents helped March of Dimes raise money to aid children

The March of Dimes would like to thank the people of Colorado Springs for their support of our recent Jail & Bail charitable event. More than $33,000 was raised, due to the efforts of our jailbirds, their donors and our host, Phantom Canyon Brewing Company. This achievement will help enable our mission of improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. A special thanks to Colorado Springs's top jailbird, Laurie Carson, who raised $1,695 for healthy babies.

The March of Dimes is proud this year to fund nearly $2.4 million in Colorado research, services and education to help all our state's babies and families. We invite any group in the state that provides infant and maternal health care to apply for a grant. Plus, our Pregnancy and Newborn Health Education Center is available 24/7 with free information for every mom and mom-to-be. More may be learned about March of Dimes healthy-baby resources by calling our local office at 473-9981.

Shona Fleming, Southern Colorado Division Director March of Dimes Colorado Chapter, Colorado Springs

BLOCK THE VOTE
Independents should be allowed a voice in primary elections

This is in response to the letter, "Apathetic citizens fail to respect right to vote," in the Aug. 16 Gazette. I would have been happy to vote in the primary, but because I am registered as an independent, I was not allowed to.

According to Bob Balink, El Paso County Clerk & Recorder, Colorado conducts "closed" Primary Elections, and only voters who are affiliated with one of the major parties are allowed to vote. I would have had to change my affiliation, which I did not want to do.

I'm not even sure that this is constitutional. Isn't the right to vote a given?

Sharon Staples, Colorado Springs

CLIMATE CHANGE
Will we wait for certain proof before we act to avoid disaster?

Last winter, Dr. James Hansen, the nations foremost climatologist, published a paper describing how atmospheric levels of CO2 greater than 350 parts per million likely will result in a climate significantly different than the one under which civilization has developed and flourished.

With current CO2 levels standing at 385 ppm and heading for a projected 600 ppm by mid-century, we are performing a risky global experiment on ourselves.

When do we act? Do we wait for unequivocal proof such as the inundation of our coastlines or do we act now by demanding our president and Congress take bold and immediate steps to reduce risks?

Lawrence M. Reisinger, Colorado Springs