LETTERS: Don't kick Bruce around; Treat gays fairly; Of women and gays; and more

Soften up on kids and cats

Mary Goulet certainly has a heart of stone as evidenced by her “Give me a break” letter to the editor on Dec. 19. She states she is “sick and tired of feeding children whose parents make no effort to take care of their children. ” Perhaps she is completely unaware of the crushing rate of unemployment and under employment we are experiencing in our country and right here in Colorado Springs. Or maybe she would prefer that these children starve to death, resulting in fewer mouths to feed.

Further in her letter she brings up the feral cat issue and suggests that the cats would be better off being euthanized, freezing to death, being hit by a car or starving to death. I detect a striking similarity between her wishes for the feral cats and the children. How sad for her to be so miserable, especially during this season of kindness, joy, love and peace.

As for me, I will continue to feed the children and adults while thanking God that I am in a position to do so.

Liz Wilcox

Colorado Springs

Douglas Bruce strikes back

Ted Spaid doesn’t like me; that’s his right.

He attacked me personally; that’s his right. The Gazette printed his personal attack; that’s its right. But making false claims is not right.

I did not “refuse to support a resolution supporting veterans. ” It was a voice vote. I voted for it. I have a copy of the legislature’s audio CD showing it was approved unanimously, with no opposition. I did not join the self-serving political posturing afterwards. My only criticism of that resolution was that it was for “Military Appreciation DAY.” I believe we should thank veterans every day, not merely once a year.

Yes, I started a charity, Active Citizens Together, nine years ago. It ended this month. It offered free pocket Constitutions to graduating seniors statewide. It funded litigation to protect everyone’s constitutional rights. It provided voter education on those rights, now under attack by the government. Governments attacked ACT because ACT stood up for our civil rights, which are limits on government power endowed by our Creator and codified into law by our Founding Fathers.

Mr. Spaid objects to ACT’s mission. He says the only role of a charity is redistributing money. Government does too much of that now, using printed currency and deficit spending. Handouts perpetuate failure and dependency; education promotes self-discipline and empowers individual responsibility.

Yes, I donated my salary as a public official to a charity approved by the IRS and the post office, and registered with the secretary of state and department of revenue. Yes, I paid income taxes on “income” I never kept. Why is that a basis for condemnation? Mr. Spaid detests my support for ballot issues, saying they “rob us all” of welfare programs. Is the right to vote “robbery?” Is supporting the right to petition the government a felony? I’m still waiting for Mr. Spaid to tell us what he is doing to make the world a better place.

Douglas Bruce

Colorado Springs

Women and gays in military

I am going to get mighty tired of your paper if you follow the same pattern of media coverage after Congress forced the military to admit women.

It has already started with Noreen’s column Sunday. You are turning the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell — which your paper championed top to bottom — into an editorial excuse to run stories about gays integrating into military units. It’s the ‘next step’ of advocacy of gay rights, the ‘coming out’ of hitherto silent NCO and officers as high up the rank scale as you can get, etc. Media hammered away with stories about women in uniform, in important positions. They made sure that every photograph of military persons included women, even when they were a distinct minority of all service members. It’s still going on.

Now I have yet to see you quote ‘the other side of the story’ locally. From military men, (or women), or veterans or ministers, or churches or Muslims who object, and have reasons to object to this lionizing of homosexuals. In fact you did a lousy job reporting on the Department of Defense study, in particular the sections reporting on the 58 percent of Marines and 40 percent of Army ‘combat unit’ soldiers who predicted problems when gays could be ‘open’ about their homosexuality while in uniform. Especially since the vast majority of military men in the Pikes Peak region are in Army combat formations, where the problems are going to surface. I make no apologies for my strong objection to the Congress putting homosexuality on a pedestal with this law (which actually only passed — the closure of Senate debate phase — by 3 votes). Apart from my lifelong Christian convictions about what is moral and immoral human behavior, I had enough incidents involving ‘gay’ men and soldiers, from its effect in my command in combat in the Korean War though my experience both as a cadet and instructor at West Point, that I agree with Marine Gen. Amos, and Sen. John McCain in their warning of its effects in military units during war.

I can’t wait until the Taliban and Al Qaida use this law as a recruiting tool for hardcore Muslim insurgents in its proof just how infidel America is when its government endorses homosexuality by law.

Dave Hughes

Colorado Springs

DADT, good riddance

My gratitude to senators (the ones with courage) who ended Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. I spent 27 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, including two deployments to Vietnam living in close quarters aboard a destroyer. I had shipmates who we knew were gay, but they could not say it. They were friends and trusted colleagues who deserved respect. In those days DADT was not the law, but an unwritten rule. Thankfully it is behind us.

Ed Brady

Colorado Springs

Don’t kick Bruce around

I’m fed up with the likes of Ted Spaid, who pick on Douglas Bruce. It is none of his business which charity Bruce uses to donate his money. Spaid did not complain that our city leaders donated millions to keep the Olympic Training Center here. We could have fixed most of the streets with this Money.

Albert Schmeiler

Colorado Springs

Treat gays like all others

I say congratulations to the editorial page editor for his editorial on civil unions. Small-minded individuals who choose to discriminate against others who might be different from them need to take a good look at themselves and their so-called values. Being born a homosexual is not a choice. No one should have to suffer for being who they are. Jesus stood for love and acceptance, not hatred and persecution. Let’s put a stop to holier-than-thou attitudes and trying to say that those of us who are “normal” are better than those who are different. If God does exist, he created everyone, and did not make mistakes.

Sally Alberts

Monument