LETTERS: Tuesday

Hate crime laws a touch of ‘1984’

Holmes Brannon is either not very bright or disingenuous (“Hate crimes are different,” Letters, Nov. 6). In defending the “1984”-like hate crimes laws, he uses “1984”-like doublespeak. He says there is a big difference between someone robbing a bank for greed and someone killing another person because he’s gay or black.

Instead of comparing apples and oranges, please explain the difference between killing someone because he’s gay and killing someone because of greed. Is there really any significant difference between robbing someone because you simply want their money and robbing them because they are black? Both are crimes and both deserve punishment. When we begin adding crimes because of what someone thinks while they’re committing another crime, we are in dangerous territory. Soon the thought alone would be enough to arrest someone, and we’re in George Orwell’s novel.

What’s next, being arrested for dangerous political thought? The only crime in which we currently consider state of mind is murder, in which case it’s not about hatred or lack thereof, but about passion, accident, or premeditation. Let’s keep it at that.

Bill Robertson

Woodland Park

Crimes mustn’t be different

In criticizing Whitney Galbraith’s suggestion that hate crime laws divide us, Holmes Brannon demonstrated his complete ignorance of crime all together.

The suggestion isn’t that killing someone is akin to robbing a bank. That is ludicrous. The point that just escapes Brannon is that murder, regardless of the reason, is murder. Why paint a color on it?

Mike Humphreys

Colorado Springs

Op-ed columnists score hits

The most interesting parts of The Gazette, to me, are the opinion pieces — including Letters. Consequently, I don’t mind reading Larimore Nicholl’s disapproval of syndicated columnists Michelle Malkin, George Will and Charles Krauthammer. However, their opinions — with which I may not always agree — are the highlight of the newspaper (“New era of columnists?” Letters, Nov. 4).

Nicholl hopes for “more even-handed, moderate and level-headed” columnists. Who might that be — Keith Olbermann and Arianna Huffington?

Stan Searle

Monument

Political birds of a feather …

The comments made by Larimore Nicholl about Michelle Malkin, George Will or Charles Krauthammer do not deserve a response, so I won’t provide one.

However, if Nicholl is not married to Robyn Blumner, he has missed out on the absolute perfect “soul mate” that expounds the identical drivel as his message about those gifted writers and patriotric Americans. He’s got to be related to Blumner, or they have the same speech writer.

Robert “Barney” Rummel

Colorado Springs

How about a loan from USOC?

Joseph Criswell’s letter in the Nov. 5 Gazette’s enjoined the City Council to step up to the plate and become leaders (“Time for Council to be leaders”). If that doesn’t happen, could the USOC loan the city some money? If I read correctly, they have so much sitting on their brand new doorstep right now and their host city has next to nothing. What’s wrong with this picture?

Joanna Fischer

Colorado Springs

Cost of 2C defeat can be huge

Penny wise, pound foolish. This old expression is today’s reality in our community. We all are relieved of the burden of a few dollars in property tax each month. Do you know the cost? I don’t either, but here are a few areas where you will no doubt pay for that relief:

If the Fire Department is downgraded, property insurance goes up in response. When people lose jobs because they relied on a soon-to-be-defunct transit system, our community will pay more to care for them.

As business leaders in other areas come to understand the “penny wise, pound foolishness” of our community, they will look elsewhere to relocate. If the community spirals down enough, existing businesses will look elsewhere. As this happens, property values fail to rise at the rate of other communities, or they may even fall. When property values fall, crime increases. Can a smaller Police Department effectively fight a rising crime rate?

Many of us who have been here for a long time have invested a lot in our community. I believe that our mayor and City Council work hard, and do their best, to govern in the best interests of the community. I do not believe the City Administration Building has piles of cash hidden away.

Last week’s vote presents us with great challenges. I hope those looking for the destruction of our community will be satisfied for awhile, and allow the rest of us to find ways to rebuild the future.

Michael Wittry

Colorado Springs

Obama drops ball on reform

As our government pursues its chosen method of health care reform, one must remember that the reigning party is primarily interested in its own retention over its interest in the will of the people. Like Machiavelli, it will not pursue a political purpose by methods bound to fail; it will choose the right means to succeed — sheer power being displayed at present. President Barack Obama promised transparency, a five-day public review of all laws before signing, and an openness to dialogue. He promised no funding for abortion, a conscience protection for health care workers, and a cost savings for the nation.

Now it appears there will be opaqueness, loss of conscience protection, increased taxes, and ramrodding of the health care reform bill. Could Obama be masquerading as just another politician?

I admire his nonviolent approaches to war, political negotiation, capital punishment and torture, but wonder why his opposition to violent remedy of America’s social problems does not track with abortion. For a party that portrays a promise to protect the weak, ill and underinsured, why act out of character to mothers with babies?

Health care workers who have been trained to save lives and limit disease, why are we being asked to cooperate with Congress’ march for abortion requirements? Our skills should be for saving lives, offering compassion and providing comfort to the sick.

Those of us with children are frightened with the decisions that could tax our progeny into poverty. The medical profession has the competence to offer technological solutions to our health care reform — more primary care, less restrictions of insurance coverage, health care for all, compassion for all. What if government just got out of the way?

John O’Keeffe, M.D.

Colorado Springs

Correction

Ralf Zimmermann’s column, “Voters thought for selves, didn’t buy city’s gloom and doom,” on Monday’s Opinion page misidentified the Ohio city where voters turned out a mayor who had been caught removing campaign signs. The mayor of Heath, Ohio, failed in his bid for re-election.