As in the New Testament, so in modern times, many women get Jesus Christ’s teachings. They are about Love. In the Gospels there is tell of a woman who received Jesus into her home and who directly washed his feet  rather than delay her time with him with unnecessary proprietary housekeeping. There are many good women in the New Testament recorded in Jesus’ teachings. I think we have in the Boulder news today a pair of brave women who have accepted the teachings of Jesus Christ into their hearts and who do not seem to require the approval of an Archbishop, nor the acceptance of their own parish’s community based school, to keep their faith strong and intact.

These ladies also have great Heart. I sense that they and their families and friends will be fine. And as for our Boulder community, we have the opportunity to witness a modern day Christian parable in play. What does it mean, and how do we find our hearts therein?

Elizabeth Jenny
Boulder

I’m afraid the illogic of Mr. Selbin is too typical of liberals.  A small, close knit group of “scientists” has used fraud and deception to “prove” anthropogenic climate warming is going to kill us all.  Of course, when the sun shined on this small group, their credibility has been destroyed.

Scientists that actually employ the scientific method to develop and validate their inventions are to be lauded.  Not those that substitute their “religion” for scientific methods.

Likewise, Mr. Selbin believes anyone that disagrees with socialistic, nearly bankrupt, government programs including Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, should forgo receiving any benefits from such programs.  Well, Mr. Selbin, I contributed to each program for 50 years.  I am now getting a return, a very poor return, on my investment.  I would be foolish to forgo that return.

Don R. Sherwood
Boulder

Our lack of an intelligent energy policy in the United States impacts our economy as well as our national security.  We have tremendous energy resources in this country (right here in the Rocky Mountains), yet we insist on our addiction to foreign oil, simply because it is cheap.  What percentage of the energy dollars sent to the Middle East are used to support terrorism? I am sure it is much higher than dollars spent in Colorado.

President Obama pledged to cut our dependence on foreign oil, but has made little (or no) progress towards that goal.  The President is now campaigning on Education reform.  Education is the State’s Responsibility.  Please remind your representatives of the President’s commitment to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and leave Education alone.

Thank you,

Guy Korthase
Boulder

Please! For how many days are subscribers to The Camera going to be required to endure the trials and tribulations of Scott Kimball? On the front page, no less. It is difficult to believe that a majority of Camera readers are interested in this endless chronology of a sick man’s life.
There is a great deal of compelling news on local, national and international events and issues taking place on a daily basis. For the few who are enthralled with this form of reporting, there are numerous tabloid publications available at their local supermarket checkout counters.

Jim Riemersma
Boulder

The Daily Camera,

Indubitably, exemplary time management skills, excellent work quality relative to work load, and indispensible critical thinking skills are attributed to the paradigm of college graduates. However, these characteristics shifted or lost importance as the system responsible for molding students into this image went lax. The responsible parties involved include students, professors, and parents alike.

The rigors of college should shape students into productive individuals who are committed and who take responsibility for their education. Within the classroom this concept seems to be lost on students and arguably on professors, too, through a system of coddling. Students no longer have to accept full responsibility for themselves when appealing to excuses as to why they did not complete work, or in getting an extension on a test or paper. The result is that it devalues the education of the students putting time and effort to responsibly finish an assignment and turn it in on time. Professors need to maintain rigorous standards in pursuit of instituting a good work ethic; one that will benefit their students outside the university setting (e.g. keeping commitments on assignment deadlines).

The coddling dilemma is also perpetuated by parents. Students lose a sense of responsibility when parents continue to micromanage their lives into college. Invasively managing a student’s schedule and acting as a constant safety net doesn’t allow students to become self reliant. Maturity and responsibility are built when safety nets fall and parents’ coddling ends. An excess in support is destructive to a student’s sense of ownership to one’s education and on forging a stable baseline to begin from.

Parents and professors have positive impacts on the lives of students in helping them build bright futures. At the same time, the impacts made should help students grow into responsible and independent adults.

Sincerely,

Amanda Woods
Longmont

Thankfully, not all Democrats share Randy Compton’s (3/6) naïve, euphemistic dream about slashing the defense budget when we’re engaged in a global war. Since I abhor his proposal I remind him of the actions of some pragmatic Democrats; men who recognized the need for a strong military and acted accordingly.
When Hitler launched his invasion of Europe the French customarily capitulated. (They must have had many pacifists like Compton.) But President Roosevelt was not one. He called for a million-man armed force which, with the help of Great Britain and other allies, defeated Hitler’s Third Reich and pushed back the mighty Japanese Empire.”
Truman, followed in Roosevelt’s footsteps. He had the courage to unleash our most powerful weapon. Today liberals criticize that devastating yet  obligatory action  which saved hundreds of thousands of American lives. Then Truman sent armed forces into Korea to turn back the North Korean / Chicom invasion.
Jack Kennedy did not hesitate to use our military. Regrettably, his excursion against Cuba -,where one dictator replaced  another – was a failure. But Kennedy redeemed himself standing up to Khrushchev at the risk of nuclear warfare.  He then sent our troops to repel the communist Vietnamese invasion in a war that was expanded by yet another democratic president.
Even Clinton, who decimated our armed forces, showed rare leadership sending troops to Bosnia and Kosovo to pull the UN’s chestnuts out of the fire.
Compton claims  our defense budget is equal to the rest of the world’s combined.  True, because the rest of the world – when it is not demeaning America – looks to our armed forces for help when UN forces proves to be powerless.
Ending his naïve diatribe, Compton calls for funding a “Department of Peace.”
I have news for him.
We have such an organization, manned by men and women prepared to fight and bleed so that pacifists like him have the freedom to publish their bizarre philosophy.

Rudy Wright
Author, Military Analyst
Boulder

I really enjoyed reading Brad Segal’s health care reform article in last Sunday’s paper. He makes a number of obvious and critical points. But the one little detail missing, from his and all the other commentators, both local and nationally, regards the ” Coverage cannot be denied due to pre-existing conditions”.

So far, so good. But without specific and enforceable limit’s on what insurance companies can charge those clients with pre-existing conditions, what’s the use. If insurance companies find a way to massively increase the premiums for those with pre-existing conditions, then why bother. It’s not just the mandate to accept those individuals and families in that category, it’s what it will cost, both business and the private sector.

Health insurance companies are not in the business of health care or insuring the dignified and adequate care of people with health needs.

The majority of working America, of which my wife and  I are proudly two  of for some 43 years now, will quickly be priced out of any corporate run market, who’s bottom line is Wall Street profit statements.

Don’t throw us a life preserver with an anvil in it and full of holes.

And by the way, am I the only regular Camera reader who’s really fed up with several full pages, every day now for at least a week, describing in minutiae level detail, the exploits of this conman-family destroying, apparent murderer and the history of his pathology ?

Steve Taylor
Lafayette

To the Editor -

The American Revolution was catalyzed in large part by the writings of one of the Founding Fathers, Thomas Paine.  Paine was a Deist who professed a belief in God as evidenced by the wonders of Universe.  But he also detested the Bible and was exceptionally critical about organized religion and its “priestcraft”.

By some accounts, Paine’s 1776 pamphlet, <i>Common Sense</i>, remains (on a per capita basis) the single best-selling publication in U.S. history.
In it, he argued strongly for America’s independence from Britain.
Hundreds of thousands of copies were sold; he donated his profits to help fund George Washington’s army.  Paine’s influential wisdom is still relied upon today, over 230 years later, quoted by both the right and the left.

The Denver Catholic Archdiocese’s self-serving defense of its decision to prohibit the children of a lesbian couple from attending Sacred Heart of Jesus school in Boulder, [Sunday, March 14], should remind us of something Paine wrote.  Indeed, it is from the very first sentence of <i>Common Sense</i>:

“A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises … a formidable outcry in defence of custom.”

With this introductory thought describing human behavior throughout the ages, Paine went on to argue why declaring independence from an abusive power structure was the only morally and politically acceptable course.
Which, as we all know, then happened.

So when I read letters and essays [Guest commentary, Mar. 14, "What Would Jesus Do?"] by those with the common sense to care more about Jesus’ best teachings than about the authoritarian Catholic Archdiocese’s antiquated, hypocritical, and harmful doctrines concerning sexuality, I imagine ol’
Tom Paine would be both heartened and amused.

Doug McKenna
Boulder

2010 is turning out to be a great year for the creative industries. In January, Governor Bill Ritter and state lawmakers announced new job-creation and economic-growth strategies for Colorado’s creative industries sector which includes three bills being introduced this session.

In 2007, 186,251 jobs in Colorado were associated with creative enterprises and creative occupations ranking it as the 5th largest employment cluster of the state’s economy.

Providing jobs in a tough economy is just one more great reason to support the arts. It is fortunate that the governor and legislators recognize the potential for this industry’s continual growth.

If you agree that the creative industries are important and you want your voice to be heard by our legislators, please consider joining Arts for Colorado, an advocacy group that focuses on preserving and expanding state support for arts. For an annual membership fee of just $35, you will add your voice to the many people who want to preserve the cultural benefits of the arts and contribute to the economic health of our state. You will also be kept up-to-date regarding important trends, issues and initiatives.

For more information, become a member or donate to Arts for Colorado, check out their website at www.artsforcolorado.org.

Thank you.

Karen Gerrity
Louisville

Dear Editor:

Whether you are a student, a member of faculty, part of the staff and administration or just a visitor at the University of Colorado you are probably aware that parking on the CU campus is costly and limited.  It does not help the parking problem that two new buildings, the Community Center and another dorm in Williams Village, are being built over parking lots.  And with recent budget cuts to the Parking and Transportation Services, more affordable parking appears even more difficult to come by.

While there are permits ranging from $110 – $170 available for semester use and day permits costing $7.25-day, $10.50-week, and $25.50-month, cheaper parking is not easy to find.  During the day parking is permit-only except in the Euclid Autopark lot which costs $1.75/hour but goes up to $3/hour after three hours.  There are meters around campus that are $1.50/hour until 5pm and free after 5pm but there is no free parking during business hours.  There is also the option of RTD Park and Ride lots where you can park your car and ride the bus to campus (see www.rtd-denver.com for locations).  But if you are close to campus, have not purchased a permit, and just need a place to park during the day time, there is no free parking and limited meter space.

There are several solutions to the parking issue.  The University of Colorado should consider funding the Parking and Transportation Services.  This could create more parking lots or allow for more metered parking to be installed around campus with the addition of turning some current permit-only parking lots into visitor parking. The use of buses and biking should also be encouraged to reduce the need for parking on campus, but for those times when driving is necessary there needs to be free or at least less expensive parking spaces available to the University of Colorado’s driving visitors.

Sincerely,

Erin Musso

Boulder

The Democratic caucus is just as important this year as 2008. Andrew Romanoff is the former speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives who lead the Democrats to their first majority in over 30 years. Andrew is the only candidate for US Senate from Colorado who refuses to accept corporate and special interest group PAC money. Let’s show the policy brokers in Washington and the financial brokers on Wall St. that we know how to elect a senator who will represent the interests of the citizens of Main St. So show up next Tuesday night at your caucus location ready to vote for Andrew Romanoff. Registration begins at 6:15 PM and the meeting begins at 7:00 promptly. Caucus locations can be found at http://www.coloradodems.org/findmycaucus/.

Lucie Crane
Boulder

As a Catholic, the case of the pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus parish disallowing enrollment of the lesbian couple’s children at the school saddens me, as do many of letters published by the Camera on this topic. I disagree with the Father Breslin, but I also abhor the sentiment of letters that attack Fr. Breslin’s integrity rather than arguing the matter on its own merits.

Fr. Breslin states that this is the hardest decision of his life as a priest. On Fr. Breslin’s blog he cites biblical passages wherein Jesus challenges the moral position of a few who would follow him. But far more numerous and more to the spirit of the Gospel are Jesus’ calls for compassion and acceptance of those whom the law (the authority) alienated.

Fr. Breslin wants to set a moral example for his flock, but what we need from our spiritual leaders is not simply sermons on morality and strict adherence to moral authority, rather we need them to pastor with compassion for the alienated and to model acceptance for those society rejects.  Morality will spring forth in the like measure that we extend compassion to and for each other. We need our leaders to stand up to authority on matters like these, not cow to it for their refuge.

David Stewart

Superior, CO

David Stewart
Superior

St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Boulder

In the latest local controversy involving the Catholic church a number of letter writers have brought up the child sex abuse scandal, though it is no way germaine to the topic at hand. Is this just one more chance to take a swipe at a church that many do not understand? Is it because they find themselves at odds with one stance or another the Catholic Church takes? The truth is that the American Catholic Church (60 million +) has had only a couple of new cases of sexual abuse brought against it in the past 20 years. The US cases we are still hearing about stem from the time before the American Caholic seminaries overhauled their selection and training processes for new priests. Go ahead people, seriously look it up! Besides the victims of abuse and their families, no one was hurt more by the abuse scandal than faithful Catholics themselves, who hold their faith, warts and all, as a dear inheritance from their parents and grandparents as well as a gift from God. That Ireland and Germany are now in the midst of bringing to justice those who perpetrate evil on children within the Church has nothing to do with what has happened here in America, much less with what is happening here in Boulder. We should all take issue when we see injustice, but we should fight fair, lest we perpetrate injustice and prejudice.

David Stewart
Superior

The 2008 Democratic caucus is a tough act to follow. One might easily conclude that there is little need to caucus next Tuesday March 16th.  Let me assure you, nothing could be further from the truth, for the future course of the Democratic Party is prominently at stake in this election cycle.

Will the Party be ruled by pragmatists, to whom the consolidation of political power is paramount, even if that entails the compromise, or outright betrayal, of the ideals that the Party holds dear? Or will the Party be guided by the inclusive and just ideals that lit up the political landscape in 2008 and led to a Democratic landslide? Will the Democratic Party continue to decry the huge sums of special interest money that corrupts the American political process while relying on such tainted funds itself?

At caucus you get to choose. A vote for Bennet is a vote for Wall St. It’s a vote for the status quo, for at least 20% of Bennet’s campaign contributions comes from corporate and special interest group PACs. And I say “at least” intentionally for the lion’s share of Bennet’s individual contributions come compliments of the captains of American finance, and industry from all across the land. See for yourself at the Federal Elections Commission website.

Or choose Andrew Romanoff who has refused PAC money. Andrew recognizes that the time has come for the residents of Main St., USA, to once again reclaim their political process. Andrew Romanoff is the only senatorial candidate committed to being the change that we all want to see in Washington.

In 2008 the voters issued a clear mandate that the status quo in Washington had to go. Democrat politicians were granted the political clout to get the job done, yet they lack the backbone to do so.

If you are pleased with the current ways of Washington, then perhaps you’ve no reason to attend. But if you are mad as hell then by all means go to caucus for Andrew Romanoff, the candidate with the conviction to fight for a government that is for the people and by the people.

Philip R. Gordon  ( N.B. not Philip A. Gordon)
Boulder

The chairman of the National Science Board, Louis Lanzerotti, has reported (Science News, Feb. 27, 2010) that “The American public has a very strong view of the importance of science and engineering for our country.”  He claims that “scientists rank as high in public respect as do firefighters.”  As a scientist, I was very pleased to learn this.  But,

For all those folks (many teapartyers) who are having trouble with or are condemning the thousands of scientists who tell us from their extensive research that humans are responsible for at least a portion of global warming and climate change, I would like to propose the following steps, which are quite incomplete, but will serve to help them justify their doubts about scientists.

They should all stop taking any medicines or non-prescription drugs or having surgeries developed by scientists.  They should cease all use of mechanical and electrical devises, such as radios, televisions, phones, time pieces, computers, calculators, pods(of all sorts), vehicles, tools, lights, toys, soaps, solvents, shavers, materials, etc., that have been designed, developed and perfected by (these “politically-motivated”, “money-motivated”, irresponsible) scientists.

And, of course, all of those folks who oppose the granting of any Federal (taxpayer) money to private individuals (because they call it socialism) should immediately forgo all of their social security, medicare and medicaid.  And if those who are concerned that any government money spent for their benefit is socialism, I suggest they give up police and fire protection, public schools, public roads, public transportation, public libraries, public utilities, etc.

Joel Selbin
Boulder

It must be a huge come-down for the once-mighty Catholic Church to find itself in this position, where all it can do to children being raised by two mommies is kick them out of school. It wasn’t too many centuries ago that the Church could set fire to anyone who dared to be different, because nothing says “a loving God” like a charred corpse.

With all the violence and hatred in the world, I think God must smile upon any two people who join together in a loving relationship to raise children. Leaders at Sacred Heart of Jesus school would disagree. That’s what happens when you listen to that Old Testament Leviticus instead of the One for whom your religion is named:

“And they brought young children to Him, that He should touch them: and His disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

Mike Ryder
Louisville

I can’t help but feel sad for the parishoners and clergy and teachers of Sacred Heart of Jesus and the situation that has evolved these past weeks.

Maybe we can all learn something!

Maybe we can go back to spreading the Love of God instead of condemning people for being the way God made them.  He didn’t make junk and if God is Love,  where is He in this picture?

How can we ostrasize the children of a couple who are trying to give their children a faith based education while transferring pedofile priests from parish to parish and ignoring the problem.    Why do we imagine that all gays are into sex?  Can’t  we just love one another for who we are ( God’s wonderful creations ) instead of what we are?  Let Him be the judge.  Hasn’t the Church had enough problems in it’s own family?

This isn’t going away until we as Catholics take a good look at ourselves.  With so many problems in this world like Health Care Reform,  War,  Poverty,  Brutality and Violence, why are we judging a couple who want to give their children a foundation in faith?  Everyone deserves to be loved and valued whether gay or not.

Peg Walczyk
Longmont

There is a lot to be said about how greater bandwidth will provide better opportunities to any community.

Boulder has as the advantage to receive the Google 1 Gig network is the presence of a Smart Grid.

In a spasm of clairvoyance, our leaders were able to decide to get this for the city.

A way to understand the smart grid is that it is very similar to a telecomm play.

There will be massive amounts of data, routers, hardware all driven by software that will need to be passed around.

The 1 Gig network will allow that to happen faster!  It will turn our Smart Grid into an Einstein Grid!

Even if you do not live in the city, this will be great for the whole county.

Support it by going to www.boulderfiber.com , filling out the form and voting for Boulder.

Mark Haeg
Boulder

How many readers really know the truth about Colorado’s new March 1st 2010 PASSED house law bill 10-1193 that forces internet companies from other states in to collect sales tax from the people here in Colorado in these hard times under threat of possibly being jailed if they don’t do it? The Colorado State government is now selectively targeting larger companies like Amazon.com and others to make an example of them. In return many companies large and small are now totally refusing to do business with ANYONE in Colorado with the hope that this bill will be replaced with another bill that will rescind this stupid attempt to extort Colorado tax money from people that are not in Colorado and across state lines while discouraging other states from doing the same. This bill was passed quietly in the Colorado State House/Senate without putting it out to the people of Colorado to decide for themselves that bill 10-1193 is in our best interests or not!

The backbone of this entire country is still made from small business, many that are now Internet based as my business is. Some of my potential out of state customers that own small businesses are now REFUSING to do business with my company in a show of solidarity based solely on Bill 10-1193. And you want to know something folks? I can’t blame them for banning my Colorado based business because of this horrendous bill and now state law one bit! The reason is that it stifles the desire of small business’s to prosper and grow larger because of the headache and hardship of losing customer sales to companies in other states that are smart enough not to tax consumers in other states! This consumer extortion law needs to stop quickly, once and for all to protect both the people in other states and the hard working businesses that do out of state sales from Colorado. This is not about evading taxes! I urge you to write to your local representatives and state senators to push for Bill 10-1193 to be rescinded!

Barry Cohen
Durango